Most business is conducted in the centrally located capital city Antananarivo, referred to as Tana, where visitors can see important historical sites: old town, the fortified Merina settlement on the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, the royal palace complex, and native wildlife in Lemurs’ Park.

To truly experience the unique environment, it’s essential to get out of town. With limited time, plan for an easy excursion 30 miles east to Mantasoa Lake, once the weekend getaway for colonial residents — the Hamptons of the region. Ocean lovers can select from more than 50 nosys (islands) offering water sports, canoeing, snorkeling, bird-watching, fly-fishing, and lodging in fancy resorts or thatched bungalows. Nosy Be is the largest, busiest resort. Or choose to go east to whale-watch on Île Sainte-Marie, once the main hideout for Indian Ocean pirates; many lie interred in a cemetery overlooking the bay.

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You may choose to tour the country’s 46 national parks and reserves, each unique in biodiversity. On a high-plateau trip down the country’s spine on National Road 7, visitors pass rice fields, vineyards, tea plantations, thermal water spas, national forests and woodcarving villages. They arrive at last at the sandstone rocks of Isalo National Park, home to brown and ring-tailed lemurs and spiny, succulent Pachypodium Madagascar palms.

While rental cars are plentiful, an extensive system of domestic flights complements the road network, which can prove challenging. Major cruise lines make stops in Madagascar, often in combination with the Seychelles. Aiding travelers, the Ministry of Tourism supports 20 regional tourist offices. More than 60 travel agencies registered in the Association of Professional Tour Operators arrange group tours, eco adventures, safaris and customized private excursions to destinations seen nowhere else on Earth.