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- Rich History - From the original settlements of the Indonesian, Malaysian and African peoples to tribal development; European discovery and its transition to a contemporary republic.
- Hugely Contrasting Ecosystems and Unique Geology - in just a half days' drive from each other you may witness lush rain forests, spiny forests of unusual cactus formations, and tsingy (eroded limestone causing unusual looking pinnacles)
- Traditions and Complicated Belief Systems - There are 18 different tribes on the island. Examples include: the "Bara" people who regard cattle stealing as proof of manhood and courage, without which a man cannot expect to get a wife; the Betsimisaraka ("he many inseparables") whose culture has been heavily influenced by pirates and have many superstitious beliefs that keep brothers from shaking hands with their sisters and keep young men from wearing shoes while his father is still living.
- Endemic Species - Nearly 80% of its species exist nowhere else on earth (endemics: 12,000 species of plants, 45% of its 270 bird species, all of its primate species (lemurs), and most of the other mammal species as well.
- Humpback Whales of Antongil Bay - just south of Maroansetra in the eastern coast of the island, humpbacks come here to breed
- Scuba Diving off the north western islands - Nosy Be, Tsarabanjina or Iranja provide fantastic opportunities to see an abundance of rare marine life, large numbers of sharks and unusual corals.
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Time to go:
The best time to visit Madagascar is from May-October. Hurricane season is present during the other months. But because Madagascar experiences wide climatic variation, the central highlands can still be pleasant between June and September while the east coast gets most of its rain during the same time. To see whales in Ile St Marie, it is best to go during July or September. To go diving in Ile St Marie, it is best to go October-December.
- The Donia, a traditional music festival held on Nosy Be in May-June (the date varies)
- Fisemana is a ritual purification ceremony that the Antakàrana people undertaken in June
- Famadihana (the 'turning of the bones' burial ceremony) takes place from June to September.
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