Antananarivo, Madagascar
From The UAE and islands of the West Indian Ocean in Antananarivo, Madagascar on Jan 21 '06
smash has visited no places in Antananarivo
Baby Chameleons
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- Watch out for pickpockets, theft, water, crocs, leeches, getting stuck on roads, false guides
- Mantadia - national park in the vicinity of Perinet
- Ramanofana - Golden Bamboo Lemur, Greater Bamboo Lemur and so on. Real special is the feeding of mouse lemurs and Fenoloka's in dusk at a feeding spot!
- Antsirabe, litte Europe in Madagascar - precious stones extracted in Southern Ilakaka. Thermal source (and produces our National mineral water "Visy Gasy", the only non-boiled water you could drink. Visit Malagasy quarter for more local character.
- Horombe Huge Grass plateau - Like discovering countries at same time, in only 41 kms. The desert plateau of the Horombe stretches as far as the eye can see. Rocky hills with ricefields at their foot (Asia) are replaced by grey stone blocks along with yellow grass in winter (People use to say it is like in South - American Andes). Another face of plateau de l'Horombe: spotted with satrana palm trees and tiny baobabs (African savannah)
- Isalo region - South part of Fianarantsoa province, just before entering Toliara's. Ruiniform (strange shape) rocks sculpted by wind and rain. Yellow-to-orange grass with specific palm trees (satrana in Malagasy). Ask tour-operator to arrange this while touring in South part of Madagascar. They call this classic trip "Big South" or "Grand Sud". Or even better, hire a local ANGAP agreed guide. http://www.parcs-madagascar.com/isalo/guides.htm
- Isalo national Park - A silent park with canyons, home of 50 species of birds, lemurs species (see "Lemurs canyon"), chameleons, geckos as well as plants (such as "Pied d'elephant"). Not to be missed as well: a natural rock pool that receives clear fresh waters from galleries in the rocks.
- Isalo window-shaped rock - nice "view" of the vast park
- La Reine - haughty feminine-shaped ruiniform rock.
Baby Chameleon
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see all photos »
- Antemoro paper workshops - Ambalavao less than an hour from Fianarantsoa. Visit workshops that produce Antemoro paper, made from crunched Havoha (of a mulberry tree family) barks. Motifs are made with flowers petals, that are laid on the paste obtained from crunched barks. The whole set is left there for drying and to have the paste hardened. Americans and Japanese are amongst Antemoro paper lovers. Worth seeing as well: Noisy cattle market on wednesdays
- Route Nationale 2, from Tana to Toamasina - 372 km to drive through Imerina soil and then lush rainforests.
- Perinet famous for its Indri population the largest of all the lemurs.
- Nosy Boraha (Ste-Marie) - series of tiny islands covered with a lush flora: clove trees, cinnamon trees, cocoa trees, vanilla plants and other orchids. Avoid T-trap of Nosy Komba.
- Vakona Forest Lodge (private) is in Andasibe, near Andasibe national reserve. Rent bungalow within forest lodge, (horseriding, trekking) and other sport activities. http://www.madagascar-contacts.com/vakona/
- Andasibe National Reserve - 150 km East of Tana, at an altitude of 1000m, many species of lemurs (especially, Indri, the tallest one), birds species (falcons, parrots..), orchids... http://www.parcs-madagascar.com/mantadia/mantadia.htm
- Tsimbazaza national zoo (Antananarivo), if you can't get out of Tana, it's a consolation. May be under refurbishment. http://www.madagascar-tourisme.com/madagascar/pbzt/
- Anja National Park - Ring-tailed Lemur
- Ambohimanga - 21km north of Antananarivo - Merina Royal Palace (18th cent) surprisingly modest, essentially just a small wooden hut on top of a hill. Later colonial buildings surround the hut as well as a dirty sacred pool, still used to clean circumcision wounds!
- Perinet Reserve - Close to the town of Andisabe - small Eastern Brown Lemurs, Paradise Flycatcher, Cuckoo Shrike, Red-fronted Coua, Crested Drongo, enormous butterflies. huge Tree Boa, abundance of geckoes.
- Diego-Suarez town, Africa blends harmoniously with Asia, Europe and the Middle East. 3 idyllic mountainsites and bays, on the East Coast, the West Coat and the Bay which is a 156 km of coast. 3 important volcanic and coralline massifs with exceptional reliefs:
- Amber mountain (1475 m) with many microclimates, rainfall in January and February - forest tracks, crater lakes, made-up botanical paths, water falls, view points, lemurs, land and endemic species.
- Ankarana Massif (409 m) - karstic relief whose surface is covered with 400 million years-old "Tsingy" and classified world heritage by UNESCO. Sacred grottoes, flora and dauna adapted to the environoment incuding lemurs, bats and Nile crocodiles
- Tsaratanana Massif (2874 m), highest in Madagascar
- "Baie des Francais" (The sugar loaf) - second most beautiful and biggest bay in the world.
- "Cul de sac Gallois" (la Saline)
- "Baie aux Cailloux blancs" (Ile aux Lepreus)
- "Baie du Tonnerre"
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