• Malaria exists in Madagascar, so check with your GP or travel clinic before traveling and ensure your children are able to take anti-malarial medication before planning your trip.
• Make sure you are up to date with routine vaccinations such as MMR, polio and tetanus. Visit your GP at least six weeks before travel to obtain any other vaccinations.
• Never drink the tap water; bottled water is readily available, even in remote areas.
• Take plenty of sun screen – even in cooler temperatures at high altitudes you will burn quickly – and kids even faster.
• Keep children hydrated – much of Madagascar is humid, and children will lose fluids rapidly.
• Don’t eat at roadside restaurants and cafes unless they are recommended by your guide. Avoid ice in drinks (unless you are sure it is not from tap water), and bushmeat.
• Mosquitoes and other biting insects can cause irritation and diseases – not just malaria. Always cover up, use mosquito nets or screened rooms where necessary, and use a strong insect repellent.
• Be sure you or your guide has a first aid kit if traveling to remote areas – you could be more than a day's travel from medical supplies.
• Ensure your travel insurance covers medical evacuation – many procedures cannot be carried out in Madagascar and patients will need to travel to obtain adequate medical care.

• Consult the latest health advice on Madagascar.

Be aware that beaches are rarely guarded – keep a close eye on your children even if they are only paddling.

From time to time there are political demonstrations in Madagascar. This is unlikely to affect anyone outside of Antananarivo, but keep an eye on the FCO website for up to date information about this and any other local conflicts.

There is a risk of crime in Madagascar – particularly in cities and town centres at night – and thefts are also frequently reported on beaches. Take precautions – don’t carry valuables or large amounts of cash, and don’t leave your belongings unattended on beaches. Avoid leaving bags and valuables on show in parked vehicles.

Be prepared for things to be unpredictable and not to expect standards in hotels and lodges to be as in the UK. - Jean Maclean

We found most things to be much better than we expected and enjoyed extremely comfortable accommodation in most of the places we stayed. We would happily recommend our trip to friends, but with the proviso that "Madagascar is not for sissies! - Amanda Haley

Tipping (guides, translators, taxi drivers, porters) may form the greater part of the typical day's expenditure. Such is the local economy that the most modest tip will be well received – meaning that the stress, if any, is not the cost but simply having local currency in appropriate small denominations. The advice is therefore to keep tipping amounts separately in your back pocket, for use as required. - Maggie Wood

Volunteer tip: Get in touch with the other volunteers in your group before you go and see if there are things you need to take that you can share within the group. Have fun! It's a working vacation, but it's an amazing experience and actually being in such a different environment to day to day life in the UK made it the most relaxing vacation I'd ever had. - Alexis Liming

Take waterproof bags to put all your clothes and equipment into for canoe trips. Make sure you have a good torch as electricity supplies in hotels are unpredictable. No need for water purifying tablets as bottled water is available everywhere even in the back of beyond! - Rosemary Llewellin

Be tolerant of those begging, but don't give to them. Contributing to the local economy by buying local goods, even if you later give them away – they are very, very cheap by our standards – helps far more. - Linda Brightwell