Tons o' Tips!
Get yourself a copy of the book "Where there is no doctor," and use it before you go to a pharmacy. They often don't have the brand name medicine you're looking for, and in rural sites, there is not usually a pharmacist on-site to help identify the "itch." So, if you walk in with the main ingredients written down, they can often help you.
Heat rash: Good luck! There is medicated powder available at the pharmacy.
Docs in order: Anticipate bureaucratic details and bring as much info and docs as might possibly be necessary to any interview. Don't hesitate to investigate beforehand what they might want, as the Malagasy have started posting lists to facilitate processing.
Buy your cellphone here. They are not linked to any contract, and the local services are pretty good. In fact, if you bring an unlocked phone, bring the cable and the software that will enable you to connect with the Internet from your laptop, and you'll be much happier. (I use a Nokia with their PC Suite.)
Local rum is good, but don't set your hopes too high for the local whisky. Imported liquors are a bit expensive, but wines from France, South Africa and (!!) Spain are reasonably priced.
Bring a lot of patience sprinkled with optimism, because while things don't go very fast here, people are nice about it. (Heck, even people who lie to you or are outright criminal will smile as they do their bit.) And BTW: the definition of a pessimist is an experienced optimist, so, grow with it.

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Hi,

My husband is working in Madagascar and I will be joining him shortly. I would like to stay a year and hopefully work. How do I obtain a visa for that long and do I need a work permit/visa? Thank you... Ruby

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You're probably aware that Madagascar experienced a coup d'etat a few months ago. So, I'm not sure if or how the process has been affected. First of all, you need to get your visa from a Malagasy embassy in your country (or a neighboring one, if you have none). You'll need to some research on the web to find the different classes of visas, but you'll request an extendable visa (that will get you into the country) and identify which type of long-term visa you'll be seeking. In your case, it sounds like "regroupement familial" would be appropriate, but I'm not sure that one allows you to work locally (as opposed to being hired by an international NGO that would pay you via a bank account back home). As I say, you'll need to do some research, but my experience was that the people at their embassy in Washington were very helpful. Good luck!

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