Five ideas for guided tours in Madagascar

• Tsingy of Bemaraha

  The landscape that one comes to discover first of all in the park of Tsingy of Bermaraha (which is located in the center of the island, on the western coast) is an absolutely prodigious curiosity of nature. It is about big sharp rocky peaks, resulting from coral formations which rise towards the sky. The site, which was under water millions of years ago, has allowed thick layers of shells to form, which have stuck to the rock. The sea having withdrawn, there remains today these immense canyons. By being accompanied by a tourist guide of Madagascar, one will discover an incomparable flora and fauna, since many plants and animals are visible only here. By pacing the rivers of Manambolo or Tsiribihina, you will have a vision of the most spectacular on the gorges which compose the park.

• Sainte Marie Island

  Sainte-Marie Island, in the North-East of Madagascar, is a paradise for tourists. Composed of a preserved nature, magnificent beaches lined with coconut trees (especially on the bay of Ampanihy, very famous for its turquoise water), splendid lagoons, suitable for diving. The highlight of the show: the periodic gathering of humpback whales from July to September. The place remains calm, and it is very pleasant to go for a walk in its fishermen villages. Ambodifotatra is the most animated place of the island. A little more difficult of access, in the North of Sainte Marie, we find near the Eiffel lighthouse the 3 beautiful natural pools of Ambodiatafana, where the waves come to break. In the extreme South, on the very small island of mats, you will come to observe at best beautiful coral reefs, and in a universe without car, to benefit at best from a total peace.

• Baobab Alley

  On the west coast of Madagascar, between Belon’i Tsiribihina and Morondava, you can walk through the mythical baobab alley. This place has been photographed thousands of times, and remains one of the most visited places of the island. There are no less than 30 huge trees of the Adansonia Grandidieri type, 800 years old, that you can admire on this dirt road. They measure nearly 30 meters high and are scattered in an arid landscape. These giants are the last traces of a large tropical forest that existed in this region. The Malagasy nickname them renalaqui, which means “mother of the forest”.

• National Park of Isalo

  The Isalo National Park. is located in the south of Madagascar, on a 100 kilometers stretch, near the gemstone mine of Ilakaka. Its main entrance is just at the entrance of Ranohira. The park is an alternation of landscapes gathering at the same time big desert plains, made of rocks with ochre colors, and green canyons where lemurs live. The places are watered by numerous rivers, which take their sources in prodigious natural pools. The landscape looks strangely like a western setting, that is why the place is also called “the Malagasy Colorado“. Many walks are available, and it is better to stay at least two days to do the most interesting ones. You can for example make the walk connecting the canyons of the rats to the canyons of the monkeys, passing by a very beautiful waterfall, and enjoy a panoramic view on the forests and rice fields. Another option: the Long Walk, to visit the Portuguese Cave, and access amazing archaeological sites, where rare birds live
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• Ambositra

  The commune of Ambositra, which is also called “the city of roses“, is located almost in the center of the island of Madagascar. It is surrounded by forests, and its inhabitants are well known for having made it a Mecca of woodcarving and marquetry work. The houses of the city center are there to testify it, with their finely carved balconies. It is very pleasant to stay a few days in this village, and to walk around to feel the atmosphere of this friendly village. One frequently crosses there herds of zebus. The surrounding hills are fascinating places, where the traveler will be able to discover the Zafimaniry farmers and craftsmen and their way of life.