Is renting a car without a driver safe in Madagascar?
Madagascar is safe to travel independently and it is a lot of fun to do so. Otherwise, we would not allow car rental without a driver. But, there are a number of restricted areas for which a driver is needed.
The black lines on the map are allowed with our X-Trail | Prado | RAV4. The red dotted lines are only allowed with a Nissan Double Cab rental car, as this is off-road area. It is NOT possible to take short cuts. There simply will be no road or dirt track. The rest of the country is off-limit for independent travel, this means:
- Northeast: the RN5 beyond Soanierana - Ivongo,
- Southeast: the RN 12 beyond Manakara to Fort Dauphin
- South: the RN13 from Ihosy to Fort Dauphin and the RN10 from Tulear to Fort Dauphin.
Note that these excluded areas are listed in our rental terms & conditions. Our vehicles have car trackers to monitor if a hirer breaches the contract and therefore would be fully liable for any costs and loss of security bond.
Explore the Makay and Southern Madagascar on a bush camping adventure!
The good news is, if you go with a driver-guide, its possible to explore remote areas of Madagascar which are not included in our suggested routes. Areas like the Makay, Fort Dauphin ( in the Southeast), or Maroansetra and Masoala ( in the North) are true of the beaten track gems but require traveling with a driver-guide
Roadtripper Alexander Purcell is taking a morning shower in a fresh, clean creek.