Madagascar Local Custom Tips by ATLC

Hospitality in Madagascar

The Malagasy are very hospitable. And food is an important part of it.

Photo This feast was prepared for us in Tuléar where a French couple of our group was to receive a medal for their project Ny Faribolana which develops a center for multihandicapped children and a doctor's post.

Greetings in Madagascar

Friends and acquaintances kiss each other 2, 3 or 4 times on each cheek every time they see each other.

Goodbye Veloma!
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Photo Football is also taken seriously here...

This was a gift from our hosts...

This was a gift from our hosts in Madagascar. There is an amazing variety of (semi)precious gemstones here inclulding a rare dark blue aquamarine, but also all sorts of quartz, garnets, moonstone, amazonite etc. The largest crystal ever found came from Madagascar and weighed more than 380 tons (I got all this from a guide).

You'll find 100s of varietys of these ashtrays and eggs in all sizes, colours and perfection.

Delicate, papyrus like, handmade paper

Delicate, papyrus like, handmade Antaimoro paper decorated with pressed, dried and embedded wild flowers.
This is a gift card and makes a very good suitcase-friendly souvenir.

Or Antaimoro paper notebooks...

Or Antaimoro paper notebooks with embroidered images from Malagasy life...

Life in Madagascar

Life in Madagascar is by history very French. The language is French, and the breakfasts too. So at least that can be familiar to some tourists.
The hundreds of little stalls along the roads bear the names 'Boucherie', 'Epicerie', but you don't want to buy any food there except bottled drinks.