MADAGASCAR

1 INTRODUCTION is just 250 miles off the east coast of Africa. The world's fourth largest island, Madagascar measures 980 miles in length and 360 miles across at its widest point. A mountainous central 'spine' separates the permanently damp east from the drier west and sub-desert south.

As one of the world's poorest nations, Madagascar is not for everyone. Prospective visitors must be aware of the island's 'lowlights' before going there. All the reserves have well educated and knowledgeable forest guides who will escort you and guides in other areas will also assist you from place to place.

HISTORY The 14 million Malagasy constitute the world's only Afro-Asian nation. Humans arrived no more than 2000 years ago by means of outrigger canoes from Melanesia, Polynesia, Indonesia and Africa. The Malagasy today, separated into 16 major tribes, are united by language and culture. In addition, there are a total of 39 ethnic groups who inhabit the island.

The official language is Malagasy. French is the language of business and English is spoken by people in the tourism industry.

After some recent political instability, the President Marc Ravolamanana brought many positive changes. Not just the official president, he is a man of great vision who will continue to serve the country after winning the democratic elections in late 2006.

HIGHLIGHTS Madagascar boasts no less than 50 different species of although at least 15 species are now extinct since the arrival of man on the island. The range in size from the pygmy , which can sit in an eggcup and is possibly the smallest primate in the world, to the piebald teddy-bear-like indri, weighing in at about 15 pounds.

The island is a nature lover's paradise with most of the plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. The incredible number of unique species is due to the separation from the mainland about 165 million years ago, and the very recent arrival of humans only about 2,000 years ago.

ANTANANARIVO Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar is home to two million of the country's 14 million people. Meaning 'City of the Thousand' because it was once protected by 1,000 warriors, ‘Tana’ is rated by many travelers as one of the most charming third world cities. The colors are vibrant, though pollution permanently shrouds the city and the atmosphere is buzzing.

2 Old Renaults and Citroens swarm the city's narrow streets in a mesh of traffic chaos, and with no apparent traffic control, the traffic jams are impressive. Drivers simply turn off their engines, wander the street socializing and then return to their cars when there is a sign of any movement of the traffic. The jams provide constant entertainment for roadside residents, who press their faces to their windows in wonder. Filtering between the vehicles are also throngs of street children who appear as dirty fairies who beg at car windows.

In Madagascar, poverty is extreme and 80 percent of the population is considered poor. In many parts of the country, zebu cattle are still the equivalent of a bank account and are a yardstick of wealth. The rickety- looking cattle, with long horns and loose skins for heat dispersal, graze lazily between the rice fields and are the pride and joy of their owners. Zebus are sacrificed for certain important occasions, are good to eat, act as mules to draw carts and wagons, and decorate the tombs of the dead to indicate their importance. At the market, zebu horn is crafted into spoons for sale, along with other traditional work in raffia and leather, real fossil shells and handmade paper.

Still, you do not go to Madagascar for the crafts or city life. The island has of the most unique and eccentric fauna and flora to be found on earth. This is truly why you go here: Dancing sifakas, teddy bear indris, lemurs aplenty; tangled rainforests, surreal spiny forests, avenues of baobabs, wild roses and trumpet lilies, neon-colored frogs, two-foot long chameleons, carnivorous pitcher plants and an array of animals that consider camouflage an art. These are all excellent reasons to visit Madagascar.

BERENTY RESERVE Magnificent diversity in the Fort Dauphin region, Reserve has been welcoming visitors longer than any other place in Madagascar. The 265 hectare reserve is also one of the best protected and most studied areas in the country.

For sub-desert lemurs, you cannot beat . This small protected habitat is home to large populations of ringtail lemur, brown lemur and Verreaux' sifaka, as well as white footed sportive lemur and . Birds include white browed owl and giant coua.

