A beautiful, unforgettable time June 10, 2025
By A student (Amherst College) - abroad from 02/02/2025 to 05/17/2025 with
SIT Study Abroad: Madagascar - Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management
I learned so much about Madagascar's biodiversity, incredible landscape, complicated colonial legacy, the Malagasy language, and most importantly, I became close with wonderful people through my homestays. This program was definitely worth it and I'm already looking for ways to go back.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The vast majority of learning happens in the field, outside the classroom, and during your ISP. That being said, the program presents you with a good overview of conservation efforts in Madagascar and connects students with a lot of helpful resources in the country. Program staff are super willing to help with ISP planning, and you should take adavantage of this support! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program staff is lovely, hardworking, funny, and always willing to help. They deal with so many super complicated logistics and still eat lunch and laugh with students every day. I miss them! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a host family is the best way to get to know a new place and culture. I am so lucky to have lived with two wonderful families in Tana and Andasibe. My family in Andasibe only spoke Malagasy, so this was a really great motivator and way to learn more Malagasy! |
| * Food: |
The program provides lunch every school day in Tana, and Seheno (the chef) is a fantastic cook! You will eat a lot of rice. Once you've settled into the new food and water (you probably will get sick in the beginning), try some street food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As a foreigner (vazaha), you will stick out in Madagascar. 99% of the time, people are super friendly, and I was especially able to connect with people by playing music with them (if you're a musician, I highly recommend bringing an instrument!). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had an ear infection during a program trip, and the program staff was super helpful in finding me a doctor while we were traveling and doing a checkup when we got back to Tana. I highly recommend seeing a travel doctor before the program to get advice on vaccines and antibiotics for stomach issues. |
| * Safety: |
We were advised not to walk alone or walk at night in Tana. While I think it is definitely good to stay in groups, I rarely if ever felt unsafe walking around the city. Just be aware that you are hyper-visible as a foreigner. Learn the public transportation system (SIT staff will help with this) and don't be afraid to explore! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
While no program is ever perfect, SIT Madagascar did an incredible job of showing us so much of the country, in all of its beauty and complexity. There is a good mix of structure and independence, and I really value being able to study abroad in a place that would otherwise be much less accessible, at least to experience in the way we were able to on the program. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Madagascar is MUCH less expensive than studying abroad in Europe. Most meals and travel expenses are covered by the program, and you receive a stipend that covers most of the costs of the ISP (depending on where you go). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $5-$50 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 200 level French |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Speak to your host family in French and Malagasy!! This is where the majority of my language learning happened. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Travel in Madagascar takes a long time! There will be a lot of long travel days, and it sometimes might not feel worth it in the moment. In my experience, the incredible places that we got to visit almost always made it worth it to go off the beaten path. |
