Region

Toamasina Province

Base in Toamasina for 2 nights, add Foulpointe or Andasibe; skip the province if you only have one week.

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Key facts · Madagascar

Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Malagasy ariary
Language: Malagasy and French
Plugs: C · E · 220 V
Time zone: UTC+3 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 8Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…

Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
African islands ↗Sleep on the island you fly home from the night before your long-haul departure; inter-island flights and ferries in this region are cancelled or rescheduled often enough to break a same-day connection.
African islands ↗In the Indian Ocean islands book flexible rates for December to March: a cyclone warning can shut airports, ferries and roads for two or three days.
Madagascar ↗Check visa and e-visa rules for your passport on Madagascar's official e-visa portal before booking.
Madagascar ↗Book a travel-clinic visit several weeks ahead; ask about malaria prevention and whether a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for your route.
Madagascar ↗Hire a car with a driver for road trips; self-drive is rarely practical and driving after dark is unsafe.
Madagascar ↗Do not buy or export wildlife, tortoise shell, precious stones without a certificate, or protected plants; enforcement at the airport is strict.

Toamasina Province is Madagascar's wet east: the country's main port, a long palm coast, and rainforest parks on the escarpment between the highlands and the sea. It is not a beach-resort province like Nosy Be. Come for Andasibe's indri lemurs, a night or two in Toamasina itself, and a coast stop at Foulpointe or further south at Vatomandry. Roads are slow and the cyclone season runs roughly December to March.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

ToamasinaCity guide
Port city, transport hub, bazaar and canal quarter.
Best Apr–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Toamasina →

Day trip

FoulpointeCity guide
Beach village about 60 km (37 mi) north of Toamasina.Beach village about 37 mi (60 km) north of Toamasina.
Best Apr–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Foulpointe →
Île aux NattesCity guide
Small island off Île Sainte-Marie, reached by boat.
Best Apr–Dec
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Île aux Nattes →
VatomandryGuide: planned
Quiet coast town south of Toamasina on the RN11.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Antananarivo 1, Andasibe 2 (lemurs), then back to Tana
5 nights: Antananarivo 1, Andasibe 2, Toamasina 2 with a Foulpointe afternoon
7 nights: Antananarivo 1, Andasibe 2, Toamasina 2, Foulpointe 2

Toamasina and the east coast are humid year-round; expect rain in most months, heaviest December to March.
The Moramanga–Ambila Lemaitso train is a single, slow service and the line can close for weeks — do not build a trip around it.
Do not swim at river mouths or after heavy rain; check locally for currents and water quality.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Foulpointe	Toamasina	90 min	unknown	Shared taxi-brousse or a hired car; the last return in daylight is the safe plan.
Andasibe-Mantadia National Park	Antananarivo	180 min	unknown	On the RN2 before Toamasina; most visitors sleep at Andasibe village, not in Toamasina.
Vatomandry	Toamasina	180 min	unknown	RN11 south; road condition varies by season — check locally.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding is not a normal service here; travel with your bags and hire a car with a driver for multi-stop routes.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Toamasina	×	×	×	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok
Foulpointe	×	×	×	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	×
Île aux Nattes	×	×	×	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go
Madagascar (country-wide)	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
East coast (Toamasina, Foulpointe, Vatomandry)Sea level to about 200 m	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	wet	wet
Escarpment and AndasibeAbout 900–1,200 m on the RN2	wet	wet	wet	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	wet	wet

ok: workablewet: daily rain

East coast (Toamasina, Foulpointe, Vatomandry): Hot and humid; rain in most months. Cyclone risk roughly December to March.
Escarpment and Andasibe: Cooler and misty; rain can close trails. Indri are loudest and most active early morning.

The driest window on the east coast is roughly May to November; September to November is usually the best balance of dry roads and clear mornings.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Antananarivo (Tana)	Toamasina	RN2 by hired car or taxi-brousse	7–10 h	About 350 km (217 mi); trucks and curves make it a full day. Taxi-brousse leave early morning.About 217 mi (350 km); trucks and curves make it a full day. Taxi-brousse leave early morning.
Antananarivo (Tana)	Andasibe	RN2 by hired car	3–4 h	About 140 km (87 mi); the usual first stop east of Tana.About 87 mi (140 km); the usual first stop east of Tana.
Moramanga	Ambila Lemaitso	Madarail passenger train	about 9 h	One service only; breakdowns and multi-week closures are common — check before relying on it.
Île Sainte-Marie	Toamasina area	Domestic flight or boat plus road	check	Schedules change by season; confirm with the operator.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Hired car with driver

buy

The practical way to link Tana, Andasibe and the coast; agree the daily rate and fuel in writing.

Taxi-brousse

check

Cheapest on the RN2 but slow and crowded; leave early and expect a full day.

Madarail passenger train

skip

One slow service with frequent breakdowns; not a reliable way to plan a trip.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Romazava (meat and greens stew)	Toamasina and Andasibe	The national dish; served with rice.
Ravitoto (cassava leaves with pork)	East coast towns	Rich and garlicky; usually with rice.
Grilled fish and seafood	Foulpointe, Vatomandry, Toamasina	Ask the price per kilo before ordering.
Vary amin'anana (rice and greens)	Local eateries	Cheap breakfast or lunch.
Fresh fruit	Toamasina bazaar and roadside stalls	Litchis in season roughly November to December.

Go next

Antananarivo and the highlands

RN2 west, 7–10 h by car

The return leg; break the drive at Andasibe.

Antananarivo

RN2 west, 7–10 h by car

Flights out and the start of the RN7.

Morondava

Fly or drive via Tana

West coast and the Avenue of the Baobabs.

Toliara

Fly via Tana

South-west coast and reefs.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Not yet checked

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 3, 1 h 30 to 3 h
Nights suggested: 3–7 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: No month is best in every zone

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Plan your trip to Madagascar Up to Madagascar

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialMadagascar National Tourism Board
officialMadarail — passenger services
secondaryOpenStreetMap — Toamasina Province
secondaryWikivoyage: Toamasina Province, revision 4765227 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Toamasina Province

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