It is also home to the strangely human sifakas - the creamy-white lemurs that are said to 'dance' whenever they need to cross open ground. Though they spend most of the day feeding on leaves and shoots in trees, sifakas sometimes descend the trees and 'dance' to their next dining venue. Since their feet are designed to grasp tree trunks, sifakas are unable to stand or walk. Instead, they use their hind legs in a sideways skipping movement that is one of the truly comic sights of Madagascar.

3 Ring-tailed lemurs are also home in Berenty. They walk on all fours and have the swagger of a bandy-leg cowboy and the audacious attitude of a monkey. With their tails held up straight, swaying like reeds in the wind, the ring-tails filter through the reserve on morning and evening sorties and will pilfer whatever they can, meowing like cats as they go. The brown lemurs are different. They are more elusive and stay in the dry gallery forest though their pig-like grunting can be heard long before they are seen.

Also unique to Madagascar is the spiny forest. It resembles a prehistoric scene; tall spires of thorn-covered woody forest tower into the air and appear quite surreal - especially at night. This is where the nocturnal lemurs of the area live and their shining eyes can easily be seen in a torch beam at night. The gray mouse lemur and white footed sportive lemur are regularly seen and identified by the reflective color of their eyes in the beam.

There is also the new, magnificent , which includes rainforest, transition forest and spiny forest. Andohahela, a reserve since 1939, was only opened to tourists in late 1998 after being designated as a new national park. Its flora and fauna is incredibly diverse because there are such different habitat types.

ANDASIBE-MANTADIA NATIONAL PARK (formerly known as Perinet) Located in the central-eastern montane rainforest area, Perinet is known for its population of the ape-like Indri lemur and many other interesting animals. Perinet itself is small and the mammals are mostly quite habituated to allow a close approach. Expect to see indri, gray bamboo lemur, brown lemur, and at night the eastern woolly lemur, sportive lemur, greater dwarf lemur (summer only) and rufous mouse lemur. Special birds include: Madagascar wood-rail, blue coua, red-fronted coua, Nelicourvi weaver and coral-billed nuthatch vanga. The park has abundant reptiles and frog species. Star attractions include Parson's chameleon and the golden mantella frog. Scenic hiking trails will include bewildering plant diversity.

Indris share the rainforest with giant Parson's chameleons, up to two foot long, and an assortment of brightly colored frogs, birds and boa constrictors. These elusive lemurs spend their lives high up in the forest canopy and only descend to the ground to lick the soil for minerals. Indris don't dance, but 'sing'. Because their territories are huge they defend them with song, rather than scent. Their 'singing' is reminiscent of a whale song with occasional shrill siren sounds and is most often heard just before dawn. The indris provide a haunting start to the day and leave a lasting memory of Perinet - along with tree ferns, traveler's palms, wild trumpet lilies and roses, and a tangle of forest that is the private sanctuary of the indris.

Visit the neighboring Mantadia National Park for spectacular primary rainforest; rare birds and mammals. This rainforest is made more spectacular since much of it is still primary. Increasingly, visitors are able to see the resident diadem sifakas, a rare and strikingly attractive lemur. You may also have the chance to see the black and white and red-bellied lemur. For birders, the marshes in the area (Torotorofotsy and Ampasipotsy) are most rewarding. There is also a select band of endemic birds local to the eastern- central marshes: Madagascar rail, Madagascar snipe, Meller's duck, Madagascar flufftail and the very rare slenderbilled flufftail, as well as gray emutail.

MORONDAVA and KIRINDY FOREST Though Madagascar is best known for its lemurs, the island is also an Eden for eccentric flora. Most famous and most photographed is the Avenue of Baobabs near Morondava on the west coast. Madagascar has seven species of baobab not found in Africa, three of which are in Morondava. The tall slender baobabs that form the famous Avenue stand proud and regal, as zebu-drawn carts pull their wares on the road below. At sunset the Avenue of Baobabs is a display of light and color that is pure art, or at the very least, the stuff of perfect postcards.

