MADAGASCAR 1 INTRODUCTION Madagascar 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 lemur although at least 15 species are now extinct since the arrival of man on the island. The lemurs range in size from the pygmy mouse lemur, 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, Berenty 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 Berenty Reserve. 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 gray mouse lemur. 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 Andohahela National Park, 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 ruffed lemur 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. 4 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.