Madagascar Is Reopening to American Travelers — What to Know Before You Go
The island nation of Madagascar will once again welcome Americans, allowing them to experience the country's coastlines, rain forests, lemurs, and more.
Starting Oct. 23, American citizens will be able to enter the country, according to the U.S. Embassy in Madagascar & Comoros. Regional flights will restart on that date, followed by flights from Europe via Air Madagascar and Air France on Nov. 6.
Travelers will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of boarding their flight, as well as evidence of a hotel booking for at least two nights, according to the Madagascar National Tourism Board. Passengers will also be required to take a PCR test upon arrival (which costs about $29) and isolate until they receive a negative result.
"The reopening of Madagascar's borders will first be partial and then progressive," the tourism board wrote in its statement, adding "security" was the "watchword for the reopening."
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Travelers will be allowed to enter if they come from a country with less than 300 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per week. Currently, the U.S. is seeing a seven-day case rate of about 160 new cases per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Madagascar, which sits in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique in Africa, boasts gorgeous beaches, stunning baobab trees, and a diverse array of wildlife.
The opening comes as several countries around the globe have started easing border restrictions, welcoming back tourists with different testing or vaccination requirements in place. Most recently, Singapore, Chile, and Fiji have started welcoming U.S. tourists or announced plans to do so. And on Nov. 8, the U.S. plans to allow vaccinated foreign citizens to enter.
With travel slowly starting to return, so have prices. According to data from booking site Expedia, while average flight fares hit their lowest levels in December 2020 and January 2021, they're now nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
