Antananarivo, Madagascar Report of what it's like to live there - 10/23/15
Personal Experiences from Antananarivo, Madagascar
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
I have lived overseas before.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
U.S. - at least 1.5 to 2 days of travel to get back home.
3. How long have you lived here?
1.5 years.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Government.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
A mixture of houses and apartments. Most require a 45-minute to 2-hour commute, depending on the rainy season and road damage.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
There are several grocery stores (Dutch and French chains) that carry a good selection of items.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Most items are available through Amazon Prime/Pantry. Specific dish liquids and some other items are restricted by post.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Zero fast food. Ordering take-way generally requires an hour-plus wait, making it not really worth it. Cuisine here is mostly French and Malagasy. There are a few Asian/Indian-inspired places of exceedingly mediocre quality. Going out to eat at one of the fancier places at night involves driving on unlit streets, trying not to hit people, then wending your way back through the streets, which may or may not be sporadically lit by bonfires in oil drums (surrounded by prostitutes and their tiny toddlers).
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
You name it, Madagascar has it. Ants, mosquitoes, 3-4-inch cockroaches, termites, locusts...
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Via diplomatic pouch.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Quite inexpensive. We pay our household help beyond the top of the local scale and it's still very affordable. Among the local household help community, the Americans are the expat employers of choice because we pay very well and are "nice".
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
The U.S. Embassy has a nice gym, but it is not open to the public.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Most ATMs accept Visa cards only. This is still very much a cash-based society. Some upscale restaurants/salons accept cards, but it's always a good idea to bring enough cash.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Not sure. I know some attend local Catholic/Christian/Mormon services, but cannot confirm that they are in English.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
French is a must. Some general pleasantries in Malagasy are always appreciated.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Absolutely. This is a country with zero traffic lights, massive potholes, and no sidewalks, peopled by a crush of carts, humans, and barely-functioning vehicles.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
There is no real train service. Most taxis are 1960's Citroens and Renaults left as a legacy from French colonial times. Many times the interiors are stripped bare, and they have so much filler on them they resemble the Adobe from the Saturday Night Live skit. Taxi-bes and Taxi-brousses (City buses and overland buses, respectively) are verboten for us to take.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Bring a small SUV with high clearance. Nothing brand-new.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Currently $130 USD per month for internet service that sporadically goes out.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
SIM cards (puces) are widely available.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No. There is one vet that many people use. They were able to provide basic services, including putting our ancient and ill cat to sleep.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Nope.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Orphanages.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Business at work. Expat casual in public. Most people on the street sport Goodwill cast-offs.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
The standard third-world routine - pickpockets, etc. Local-on-local crimes seem to be getting more violent, and some tourists have been targeted, though mostly just robbery. Poverty is endemic here, and for the lighter-skinned people are seen as walking dollar/euro signs. There is no shortage of soul-crushing, grinding poverty.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Numerous. I think there may have been two solid months since arriving that my children weren't hacking or had runny noses. We are a healthy bunch, but we are no match for Madagascar. I can't tell you the number of times I had to consult Dr. Google with the query "is this just a bad cold, or is it the Plague" (yes, they still have the Plague here).
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Depends; awful in traffic (taxis/buses belching black smoke) and during the burning/charcoal/brick season, when the city is bathed in haze.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Air quality during the brick/burning season might exacerbate any issues. Watch out for mold/mildew in your house during the rainy season.
5. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Mild. Averages 70 degrees, not terribly humid, sunshine most days, even in rainy season. The nice weather here is by far one of the advantages of post.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There are American schools and French schools. A good mix of both kinds.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Yes. The American School charges $10,000+ for preschool, so many parents opt for the French-based schools that are more affordable.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Some through the schools.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
The expat community is comprised of individuals from the U.S. Embassy and various NGOs and international organizations (banks, mining, etc.)
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Not much. Stare at the walls of the compound. Go out for walks and get gawked at (and occasionally groped) by the locals.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Singles and couples seem to do okay. Families with older kids who have built-in social circles through the American/French school seem to keep themselves occupied. Families with babies and toddlers seem to suffer, as there is not much here to do, especially with the restricted mobility that comes with having little kids. Not to mention the constant illnesses and terror that come with a minimally verbal ill child and complete lack of basic healthcare services.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Homosexuality is still frowned upon here in Madagascar, though the embassy has been trying to educate the community.
5. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The ability to fly away to a better destination.
6. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Once you've been to the lemur parks, it's all about saving your money to get out of the country.
7. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Cashmere (sourced in Mongolia, knitted by locals), dinosaur bones/fossils, petrified wood, gemstones, various carved wood items.
8. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Nice weather year-round. Terrific thunderstorms during rainy season. Adorable babies everywhere you look. Inexpensive fossils, gemstones, cashmere.
9. Can you save money?
Absolutely.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
How hard it was going to be. How constantly miserable we were going to be. How there is a complete lack of things that children need for healthy growth/development/blowing off steam (even the most basic of parks). The complete lack of infrastructure means that even trying to "get away" by taking a short drive is beyond frustrating, making road trips not worth it. If you're bringing an 8 to 13-year-old-kid who doesn't get carsick and enjoys barely-passable washboard/potholed roads, you're in luck! Those bringing toddlers and babies...godspeed. You're in for a long, isolating tour. The days are long. The years are long. And you're stuck in your walled compound.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Absolutely not. I would rather spend a year in a war zone away from my family then subject them to living here again. This experience has siphoned off a good portion of my soul.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Illusions of DreamWorks animated movies.
4. But don't forget your:
Antidepressants/coping mechanism of choice.
5. Recommended movies/DVDs related to this city:
Look, it's Anthony Bourdain being a gluttonous turd in front of starving children! Whee!
6. Do you have any other comments?
Friends and colleagues who have served in West African posts think that Madagascar is a cakewalk in comparison. Some singles love it and find ways to keep themselves busy--whether flying to other countries or getting massages. Locals I have spoken with say that things continue to go downhill for Madagascar. There are a lot of institutional issues that need to be addressed before Madagascar can start moving in a positive direction.
