THE BEST TIME TO VISIT MADAGASCAR: MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean. It is regarded as the world’s second-largest isle territory administered by a single government. The nation comprises the main island of Madagascar and several smaller, peripheral islands as well.

Many people got to know about the Madagascar island from an American computer-animated franchise with the same name. However, adventurers and nature lovers had long discovered the immense splendour this country held within itself. Because this island split from the Indian Subcontinent some 88 million years ago, the native flora and fauna could thrive and evolve here in relative isolation from the rest of the world. Consequently, Madagascar is nowadays regarded as a biodiversity hotspot, with unique ecosystems and distinct wildlife. Several hundred species are exclusive to this land only. Due to these reasons, people have found themselves being persistently attracted to this land and have hence flocked to this destination for decades.

If you are also planning to visit Madagascar, it is vital that you first understand what the climate of the country is like. It is important because if you end up coming to the place at a time when the weather conditions are not how you like them, there is a very high chance that you might not enjoy your experience as much as you could. To help you with this, the article below elaborates on the climate pattern of the island in a month-by-month fashion. Go through it to familiarize yourself with all the different faces of the atmospheric conditions and then plan your trip according to what you think suits you best.

January

Madagascar enjoys a tropical climate. The average temperature of Madagascar during January is somewhere around 22°C while the highest and the lowest temperature during the month reaches around 26 and 17°C. The sun shines for almost five hours each day during this month. There is plenty of rainfall during this month which sums up to almost 274mm over a 21-dayperiod.

February

The mean temperature of Madagascar during this month is around 22°C. The day might experience a temperature rise to almost 26°C while the evenings are cool and calm at almost 17°C. The country enjoys five hours of bright sunlight each day during this month. Like in the previous month, there is a lot of rainfall during February reaching almost 279mm over a 20-dayperiod.

March

The third month of the year is characterized with a fall in average daily temperature and rainfall. The mean temperature of Madagascar has reached almost 21 °C while the highest and the lowest temperatures might reach nearly 26°C during the day and 16°C during the night. The country enjoys five hours of daily sunshine during this month. The average rainfall at this time of the year reaches almost 204mm over a course of 17 days.

April

April in Madagascar is characterized by a fall in both rainfall and temperature. The average daily temperature of Madagascar during this month reaches almost 20°C while the days can be 25°Cwarm and the nights even chilly at 15°C. The sun shines just five hours each day during this month. The average rainfall during this month sums almost 65mm which is spread across the country in scattered showers over an 11-dayperiod.

May

As the months are progressing, the temperature in Madagascar is decreasing slowly and gradually. The average daily temperature now reach almost 18°C during this month. The highest during the month may only be as high as 23°C, while the nights are getting even colder with 12°C. The sun shines six hours each day over Madagascar during this month. The average precipitation, mainly in the form of rainfall, totals about 23mm over a period of nine days.

June

The temperature decreases further. While the rest of the world is enjoying hot summer, Madagascar’s average daily temperature is around 16°C while the highest during the day may be around 21°C. The evenings are pretty cold reaching an average temperature of 10°C. There is limited sunshine during this month totaling seven hours each day. The rainfall is almost close to none as it is spread across nine days of the month with a rate of just 8mm.

July

The average daily temperature of Madagascar during this month is roughly around 15°C while the country may enjoy maximum of 20°C during at daytime. The nights are still cold with temperatures reaching approximately 10°C. The limited supply of seven hours of sunshine make the days shorter and cold as well. The average precipitation, mostly in the form of rainfall totals approximately 11mm over a 10-day period.

August

August in Madagascar is cold and chilly. The average daily temperature during this time of the year reaches around 16°C while the highest and the lowest temperature are around 21°C during the day and 10°C during the night. The average sunshine during this time of the year reaches approximately six hours each day because of which the days are shorter and cold. There is almost no rain during this month, as the average rateis around 10mm spread across nine days of the month.

September

The beginning of this month marks the start of the autumn season and thereby the rise of temperatures. The mean temperature during this month is around 18°C while the highest and the lowest averages for this month almost reaches 24°C during the day and 11°C during the night. There are approximately eight hours of sunshine per day and nearly 11mm of rainfall which comes down in scattered showers over the course of seven days.

October

October enjoys an average temperature of 20°C. The highest temperature during this month reaches around 26°C during the daywhile the nights are still chilly reaching nearly 13°C. There is not much sunshine during this month with justseven hours a day. The precipitation rate increases a bit during this month, reaching almost 76mm acrossnine days.

November

The month of November,unlikein other parts of the world, faces a rise in average temperatures. The average daily temperature of Madagascar during this month reaches around 21°C while the highest and the lowest temperatures that are possible are 27°C at daytime and 15 °C at nighttime. The average precipitation during this month totals about 188mm over a 13-day period. This is one of the best times to visit Madagascar as the weather is moderate and friendly. It is advised to keep an umbrella handy or wear rain protection gears as it might rain heavily during this month.

December

This month is classified as one of the hottest months here in Madagascar. The average daily temperature during this month is 21°C while the highest temperatures of this month might be somewhere around 26 °C during the day. The nights, however, remain calm and cool with temperatures around 16°C. The sun shines for seven hours each day during this month. The average rainfall equals 310mm as it rains heavily across all of Madagascar. The precipitation is mainly in the form of rainfall and it can be expected to be spread across 20 days.

CONCLUSION – THE BEST TIME TO VISIT MADAGASCAR:

The best time to visit Madagascar is heavily reliant on which parts of the country you plan on touring. The northern areas of the island are characterised by their hotness and humidity while the eastern parts are generally wetter. The south, on the other hand, is more or less arid. However, typically speaking it is the winter season that is regarded as the best to journey through Madagascar. This period lasts from May to October and is cooler and drier than the rest of the year. The skies are typically clear, and the sun shines brightly. Chances of coming across an unexpected downpour are minimal, hence, you can enjoy your plans uninterruptedly. Even though tourism is possible in the rainy season as well (November till the end of March, which is also the summer season), it is the time of the year when it rains heavily, and it tends to get very humid. If it is not something you are very fond of, perhaps this is the time of the year you shouldn’t arrange your trip for.

Madagascar is an amazing country. Its stunning, ever-changing landscapes, warm, turquoise waters, its unspoilt stretches of beaches and its unique culture and cuisine, all are the things to die for. Therefore, if you are looking to spend your holiday in the most memorable way ever, do come to this destination and have the best time of your life!

If you’re looking for more information on Madagascar or any other country you’d like to visit, take a look at Backpackertrail. The German start-up knows all about backpacking and will help you with planning your adventure, so you to get the best out of your travels and experience the world’s diversity and beauty in the best way possible.