The Right Season Makes All the Difference in Madagascar (Part three)
On this last part, we’ll be looking together into how favorable the final third of the year shapes up in Madagascar in terms of travel and tourism activities.
The previous third which includes May, June, July and August provides a good collection of months to travel around in Madagascar. It also contains the tourism peak month in Madagascar – July.
September, October, November and December also contain some interesting months to visit Madagascar. The final third introduces significant changes to the wildlife landscape as hibernating animals have their alarms set for these months. The humpback whales start their return swims to the Antarctic waters from Malagasy waters after putting up very beautiful displays in the Malagasy waters.
Let’s start our journey through to the end of the year.
September – hibernation is oveeeeer!
Cooler temperatures gradually recede and it gets warmer in Madagascar. This does not translate to any significant rise in the amount of rainfall in any part of the Big Island. September proves to be a quiet period to kick off vacation plans with Malagasy people as schools resume and vacations end. All in all, it is an exciting time to commence your holiday. There is enough awakened wildlife to feast your eyes on during this period. The temperature has risen all over Madagascar (from 10ᵒC (50ᵒF) to about 25ᵒC (77ᵒF)). Thus marking an end to the hibernation period for reptiles and other animals not excluding lemurs and rodents.
September has some very interesting highlights that make it a very explosive month to travel to and inside Madagascar. One major highlight is that September marks the beginning of the birthing seasons for lemurs. The mating season had occurred around May and June. Baby lemurs are easy to spot during this period as they grow with a lot of food around. Make sure to take lots of pictures but remember that they need some peace and quiet just like our own babies! October is also a great time to observe this phenomenon among lemurs which are an endangered species.
September is also a great time to hit the beach. This is encouraged by daily atmospheric and water temperatures all over Madagascar that hover around 25ᵒC (77ᵒF) accompanied by up to 8 hours of sunlight. The beaches and the coastal areas around Madagascar provide hanging out options. All types of activities take place at the beach including snorkeling or canoeing. Bird-watching is one activity that also comes naturally. There are over 110 endemic species within Madagascar and most of these species breed during this period. So the landscape and sky are beautified by stunning colors and features among feathered life. September is a truly nice and wonderful time to discover Madagascar.
October – tourism-sweet spot 🙂
Little or no rainfall (55mm), lots of sunshine (7 hours), warmer temperatures (13ᵒC (55.4ᵒF) – 27ᵒC (80.6ᵒF)), warm water temperatures (25ᵒC (77ᵒC)) – these are beautiful conditions that make October a “tourism-sweet” period all through Madagascar.
Growing and developing baby lemurs, Bird-breeding and watching, snorkeling in crystal clear waters. Even trees are displaying their splendor as they add to the stunning landscape of this month. The highly active endemic bird population adds a lot of curiosity to the atmosphere and also interesting things to look out for. The baobabs that are nicknamed – “The tree of life” as a result of its ability to store water. They are also being a home to numerous species of birds. All kinds of animals and human of course are not left out of the homely nature of the baobabs.
The sight of young lemurs (all the lot including Indri, Ring-tailed etc.) – a few weeks old flush out dullness of the atmosphere. Communication of animal love and care is a splendid sight to experience. This also adds to the beauty of Madagascar in October. It’s a good month, one of the best towards the end of the year to take advantage of for your holidays.
November – not as cold as Guns N’ Roses’
November is another great time to be in Madagascar. One major change is the hike in atmospheric temperature. This results in fully active wildlife forms all over Madagascar, with preparations for festivities in full gear. Rains become regular around Madagascar (up to 170 mm can be expected in this month of November). The birds continue breeding, the Indri, also known as Babakoto lemur, start calling out all over the place. I know very few people that did not repeat that famous Indri’s sound after they’ve heard their callings. The flora also stand in their own right and are not intimidated by fauna.
The air temperature is likely to peak around 30°C (86°F) and the water temperature hangs around 26°C (78.8°F). It is still clement enough for a good time and even some long walks as there is so much to observe during this period. Some of the popular wildlife around are chameleons and there are lots of them during this period along with a healthy collection of reptiles. Snorkeling is also common as the beach waters are clear blue and turquoise. Aquatic life are frequently encountered. November is no borefest for Madagascar travelers.
December – that most wonderful time of the year – or second most?!
December introduces a more challenging period in terms of climate around Madagascar. It is time to put brave glasses on: 30°C (86°F) of temperature; 160 mm of rainfall as the monthly average and almost quarter day of sunshine are the common conditions across the Big Island.
The wildlife constituents of November are readily available and the early period of December is still OK to travel but there are no assurances. The beaches around Madagascar are warm and can accommodate visitors with a temperature of about 26°C (78.8°F).
September, October, November and December are the last months of the year with great potential for travelers joy. Do check out the first two parts of the article to have a clearer picture of Madagascar’s other months and seasons.
