Madagascar a great adventure

Exploring Madagascar: A land of lemurs, baobabs, and chameleons.

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. Situated off the southeast coast of Africa, it has a land area of 587,041 sq. km and a population of 25 million. The capital city is Antananarivo, known to the locals as Tana. Madagascar is a land of lemurs, baobabs, and chameleons

Antananarivo - Madagascar land of lemurs
Antananarivo, the Capital City.

The official language is Malagasy, with French as their second language. Many people also speak English, and they refer to themselves as Malagasy. The landscapes are varied, with terraced rice fields, tropical rainforests, stone forests, deserts, and fantastic baobab trees. Last but not least, there are lemurs, which Madagascar is most famous for—and known as the land of lemurs. Their other claim to fame and well-known export is Madagascan vanilla.

Lake Tana, in the centre of the City of Antananarivo. madagascar land of lemurs
Lake Tana, in the centre of the City of Antananarivo.
Antananarivo Station. madagascar land of lemurs
Antananarivo Station.
Early History

The first settlers arrived around 2000 BC. Most people are of Indonesian and African descent—traders and explorers from Europe and Arab countries. Pirates came from the 16th century onwards. In the early 19th century, the powerful Merina Kingdom dominated Madagascar. Kings and Queens enforced their policies to keep the British and French from ruling. In 1883, France invaded Madagascar and took control of the country. Consequently, it became a French colony until 1960, when it won its independence.

Following independence, life wasn’t easy for the Malagasy people. Many of their leaders were from military backgrounds. This caused issues due to the many fragmented republics and constitutions. Political unrest continues to this day. Despite periods of growth and economic hardship, political corruption continues.

Madagascar remains one of the poorest countries in Africa. Therefore, it experiences many problems related to poor health. It also has minimal access to health care and education. Other problems for it are poor nutrition and economic problems. 80% of the population earns less than U$2 a day. Deforestation has seen more than 80% of the original forest land disappear since humans arrived 2000 years ago.

A local school. madagascar land of lemurs
A local school.
Cultures

Madagascar culture has many different ethnic groups. Each has its own beliefs and customs, such as taboo and magic. Their staple diet is rice.

Rice Fields and drying bricks. madagascar land of lemurs
Rice Fields and drying bricks.

I spent 18 days in Madagascar, during which time I visited Morondava, Bekopaka, Antsalova, and Tsingy, Then Bemaraha National Park, Andasibe National Park, Mantadia National Park, Ambatolampy, Ranomafana, Ranomafana National Park. As well as Ambositra, Ranohira, Anja Park, Ambalavao. Isalo National Park, Toliara, Zombitse National Park, Reniala National Park, and Ifaty.

Local butcher cutting up a zebu.
Local butcher cutting up a zebu.
Typical rural home madagascar land of lemurs
Typical rural home.
Average city home.
Village.
Living Conditions

Apart from the main streets in Tana and a few paved roads in outlying cities, most roads are in deplorable condition. Only 11% of roads are paved. They are narrow, winding, and full of potholes. One-lane bridges, gravel, cobblestone, and no streetlights make night driving virtually impossible and strongly discouraged.

Most vehicles drive in the middle of the road and only pull to one side when they see an oncoming vehicle. Roads are shared with giant trucks, cars, bicycles, people, livestock, bullocks, or human-drawn carts. All use the same road, making it very hazardous. The streets are littered with broken-down trucks that block roads, often at blind corners.  

There are no pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, road signs, street names, or the concept of giving way. There is also almost no public transport. However, Madagascar is a dream holiday destination as it has been relatively untouched and unspoiled by the Western world and tourism. Amazing landscapes, animals, culture, and friendly and welcoming people make visiting a joy.

Typical rural school.
Typical rural school.
Zebu drawn cart.
Zebu drawn cart.
Lemurs

The highlight for me was the lemurs (lemur means ‘ghost’ in Latin). They are elusive and mostly prefer to stay high up in the trees, looking down at us! This makes it quite challenging to get a good glimpse of them and even more difficult to photograph. There were 101 species native to Madagascar, of which only 50 are left. Sadly, most of them are endangered or vulnerable.

The ring-tailed lemur is the most iconic of the lemur species. Lemurs are a protected species in Madagascar. Unfortunately, many are lost due to habitat destruction (deforestation) and hunting. They are enchanting animals, highly interesting, and, at times, display amusing behaviours. They also make exciting sounds and jump between trees at lightning speeds. 

ring tailed lemur madagascar land of lemurs
Ring-tailed lemur.
Sifaka lemur Madagascar land of lemurs
Sifaka lemur.
Black and white ruffed lemur madagascar land of lemurs
Black and white ruffed lemur.

Driving around Madagascar, you will see most of the land used to grow rice (a staple diet). Making mud bricks and washing clothes are also very common. The majority of houses are made from handmade mud bricks.

Making and baking mud bricks.
Making and baking mud bricks.
Baking mud bricks.
Baking mud bricks.
Men at work. No OH&S on site.
Men at work. No OH&S on site.
Wash Day

Women spend all day washing clothes in the rivers and then laying them out on the banks to dry. Where do all these clothes come from, and where do they go?

Washing day.
Washing day.
Washing and drying clothes everywhere.
Washing and drying clothes everywhere.
Foods

The food here is very plain. Most of the menu is zebu (a tough staple meat). Refrigeration is minimal to none. Meat and dairy products are sold at markets or local street stalls. They are left in the hot sun all day. There is a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Local markets sell cut-up vegetables; you can buy them in a tin can.
Local markets sell cut-up vegetables; you can buy them in a tin can.
Chameleons
Panther chameleon
Panther Chameleon
Chameleon

blue chameleonorange chameleongreen chameleon

Landscapes

Madagascar features very diverse and distinctive landscapes. In the north, there are volcanic mountains, and in the east, there are humid rainforests. In the west are dry sandstone cliffs, and in the north, there is a forest of limestone pinnacles. 

Tsingy de Bemoraha National Park
Tsingy de Bemoraha National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site with high limestone pinnacles.
limestone pinnacles.

Tsingy de Bemoraha National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site with high limestone pinnacles.

Sunset over the mountains madagascar land of lemurs
Sunset over the mountains.
Boabs

The Avenue of the Baobabs is a group of baobab trees lining the dirt road between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina. These trees are also known as the upside-down tree and tree of life. This avenue attracts travellers from around the world,  thus making it one of the most visited locations in the region. Some trees are over 30 metres high and up to 2800 years old. I found the best time to photograph these trees is at sunset and sunrise when the trunks’ colours change and the trees’ long shadows are most pronounced.

Avenue of Baobabs at sunset. madagascar land of lemurs
Avenue of Baobabs at sunset.
Avenue of the Baobabs. madagascar land of lemurs
Avenue of the Baobabs.
Traditional fishing boat at sunrise madagascar land of lemurs
Traditional fishing boat at sunrise.

Glorious sunrise colours. madagascar land of lemurs
Early sunrise.

Madagascar is technically still a third-world country due to its lack of infrastructure to cope with tourism. However, it is well worth a visit. With its friendly people, stunning landscapes, iconic baobab trees, and delightful wildlife, a visit there would not disappoint. 

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(c) Margaret Weiss 2020