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The nearby town of Morondava is a quaint seaside village, splashed with the color of roadside stalls. The people are friendly, animated and wear big smiles. They work only in the early morning and late afternoon, and spend the rest of the day resting in the shade. Morondava is debilitating in summer even for locals, so frail foreigners seem to get even hotter. This is a vibrant town, center of the Menabe Sakalava sub-tribe who are above all known for the erotic carvings they place on their burial tombs.

To the north via sand road is the Kirindy (Swiss) Forest, Madagascar's best place for nocturnal wildlife. Rare mammals, birds and three species of baobab tree flourish here. Kirindy's mammalian denizens include the island's biggest carnivore, the fosa, as well as various spiny tenrecs and the giant jumping rat. Also, there are at least six species of nocturnal lemur, including the pygmy mouse lemur, the smallest primate in the world.

Morondava has several beachfront hotels and you may want to arrange trips to Kirindy, as well as to Belo Sur Mer, where there is a beach hotel, Marina de Belo Sur Mer. Off Belo are some small desert isles, and to the south, remarkable dune and flamingo lake landscapes. Visit any time except from late January to the end of March when rains may render roads impassable.

IFATY BEACH, ST AUGUSTIN BAY AND TULEAR Located in the southwest desert corner: pf Madagascar, there is plenty to see in this remote, low-key area: coral reefs, spiny bush and rare birds are the main attractions. The access town to this part of Madagascar is the dusty outback settlement of Tulear near the Tropic of Capricorn. In Tulear visit the Cultural Museum managed by the local university.

Seaside hotels at Ifaty Beach and St Augustin Bay offer scuba diving and snorkeling, as well as trips to Nosy Ve Marine Reserve islet off remote Anakao. The Nosy Ve excursions are wonderful for beach and snorkeling enthusiasts.

At Ifaty especially the unprotected 'spiny desert' never fails to enthrall with bizarre flora and rare birds like sub-desert mesite, longtailed ground-roller, running coua and LaFresnayes vanga. Wild ringtail lemurs live near St Augustin Bay, where a visit to the Sarodrano Cave is a must. Inland from Tulear, the ornate burial tombs of Andranovory are most impressive. Further inland along the RN7 road towards , is Zombitse Forest, a major birding destination.

5 ILE SAINTE MARIE This narrow 60-km long island off eastern Madagascar is one of the most popular beach holiday hangouts Madagascar has to offer. Along its coral-fringed coast are several hotels. Secluded coves, relaxed islanders, the balmy Indian Ocean and island ambience contribute to Ste Marie's magic. Whale watching when the humpback whales migrate to the area from July to September is a highlight. Make sure you book a few months in advance to secure domestic flights and hotel rooms! For the naturalist, Sainte Marie is also of interest because of its diverse orchid and reptile life. Snorkeling is excellent all around the island.

MASOALA PENINSULA NATIONAL PARK AND ISLAND Near Maroantsetra Nosy Mangabe is a rainforest lemur reserve island where large populations of black and white ruffed lemur, white-fronted lemur and the bizarre aye aye find sanctuary. The campsite on Nosy Mangabe has recently been upgraded and staying there for at least a night, is a treat.

Reptiles abound on Mangabe, notably the fringed gecko (Uroplatus). Increasingly, aye ayes are being spotted by visitors on a regular basis. Today, excellent accommodation in Maroantsetra (Relaise du Masoala Ecolodge) offers visitors wonderful comfort before and after Masoala expeditions. holds the largest remaining Malagasy lowland rainforest - a hiker and naturalist's dream. Approaching the peninsula by boat is an awe inspiring experience - it’s one of the few places left where tropical rainforest extends right down to the sea. There are several trails in the Masoala, but you must be prepared to camp out.

Rare birds, especially brown mesite, red-breasted coua, scaly ground-roller, velvet asity and helmet vanga are a prime attractions. Visit from late August to December only as in other months the climate is not pleasant.

