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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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Madagascar has a striking variety of scenes: brightly painted rickshaws (pousses-pousses), zebu/ox drawn carts everywhere, baobab dotted landscapes, verdant rice paddies (like Vietnam), remote fishing villages, people wrapped in woolen blankets against the chill of the highland cold, narrow two storey houses with bougainvillea draped wooden balustrades, forest canopies with lemurs resting in the tree branches or jumping from limb to limb, large outrigger canoes sailing along the coast!
Travelling in Madagascar is not easy though....roads are rough, the transport infrastructure is minimal and distances are long but the people are very friendly and most accommodation and food is affordable. The big problem is in Tana where there are heaps of begging children and too many touts/hawkers throwing their wares in your face to buy, buy, buy! So I have bought nothing as a result!
Madagascar lies in the Indien Ocean separated from Moz on African continent by 400km Moz Channel. It is 1600 km long and up to 570km wide and is the world's fourth largest island after Greenland, PNG and Borneo.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960 it has struggled economically. From 1975 to 2002 it was ruled almost continually by one man, Didier Ratsiraka. He pursued a policy of nationalist Marxism which left Madagascar isolated when the Soviet Union collapsed. After losing the presidential election in 2001, Mr Ratsiraka eventually left office, but only after bringing his country to the brink of civil war. He was replaced by an inexperienced politician and self-made millionaire whose dairy business had become the most successful company in the island (you see it everywhere). The new president is Marc Ravalomanana.
Plans to travel with www.unusualdestinations .com: 15 January - Joburg to Tana 12 February - Tana to Joburg 14-15 Feb - Joburg to Paris CDG
Flight reservations for return to Europe: 14 Feb Air France Flight:AF995 From: Johannesburg Int'l (JNB), Johannesburg, South Africa To: Charles De Gaulle (CDG), Paris, France Departing: 21:00 Arriving: 06:30 Status: Confirmed
Visits to south and west to avoids rains and cyclones of the north and east.
The first part of my visit will be with unusualdestinations per the following (itinerary 13 on their website):
15 January (Day 1): Fly to Antananarivo (Tana), the lively Malagasy capital in the Central Highlands. At the airport our English-speaking Malagasy agents will meet and assist you with formalities. Transfer to the Louvre Hotel (B&B)
I met Ronny Boer from South Africa who is resident engineer for the mining activity in Fort Dauphin. He bought me dinner at the Hotel Louvre.
16 January (Day 2): Transfer to the Ivato airport and fly to Fort Dauphin (Taolanaro), on the far Southeast coast. From here you will be taken directly to the Berenty Reserve, a two hour drive inland, from Fort Dauphin. Stops en route are: first to see a grove of carnivorous pitcher plants; then an Antanosy graveyard; then a slope covered with Triangular palms in the transition zone and finally, in the spiny desert, you'll see endemic Baobabs and remote Antandroy villages. Lemurs are abundant and very confiding in both. Overnight in the bungalows at the Gite de Berenty Lodge. (Dinner, bed and breakfast)
Saw Ronny again and the great house overlooking the bay. Three hour drive with Jose the driver and my guide Benoit (who was a GREAT guide, written up by Hilary in her Bradt guide). Evening walk to watch critters.
17 January (DAY 3): Whole day to enjoy the Reserve. Berenty also offers great birding, as well as interesting reptiles and invertebrates. The spiny desert flora is remarkable. There is also dry gallery woodland. A torch is useful for observing nocturnal fauna. Overnight in the bungalows at the Gite de Berenty Lodge. (Dinner, bed and breakfast).
An early morning walk, brekkie and then tour of the museum. The lemurs are plentiful as many just hang out near the bungalows (ring tail, sifaka, and brown).
18 January (DAY 4): Transfer to the airport and flight to Antananarivo. Transfer to Perinet reserve (3 -- 3 ½ hours by good, winding road). Picturesque scenery en route. If going in spring or summer (late August -- March), pack a torch as you can go on a short night stroll to see nocturnal animal life. Explore the rainforest of Perinet Hotel Feon'ny Ala (midrange) (B&B)
Picked up at airport by Zina my driver and arrived at Perinet around 4. Evening walk with guide Zak who I did not think was as good as Benoit.
19 January (DAY 5): Whole day to explore Perinet's rainforest. To see the most wildlife (especially Indris and birds) be in the rainforest as close to daybreak as possible as then animals are most active. The trails are not difficult to manage and most forest guides speak good English. You should also encounter the likes of Grey Bamboo Lemur, Red-fronted Brown Lemur; birds like the lovely Blue Coua; Sunbird-Asity and Nuthatch Vanga, as well as impressive reptiles like Malagasy Tree Boa and Parson's Chameleon. Orchids and other epiphytes festoon the trees. Overnight at Hotel Feon'ny Ala (midrange) (B&B)
Early morning walk and saw heaps of indri up close...then my cold and flu got worse so stayed in for afternoon.
20 January (DAY 6): Today you can visit the wilder, nearby rainforest of Mantadia National Park, where the Perinet guides are used to taking visitors. Fairly challenging terrain, but you can do as much as you feel comfortable with. The primary rainforest here is spectacular and wildlife includes Diadem Sifaka, Ruffed lemurs and birds like Brown mesite, Pittalike ground-roller, Brown emutail and Velvet Asity. Overnight at Hotel Feon'ny Ala (midrange) (B&B)
Visit to Catholic Mission clinic in Andasibe for drugs!
