Taxi-Brousse (Bus) Prices in Madagascar

To all my followers, I’m sorry if this post is rather dull but I created it with the intention of publishing online the price of public transportation in Madagascar — something that has generally just been a matter of hearsay. The inspiration came after finding a Spanish magazine article that quoted the 3,000 Ariary ($1.50USD) taxi brousse fare from Ambalavao to one of Madagascar’s better known climbing spots as 10 euros. Outraged at their error born of a dishonest individual, I decided to compile a list of all long-distance fares in Madagascar with the help of other Peace Corps volunteers. Taxi-brousse drivers notoriously rip off foreign travelers, often telling them to pay extra for luggage on top or quoting prices in the archaic Franc, then not correcting voyagers when they overpay. Even the signs at bus stations are at times dishonest. So, here is a list of prices gathered by people who have fought to get the real cost of things in Madagascar (in Ariary):

[Updated January 24^th, 2013] — Please comment if I have made any mistakes and/or left anything out!

From Antananarivo:

South

• Ambositra (~6-7 hours) –12,000 – 15,000
• Antsirabe (~4 hours) – 8,000
• Farafangana – 33,000
• Fianaratsoa (~10 hours) – 18,000 – 23,000 (cheapest company is Mamy)
• Fort Dauphin (~2 days) – 90,000
• Tulear – 45,000

East

• Ambatondrazaka – 18,000
• Andasibe – 7,000
• Moramanga – 5,000
  • Moramanga – Ambatondrazaka – 11,000
• Tamatave (~8 hours) – 15,000 – 18,000

North

• Ambanja – 45,000
• Antsohihy – 35,000
  • Antsohihy – Befandriana – 10,000
  • Antsohihy – Mandritsara – 17,000
• Diego – 50,000 – 55,000
• Mahajunga – 25,000

West

• Ampefy (~3 hours) – 6,100
• Morondava (~17 hours/overnight only) – 30,000

From Fianaratsoa

South

• Ambalavao – 2,000 – 2,500
  • Ambalavao – Vohitsoaka (entrance to Andringitra) – 3,000
• Anja – 4,000 – 5,000
• Fort Dauphin – 60,000
  • Ambovombe – Fort Dauphin – 7,000
• Ihosy – 8,000
• Ranohira – 12,000
• Tulear – 35,000

East

• Ranomafana – 5,000
• Manakara – 18,000
• Farafangana – 18,000 – 23,000

North

• Ambositra – 7,000
• Antsirabe – 15,000
• Antananarivo – 18,000 – 23,000

The South-East (Sud-est):

• Farafangana – Manakara – 7,000
• Farafangana – Vondrozo – 10,000
• Vangaindrano – Fort Dauphin – 40,000 – 80,000  (2 day trip; 230km; price depends on type of vehicle)

From Antsirabe:

• Antananarivo (~4 hours) – 8,000
• Ambositra (~2-3 hours) – 7,000
• Fianaratsoa (~6 hours) – 15,000
• Morondava (~13 hours/overnight only) – 25,000

From Toamasina (Tamatave):

• Fenerive Est — 7,000
• Foule pointe – 4,000
• Moramanga – 12,000
• Ile Sainte Marie – 40,000 (resident), 90,000 (non-resident) for brousse & boat. Cap Sainte Marie is the best company to go with and the only one that offers air conditioned buses and a seat to each passenger.
• Soanierana-Ivongo (port to Ile Sainte Marie) – 10,000
  • Soanierana-Ivongo – Ile Sainte Marie (boat only) – 30,000

From Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez):

• Ambanja – 14,000
• Ambilobe – 9,000
• Ankify (port to Nosy Be) – 16,000
  • Ankify – Nosy Be (boat) – 5,000 – 10,000 depending on type of boat

Photos: (1) Kilometer marker and rice fields on the RN7 from Tana to Antsirabe (2) Students in Tana (3) Mosque in Antsirabe (4) House along the RN7 south of Fianaratsoa