The south-west, article by article.

Toliara is more than an arrival point: it is where to choose your pace, your coast and the next part of a journey through the south-west.

The south-west is one of the driest regions of Madagascar and can be visited year-round. Here is what each season changes.

From Antananarivo, two options: the domestic flight or the RN7 road. They do not call for the same preparation.

In Toliara, the pousse-pousse and above all the cyclo-pousse — the “posy-posy” — are the main way to get around town. How it works, and how to agree on the fare.

A handful of Malagasy words changes an exchange on the beach or at the market. Here is enough to greet, thank and ask a price.

The lamba, the salovana, and the pale mask worn by Vezo and Sakalava women: a few markers on the fabrics and everyday gestures around Toliara.

Rice at every meal, grilled zebu, coconut chicken, fish from the Vezo coast and two sweets: a tasty marker for reading a menu or a market stall in Toliara.