Deep in Madagascar´s south Isalo Mountains are located, a jagged ridge of soft sandstone just like the similar Makay Mountains northwest of Isalo. It comes with it´s distinctive rock formations, deep gorges as well as oases, where Parrots, Lemurs and the famous Fossa viverrid are living in dry deciduous forest and the palm trees of […]
Schlagwort: Africa
Horombe
Horombe plateau between Ihosy and Isalo mountains in southwestern Madagascar is set on an altitude of approximately 800 m above sea level. It is the land of the Bara, an ethnicity of herdsmen crossing the vast plains of the plateau with their zebu cattle. Cattle theft is also an issue not to be underestimated in […]
The Andringitra massif – Das Andringitra-Massiv
Andringitra Mountains in south-eastern Madagascar, south of Finarantsoa at the drop to the east coast, are a granite massif. It is home to 2.657 m high Pic Boby, the second highest summit on the island. The climate is the same as in central highland with temperatures that are sometimes likely to drop below zero at […]
The Manakara Suicide Bridge – Die Geschichte von der Manakara-Selbstmord-Brücke
Manakara is a drowsy postcolonial town on the south-eastern coast of Madagascar, sleeping a ruinous sleep after once having been an important port and trading centre since it had been connected to the central highland city of Fianarantsoa by railway tracks in 1936. Nowadays Manakara is suffering from Toamasina (Tamatave) being the major port on […]
“The Times They Are A-Changin´”
“…The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast The slow one now will later be fast As the present now will later be past The order is rapidly fadin‘ And the first one now will later be last For the times they are a-changin‘” (Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin´”, 1964) One […]
Ranomafana
Along Madagascar´s eastcoast are the remainders of rainforests that used to cover the whole east flank of the island´s central highlands. The humid clouds coming from the Indian Ocean supply the steep slopes with huge amounts of rain along with devastating Cyclones, which are regularily making a havoc of parts of the island in the […]
Andasibe
Because of its proximity to Tana and the good accessibility near the Route National to Toamasina (Tamatave), Andasibe National Park is the most visited in Madagascar. It is home to the famous Indris, the Eastern lesser bamboo lemur and other lemurs like the diadem sifakas that got translocated from nearby Mantadia National Park as well […]
Mitsinjo
The forest of Mitsinjo is part of the Andasibe area a 4 to 5-hours-drive east of Tana. Besides the eponymous Andasibe National Park and Mitsinjo forest, there are several other protected areas such as VOIMMA, a small community-based park, Mantadia National Park, Torotorofotsy Reserve, Maromizaha Reserve and Vohimana Reserve, all trying to protect chunks of […]
Brickmaking – Die Ziegelherstellung
As one travels the island of Madagascar, it gets quite clear that wood is somehow out of reach as construction material, because it is needed as combustible and there is not much left of it – in general. Where people at the south tend to live in huts made of palm leaves, bamboo, and some […]
Ambohimanga
Around Tana and especially in the north of the Malagasy capital, there are several sacred hills tracing back to King Andrianjaka in the 17th century. He declared twelve hills as sacred for historical and political reasons. Nearly 200 years later, his successor Andrianampoinimerina did the same – but with different hills. So nowadays, there are […]
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