21 January - Day 7: Transfer to the airport for your flight to Morondava on the West Coast. Transfer to the Hotel Chez Maggie. (B&B)
22 January - DAY 8: Day excursion to the fabulous Kirindy (Swiss) Forest. After dinner in the campsite and a night walk, transfer back to Morondava. Overnight stay at the Hotel Chez Maggie. (Full Board)
23 January - DAY 9: Transfer to the airport and fly back to Antananarivo. Transfer to the Louvre Hotel (B&B)
23 January - just a quick update in that I have had no access to internet for some time now....now in Tana and found internet today at the Hotel Colbert.....good trip so far with a few bumps...one being that I got really sick with cold and flu (I think from Bob in Beira) so was moving pretty slowly.....the guide took me to Catholic Mission clinic for antibiotics so on the mend now.
24 January - DAY 10: Transfer to the airport flight back to Johannesburg.(or in your case you will do your own travel arrangements till 12 Feb)
Beautiful sunny day in Tana to walk around and try to arrange travel to Tulear.
25 January - Overcast day to spend time running errands! Confirm return flight on Air Madagascar, shopping at Shoprite, organizing money at the bank! The money here is very confusing as they have two currencies! The ariary which is about 1800 on the US dollar and the Malagasy franc which is five times the ariary. And the banks will not accept US dollars, only Euros! Thank goodness I found a German trying to get rid of local money and he needed dollars! Very frustrating!
26 January - Plan to take next ten days and drive to Tulear with my driver Zina (who drove me to Perinet). No internet now for several days!
Spent this evening at Residence Camelia in Antsirabe.
Remaining days I hope to travel via road to Tulear and maybe enjoy the beaches of Ifaty. Found that a woman Linda Layfield who is from Juneau lives in Tana so will look her up. I found her name on the website www.hikingmadagascar.com !
27 January - Overnite at Hotel Snack Bar Bougainvillees in Ambalavao.
28-29 January - Two nights at Isalo Ranch near the Massif Isalo but too much rain to hike and decided to not drive to Tulear as they are having their first cyclone since 1978.
30 January - Could not make it to Ifaty cos the roads are flooded due to cyclone (which is now passed but the first major cyclone to hit west coast since 1978....most are on east coast or north) so overnite in Tulear at Chez Alain.
31 January - Return to Isalo to Relais de la Reine to enjoy sun and pool amongst gorgeous rock formations....too much mud for hiking.
1 February - Head back to Tana with stop at Fianar Tsara Guest House....very noisy room on the streets. Accommodation has been pretty inexpensive ($10-20 per nite but it must be paid in cash and I am running out of it quickly as ATMs do not work here).
We crossed a bridge that had been blown up by the last president....because he did not win the election in 2001, he destroyed the country infrastructure and for eight months, there was no petrol, no tourism, no flights in or out....really a mess! The old president has since fled to France and the new president is doing well according to the locals.
2 February - Back in Tana at Hotel du Louvre where they take VISA....gorgeous day with evening thunderstorm...but hotmail is not working!
3 February - Another sunny day with the typical afternoon thunderstorm at around 5pm! And hotmail is still not working!
4 February - Another sunny day...met another USAID/IRG woman at internet this morning. Aid agency folks are everywhere and of course, they stay at the most expensive hotels and drive the big expensive 4WD vehicles....so where does all our aid money go?????
Her web site is www.frameweb.org. Walked by the US Embassy and a few shops this morning on my last day in Tana. Hotmail works sporadically so please send to yahoo which is working! The rainstorm is early today at 2 pm....and hotmail still not working! Met Linda Layfield (Juneau woman working for Peace Corps here) at Mojos. Many of the volunteers are leaving after two year stint so it was a going away for them. Also met Shirley McGee the wife of US Ambassador!
5 February - will return to Joburg on MD124 at 0930 arriving 1150. Met a German traveller at the Tana airport and when we arrived in Joburg, I looked for the backpackers bus but it never showed up! Nor did Brigitte's ride with friends so we went into airport to ring for place to stay and when we returned to the curb, there were her friends! So they invited me to also stay....great folks although Scientologists with 12 year old daughter who is wonderful. Visited the Body Mind Spirit Fayre at the local community center...reminded me of my days in SF over thirty years ago!
6 February - Visited the art show at the Scientology Center and the Eastgate Mall for some shopping.
7 February - trying to suss out what to do the rest of the week...may hire car and drive north as Brigitte is going to Cape Town. We are doing internet at PostNet at Bedford Center but very slow and expensive and hotmail is still down! Ended up going to airport for Brigitte to pick up a package so got an Opel Corsa!
8 February - Hired a car and drove north to the Cradle of Humankind
9-10 February - Further north to Magaliesburg Mts for two nights at cottage at Sugar Bush Hill...decided to give Sun City a miss!
11 February - Back in Joburg where internet is terrible and hotmail works sporadically...yahoo is much better.
Hope to catch up more after I arrive at my sister's!
12 February - Spent the afternoon at the pool at the Holiday Inn at the airport talking with Roy Jacobstein a doctor who lives in NC but works out of NY for the AcquireProject.org c/o EngenderHealth. He recommended some great books for reading and we also shared many of our international travel experiences. He is a poet and you can find him on the net:
www.wisc.edu /wisconsinpress/books /2357.htm
13 February - A walk to the airport for a health injection from Kauai Juice of a shot of wheatgrass juice and the Garden Mix of carrot, beet, celery and cucumber....delicous !Afternoon thunderstorm.
14 February - Happy Valentines Day!!! Fly today to Paris but not til later so will lay by the pool for last bit of sunshine....hotmail is still having problems!
Flights are: 15 January MD125 JNB TNR 1320-1715 16 January MD 712 TNR FTU 0900 1015 18 January MD 711 FTU TNR 1040-1155 21 January MD 700 TNR MOQ 0825-0930 23 January MD 725 MOQ TNR 1350-1455 5 February MD 124 TNR JNB 0930 1150
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