NOSY BE ARCHIPELAGO With a tropical climate, palm-fringed beaches and coral reefs galore, Nosy Be is the largest in the extensive archipelago just off the northwest coast. Visit the nearby islands of Nosy Tanikely, Nosy Iranja and Nosy Tsarabajina. Tanikely is a small marine reserve island (fabulous snorkeling) while Komba is a sanctuary for black lemurs, and Iranja and Tsarabajina are remote jewels for the discerning traveler. There is also the Lokobe Reserve nature trail located on southeast Nosy Be. The islands can be visited all year though during February and March the rain is at its peak.

AMPIJOROA FOREST STATION One of Madagascar's top wildlife hotspots is Ampijoroa Forest Station. The easy trails go into tropical dry deciduous forest over gentle terrain. It is accessible year round and only a two-hour drive inland from the west coast port Mahajanga. Many lemurs (especially Coquerel's sifaka, mongoose lemur, brown lemur and at night, western woolly lemur, fat-tailed dwarf lemur and two species of mouse lemur) inhabit the forest. It is also the best place in western Madagascar for birding so Ampijoroa is included in all birding itineraries. Expect to see white-breasted mesite, Coquerel's coua, red-capped coua, and a variety of raptors. Less often seen are Schlegel's asity and Van Dam's vanga. The critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle (only 200 left) is resident at Lake Ravelobe, across the road from the campsite. It is also an outstanding place for reptiles, with the rhinoceros chameleon, giant hognose snake, as well as the peculiar leaf-tailed gecko being seen quite often. In the campsite the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust have their breeding project site for the rarest of all tortoises, the Angonoka, which is confined to a tiny area in northwest Madagascar.

RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK Ranomafana is exquisite montane rainforest with 12 species of lemur, in particular all three of the bamboo lemurs (golden, broad-nosed and gray bamboo lemurs). Commonly seen are red-bellied lemur, red fronted brown lemur, black and white ruffed lemur and Milne-Edward's diadem sifaka.

6 Superb for rainforest endemic birds, often seen species include brown mesite, pittalike ground-roller, short legged ground-roller, rufous-headed ground-roller, velvet asity, common sunbird-asity, yellow bellied sunbird-asity, Crossley's babbler, white throated oxylabes, yellow browed oxylabes, spectacled and gray crowned greenbuls, and gray and brown emutails.

The tumbling whitewater of the Namorona River is a prominent feature of the park. Several half-day trails, such as to Belle Vue and Cascade del Riana waterfall are magnificent. Steep rainforest-clad slopes and a thermal swimming pool are just two hours east of . This park is best visited in spring and summer (August to January). See itinerary 9

ANKARANA RESERVE The "Lost World within the Lost World" with a bizarre landscape south of Diego Suarez/Antsiranana. This reserve features a fortress-like limestone plateau decorated with fields of sharp pinnacles. Underneath the pinnacles are awesome caves, passages and subterranean rivers with live Nile crocodiles and blind cave fish. Wildlife abounds in forested canyons where you see lots of crowned and Sanford's lemurs. At night you may see lepilemurs, fork-marked lemurs and mouse lemurs, as well as striped civet. By day, ringtail mongooses are commonly seen at the campsites. Campsites are the only accommodations available when the reserve is open (April to November only). It may be visited in combination with Nosy Be. Top CLIMATE Madagascar has two seasons: a cooler, dry season from May to October; and a hot, rainy season from November to April. There is, however, great variation in climate owing to elevation and position relative to dominant winds.

Average monthly temperatures min/max in Fahrenheit (white) and Celsius (fawn) for some main cities and wildlife reserves. Actual temperatures may vary more than 10˚F from the averages below.

LOCALITY JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Antananarivo 63/79 63/79 61/79 59/77 54/73 50/70 50/68 50/70 52/75 55/79 59/81 61/79 17/26 17/26 16/26 15/25 12/23 10/21 10/20 10/21 11/24 13/26 15/27 16/26

The dry season (May-Oct) is pleasant and sunny (70F), although somewhat chilly, especially in the mornings (low 50F’s). Although frosts are rare in Antananarivo, they are common at higher elevations. During this time, the blue skies of the central highlands around Antananarivo are considered by many to be among the clearest and most beautiful in the world.

