Most visitors see the Avenue of the Baobabs at sunset and leave. We came back at 3 AM to see the galaxy, stayed for sunrise, and it became our favorite moment in Madagascar. Here’s everything you need to know.
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The Avenue of the Baobabs is the most iconic image of Madagascar.
You’ve probably seen the photos: giant ancient trees lining a dirt road, silhouetted against an orange sky. It lives up to every photo you’ve seen, and then some.
But most visitors show up for sunset, take their pictures, and leave. We did that too.
And then we came back at 3 AM to see the Milky Way, stayed for sunrise, and it became our single favorite moment of the entire trip.
If you’re planning to visit, here’s how to do it right.
Getting There from Morondava
The Avenue of the Baobabs is about a 40-minute drive from Morondava. There’s no public bus that takes you there. You’ll need to negotiate with a taxi driver.
The drivers outside our hotel were quoting high prices. My husband negotiated hard and we found Nunu (Bruno), a local driver originally from Tana but now living in Morondava.
He spoke some English, which was a relief to find more English speakers in Morondava than we had in the capital, since our French/Malagasy wasn’t quite up to par.
We agreed on 120,000 ariary (~$26 USD) for two separate round trips for both of us: one for sunset and one for the early morning galaxy and sunrise visit. That was significantly less than what everyone else was quoting.
Entry to the Avenue of the Baobabs is free. Parking is 5,000 ariary (~$1 USD).
The Village Stop (Don’t Skip This)
On the way to the avenue, Nunu made a special stop for us.
He pulled off the main road into a local village that was incredibly welcoming. It was a Sunday, so the kids weren’t in school and were so excited to greet us.
“Salama!” from every direction.
This is where we saw the largest baobab trees in Morondava. These weren’t the famous roadside ones from the photos. These were massive, ancient trees in the middle of a village, and you could actually walk inside one of them.
It looked straight out of The Lion King. White birds perched on top of the tree completed the picture.
My husband flew his drone and all the kids in the village were fascinated, watching the footage on the screen as he captured it. This detour alone was worth the trip.
If you hire Nunu, ask him about this stop. It’s not on any tourist map.
Sunset at the Baobabs
The avenue itself is even better in person than the photos. The trees are enormous.
The dirt road stretches between them and the light hits differently depending on where the sun is in the sky.
We set up, walked around, and took it all in as the sun dropped. The sunset we witnessed here goes in our memory as one of our most favorite sunsets ever. And that’s after 60+ countries.
The orange was so vibrant and the silhouettes of the baobabs against that sky made it feel unreal.
A note about drones: When we flew our drone at the avenue, we were told drones are banned. There was not a single sign anywhere indicating this, and we always check for signage before flying. We put the drone away immediately and respected what they said. Some locals approached us calmly and asked for money related to the “wrongdoing.” It wasn’t aggressive or rude, just a conversation. Whether it’s an official rule or not, I’d recommend keeping your drone packed here. If there is a restriction, you don’t want the hassle. And if there isn’t, someone may still approach you about it.
The Galaxy at 3 AM (This Is the Move)
Here’s where this experience went from incredible to unforgettable.
While negotiating with our taxi driver, we’d met a solo female traveler at our hotel who had already booked with a different driver. She mentioned wanting to see the galaxy at the baobabs the next morning. We were already planning to come back for sunrise, but the galaxy idea had us intrigued. So we all planned to go together.
Nunu picked us all up at 3:30 AM. We drove through pitch-black roads back to the avenue.
When we arrived, it was just us. Low season meant literally zero other people. We walked through the avenue in complete darkness with only flashlights, watching our steps because some spots were muddy. A couple of dogs decided to be our companions for the night.
We set up our tripod and spent about two hours doing astrophotography. The stars were unbelievable.
We saw shooting stars. The Milky Way was visible overhead. Our friend captured incredible shots even on her iPhone that she shared with us.
This truly rivaled our experience in Namibia, which is where we’d previously seen the most stars in our lives.
It just felt magical. Just us, the baobabs, and the galaxy.
Sunrise at the Baobabs
Then the sky slowly started to brighten.
Watching the baobab trees go from dark silhouettes against the stars to being lit by soft morning light was a whole different kind of beautiful.
We stayed for about another hour as the sun came up.
Between the sunset, the galaxy, and the sunrise, we experienced the Avenue of the Baobabs in three completely different ways.
If you have the time, do all three.
If you can only pick one, the galaxy visit at 3 AM during low season was the most special thing we did in all of Madagascar.
The Solo Traveler Story (Why Your Driver Matters)
On the evening of our sunset visit, we left with Nunu and headed back to Morondava.
About 20 minutes into the drive, we got a call from the solo traveler we’d met.
Her driver had forgotten to put gas in the car.
It was dark, she was in an unfamiliar area alone, and lightning had started.
Her driver had her get into a tuk-tuk to go find gas, and she didn’t fully understand what was happening. She called us, and we put her driver on the phone with Nunu. Her driver kept saying he didn’t need help, but our friend felt unsafe.
Plus, her driver added more random people to her “private” tour.
Nunu turned the car around and went back to pick her up. We all made it back to the hotel safe around 8 PM.
This is why your driver matters in Madagascar. It’s not just about getting from point A to point B. It’s about having someone reliable when things don’t go as planned.
We lucked out with Nunu, and he’s a big part of why Morondava holds such special space in my memory.
What It Cost (Two People)
| Experience | Cost |
|---|---|
| Two round trips to Avenue of Baobabs (sunset + galaxy/sunrise) | 120,000 ariary (~$26 USD) |
| Parking Two Separate Times | 10,000 ariary (~$2 USD) |
| Baobab souvenirs (figurines made from baobab wood) | 6,000 ariary (~$1.30 USD) |
| Total | ~$30 USD for two people |
Tips for Your Visit
Go for sunset AND sunrise/galaxy if you can. They’re completely different experiences. Sunset is vibrant and social. The early morning is quiet, surreal, and feels like the avenue belongs only to you.
Low season means solitude. We visited in March during low season and were the only people at the avenue at 3 AM. If you want the galaxy experience without crowds, time your trip accordingly.
Negotiate your taxi price in Morondava. Drivers outside hotels quote high. Be patient, compare a few quotes, and don’t be afraid to walk away. We got two full round trips for 120k total. Keep a tip on hand when you find an exceptional driver.
Bring a flashlight and watch your step at night. Parts of the path are muddy. It’s pitch black. You need a light. You also need to look out for the zebu.
A tripod helps. If you want to capture the galaxy or long-exposure shots of the baobabs at night, bring a tripod. Even an iPhone on a tripod can produce stunning results.
Souvenirs are inexpensive. Little baobab figurines made from baobab wood were about $1 USD each. Barely had to negotiate.
If you hire Nunu (Bruno), ask about the village with the giant baobab. It’s not on the standard route and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. His car is definitely older, but great for the paved roads. However, it doesn’t have 4WD, so if you’re planning to visit somewhere like Kirindy Forest, you may need a different driver for that leg. But for Morondava and the baobabs, we can’t recommend him enough. Email us at hello@chewstoexplore.com for his contact info.
