Making the most of Taomasina or Tamatave
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Ships berth in Toamasina port, formerly Tamatave, about one mile from town centre. Taxis and pousse-pousse rickshaws collect passengers only at the main gate. Avoid walking into town, carrying large cash amounts or wearing expensive jewellery because theft is common in this busy port.
This town of about 70,000 contains the country’s largest port. Once-fine colonial houses give Toamasina a shabby elegance, while sailors and tourists fill bars, restaurants and hotels. Most stay only a day or two because the real attractions lie in the countryside. In town, see the colourful market for produce, seafood, vanilla, cloves, black pepper and quality locally made straw goods.
Getting around
A get-acquainted pousse-pousse rickshaw tour, the usual local transport, is a fun way to explore town and glimpse residents’ daily lives and activities. Be ready to bargain the fare with the driver.
Nearby places
Although Toamasina has beaches, regular shark sightings discourage swimming; use a hotel pool instead.
Food and shopping
The market offers local colour plus an impressive range of produce and spices. Cloves are grown in large quantities and exported to India as food spices, while locally made straw articles are also sold. A few Boulevard Joffre shops on Toamasina’s main street are worth visiting.
Money
Madagascar uses the ariary, a pre-French-rule unit also printed on Malagasy franc notes (50000 francs = iray alina ariary = one million ariary). It is worth about half a U.S. cent.
Staying connected
Remarkably, Madagascar’s entire island speaks one Austronesian language, Malagasy, pronounced 'Malagash' or even 'Malgash', not as its spelling suggests. Because the island is so large there are many dialects. The Merina dialect around Antananarivo’s highlands is the "Official Malagasy", and most Madagascans speak Merina across the island.
French is Madagascar’s second official language and the daily language of government and large companies, but 75-85% of Malagasies have limited proficiency. Locals assume foreigners speak French and use several phrases, and they like and encourage attempts to speak Malagasy.
English is the third offical language, with very few speakers; it became an offical language in 2007.