Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world - after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo - and is about the size of Spain and Portugal combined. It lies in the Indian Ocean, separated from Mozambique on the African mainland by the 400km (248mi) Mozambique Channel. Unlike its volcanic neighbours - Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues and the Comoros - Madagascar was formed by continental drift rather than volcanic eruption (it tore off the African mainland around 165 million years ago). A narrow coastal strip in the east is where most of the rainforest grows; the central plateau in the high altitudes is cool; and there are plains and low-lying plateaus to the west.

Madagascar is a continent in miniature, with vastly different habitats and, like many islands, a huge number of endemic (and some very weird) species. The international conservation community has singled it out as one of the ecologically richest countries on the planet; Madagascar and the nearby Comoros have nearly one-quarter of all the flowering plants in Africa. It also has 90% of the known species of lemurs, and half the world's chameleons are found there. Add baobab trees, unique cacti and aloes from the dry areas, and you start to build up a picture of an incredibly rich ecology.

Apart from its southern tip, Madagascar lies wholly within the tropics. The

When humans arrived, they brought slash-and-burn agricultural techniques to clear the way, with barely 15% of the original forest cover remaining today. This has given way to severe soil erosion and descriptions of Madagascar as the Great Red Island. There is great pressure across its stunning bio-diversity as this traditionally poor country attempts to trade on something other than its natural resources. The answer may lie in recently improved agricultural techniques and the lucrative eco-tourism market which is beginning to catch on.

Madagascar is about as cheap as it gets when it comes to travel. You'd be hard pressed to spend more than US$10 on a meal in most places, and you can get a room for the night for as little as US$2.50. Admittedly, it will be a dive, you may be sharing it with bedbugs and lice, and the hotel may also double as a brothel. So you may want to spend around US$5 for a basic bottom-end room with at least the rudiments of cleanliness and security. In a nutshell, you could get by in the countryside for as little as US$10-15 a day for food and lodging, but your costs will increase considerably in Tana or particularly on the resort island of Nosy Be. Budget on spending US$30-50 to have a very comfortable time accommodation-wise with the best food the island has to offer, and US$150 and upwards if you want to stay and eat in the big hotels on Nosy Be and Tana.

The best currency to take is French francs, followed closely by US dollars, pounds sterling and Deutschmarks. The Malagasy franc is worth 100 centimes, but you probably won't see any of the practically worthless coins. Four main banks have branches throughout the country and you can change money there, and there will be at least one in every major town. They change recognised brands of travellers cheques and cash in major currencies. The upmarket hotels in Tana and some of the larger towns will also exchange cash and cheques for guests, but they normally charge a 10% commission. You can use credit cards in major hotels in large cities and resorts, airline offices and offices of the larger travel companies, but that's about it.

Tipping is not the norm except in expensive hotels in Tana and Nosy Be. It is generally discouraged by local tourist authorities, but rounding up a restaurant bill to avoid carrying worthless change around, or tipping for exceptionally good service is not a bad idea. Bargaining, on the other hand, is a way of life, except in the places where it is normal to tip. The concept of a fixed price is virtually unknown, except in mid to top-range hotels, and in smaller shops and markets you should never pay the first price asked. You won't be able to get things as cheaply as the locals can, but if you don't bargain you'll be helping to put the price of goods out of the reach of locals, and they will probably see you as an idiot to boot.

April to October (the southern winter) is the best time to go; you will miss the sticky southern summer (November to March), also known as hurricane season. But because Madagascar experiences wide climatic variation, the central highlands can still be pleasant during summer while the east coast gets most of its rain between June and September.