The island’s west and southwest get searingly hot during summer (November to March), which can make moving around a struggle, particularly if you’re travelling by taxi-brousse (bush taxi). By contrast, the winter months in these regions are pleasant, with blue skies, cooler temperatures and essentially no rain. In the east and northeast, be prepared for rain and overcast skies at any time, although rain showers don’t usually last long during the winter months. Between July and September the sea is too dangerous to travel by cargo boat.
Hotels, popular tourist attractions and all forms of transport, including planes and buses, fill up during European holiday periods, ie July to August, Christmas and Easter. Prices also go up at these times. The period between June and October is vanilla season on the east coast, so flights between towns such as Maroantsetra, Mananara and Antalaha often fill up far in advance.
Avoid January to March, when heavy rainfall in many areas of the country makes many roads muddy and impassable, limits outdoor activities and the risk of cyclones (particularly in the east and northeast of the country) is high.
