Madagascar South

In November 2025, Nomadic Road ran the Madagascar South expedition, a 1,022-kilometre overland journey through the south of Madagascar, one of the least travelled regions of an already under-travelled country. The route worked mostly along dirt roads, with sand stretches, dry riverbeds and the occasional tarmac section connecting the more remote inland areas to the south coast. November marks the end of the dry season, and the landscape carried the muted ochre tones of a region that has waited months for rain. Southern Madagascar is geographically and culturally distinct from the rest of the island. The endemic spiny forest, dominated by Didierea trees and pachypodiums, looks more like a science-fiction set than a forest. Baobabs punch out of dry plains. The Antandroy and Mahafaly peoples live in this part of the country, and the funerary art, the carved aloalo tombs in particular, gives the south a visual identity unlike anywhere else. Participants drove 4x4 vehicles through some of the worst-maintained roads on the island, including stretches where the convoy averaged less than 20 kilometres an hour for hours at a time. Beach camps, small village stops and remote guesthouses formed the overnight rhythm. The expedition crossed paths with zebu herders, fishing communities and the occasional missionary outpost. The Madagascar South 2025 edition delivered exactly what the route promises: real overlanding, deep cultural exposure and a part of Madagascar that almost no commercial trip ever reaches. The November 2025 South edition reinforced the route's reputation as one of the most under-known overland destinations in the Indian Ocean, and one of the most rewarding for travellers who want a real off-grid experience.