Antananarivo receives practically all of its average annual 1.4 meters of rainfall between November and April.

The east coast has a subequatorial climate and, being most directly exposed to the trade winds, has the heaviest rainfall. Because rain clouds discharge much of their moisture east of the highest elevations on the island, the central highlands are appreciably drier and, owing to the altitude, also cooler. The west coast is drier than either the east coast or the central highlands because the trade winds lose their humidity by the time they reach this region. The southwest and the extreme south are semidesert; as little as one-third of a meter of rain falls annually at .

Certain parts of western Madagascar are not accessible in the summer (December - March) after the rains. Avoid the northeast from March to July. Cyclones may occur in January to mid-February but April/May is good for mammal watching.

7 TOURIST INFORMATION

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS All visitors need a visa to enter Madagascar. Visas may be obtained on arrival for a fee. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended stay.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS No vaccinations are required at this time if you are arriving from the United States or Europe. Please consult the CDC or the appropriate Embassy for current requirements.

Anti-malaria tablets are recommended if visiting game areas.

CURRENCY / BANKING / CREDIT CARDS The currency is the Malagasy Ariary (MGA). US$1.00 equals approximately 2,275.00 MGA. Bring cash in US Dollars or Euros as only a few hotels accept credit cards. Please note: The South African Rand is not accepted in Madagascar. Do not change all your money into the MGA since you cannot change it back when you depart nor are you allowed to take MGA out of the country.

Banks are normally open from 8:00am to 12:00pm and 2:00pm to 3:30pm weekdays. Most banks have ATMs in Antananarivo and other major towns and will change travelers’ checks as well as cash. Visa is accepted at most banks and MasterCard at some.

The foreign-exchange counter at Ivato airport has exchange rates that are just as good as those at the banks and is usually open for international flight arrivals.

Only some hotels accept credit cards, so please plan on bringing enough money for incidentals and meals not included in your land arrangements.

VOLTAGE The voltage is 220V with European two-pin round plugs.

WHAT TO WEAR Please bring comfortable, casual and light-weight clothing. Well-worn walking shoes or sneakers are essential. Pack warm clothing for the winter nights but take insect repellent and protective wear to guard against the tropical sun and rain.

WHAT TO BUY Malagasy handicrafts such as embroidery, basketry, woodcarving, minerals and leatherwork. Items made from raffia are common, as is carved zebu horn and the unique Antaimoro paper embedded with pressed flowers.

8 LOCAL FOODS Rice is the staple of the island and is served three times a day. Most of the rice is grown here as well as a great variety of fruits such as mangos, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapples, avocados, and lychee nuts.

You will recognize the French influence in the food which is not as spicy as in most of Africa. While the curry is subtle and not overpowering, much like that in Malaysia, it is just different enough to be interesting. Most recipes call for a pinch of red hot pepper called Sakay though it is generally served separately so that you can control the intensity of the taste.

Malagasy’s like their food simply prepared, flavorful, but as we have said, not highly spiced. Fruits and vegetables are utilized at their freshest, and it is not uncommon to start a meal with vegetable soup and then to serve two or three vegetables with the entree. The beverage that goes with the meal is ranovola, a drink obtained by boiling water in the pan in which the rice was cooked. It has a slight flavor of burnt rice and since it’s been boiled for several minutes, it is safe to drink.

SUGGESTED READING LIST For a list of our books, field guides and maps, please visit our website: http://www.africa-adventure.com/safari-products.html

We also recommend the following:

For the Love of Lemurs: My Life in the Wilds of Madagascar by Patricia C Wright

Life Amongst the Thorns: Biodiversity & Conservation of Madagascar's Spiny Forest by Louis Jasper

Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide by Nick Garbutt

02/19

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