Madagascar
Madagascar in January
🌧️ Rainy seasonPleasant, a little humid and very wet. Watch for tropical cyclone & flood risk.
🎒 Pack: compact umbrella or rain jacket · waterproof sandals
Why January scores 7.7What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort50%7.1
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (27°C highs / 17°C lows)
- ✓Humid (dew point 17.2°C)
- !Wet: ~340 mm rain, ~11 heavy-rain days
- Air quality20%9.8
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~6 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards20%7.0
- !Tropical cyclone: Peak of the South Indian Ocean cyclone season
- !Flood: ~11 heavy-rain days (≥10 mm) in an average January
- Safety baseline10%7.5
- ·Increased caution
| Jan | May | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.7 Very good | 9.6 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 27° / 17° | 24° / 13° |
| Rain | 340 mm | 19 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 17° | dew pt 14° |
| PM2.5 | 6 µg/m³ | 3 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Antananarivo weather-station normals. Rainfall: Antananarivo weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsJanuary 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- New Year 1–3 Jan · 3 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore MadagascarEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA large island nation off southeast Africa, visited for lemurs and other unique wildlife, baobabs, rainforests and beaches.
No major events on our calendar for January.
Coming up later
Independence DayEvery year26 June every year
Madagascar's national day, with parades and fireworks.
Why go: Celebrations start the evening before with lantern processions.
Where: Nationwide
Humpback whale seasonDate variesUsually July to September
Humpback whales arrive from Antarctic waters to breed and calve.
Why go: Choose operators who keep a respectful distance from whales.
Where: Île Sainte-Marie
FamadihanaDate variesUsually July to September
A highland ceremony in which families exhume and rewrap ancestors' remains, with music and feasting.
Why go: Attend only if invited by the family.
Where: Central highlands
Avenue of the Baobabs
A dirt road lined with giant baobab trees near Morondava.
💡 Most visitors come at sunset; sunrise is quieter.
Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
Rainforest east of Antananarivo, home to the indri, the largest living lemur, known for its loud calls.
💡 Night walks show chameleons and smaller lemurs.
Ranomafana National Park
A hilly rainforest park with several lemur species, including golden bamboo lemurs.
Tsingy de Bemaraha
A UNESCO-listed forest of razor-sharp limestone pinnacles crossed by walkways and suspension bridges.
💡 Only accessible in the dry season, roughly April to November.
Nosy Be
An island off the northwest coast with beaches, diving and day trips to nearby islets.
Île Sainte-Marie
A narrow island off the east coast with beaches and a pirate cemetery.
💡 Humpback whales visit offshore in the southern winter.
Romazava
A stew of zebu meat and leafy greens, often called the national dish.
💡 Local restaurants (hotely)
Ravitoto
Pounded cassava leaves cooked with pork.
💡 Local restaurants
Zebu
Beef from the humped zebu cattle central to Malagasy life.
💡 Restaurants across the country
Mofo gasy
Slightly sweet rice-flour cakes eaten at breakfast.
💡 Street stalls in the mornings
Vanilla
Madagascar is one of the world's leading vanilla producers.
💡 Markets and shops, especially in the northeast
Raffia crafts
Woven baskets, hats and bags.
💡 Digue market in Antananarivo and craft markets
Antaimoro paper
Handmade paper with pressed flowers.
💡 Craft shops