Entebbe

The former colonial capital of Uganda, Entebbe, is situated only few kilometres north of the equator at the shore of Lake Victoria. It is still a significant town, with more than 70.000 residents, the only international airport in the country as well as its port for serving the islands of the Ssese archipelago and for […]

Uganda

In 2012, we toured Uganda for the first time, Winston Churchills so-called „Pearl of Africa“. For me personally, this has been my first travel in Africa, and we only picked Uganda because of Joseph Kony, the LRA (Lord´s Resistance Army) and those complete morons from “Invisible Children”. That campaign was well-meaning and aimed at capturing […]

Likoma Island

The landscape of Likoma is even more characterized by baobab trees than the one of Chizumulu, stretching their bony fingers towards the sky everywhere. The island is completely deforested, except for the far north. Besides the baobabs, there are only few patches of bush or trees left on the hills of Likoma that become flatter […]

La Montagne des français

Between Antsiranana and the Indian ocean lies the “mountain of the French”, a 340-meter-high rock massif officially protected as a reserve since 2013. Even though it is not a big mountain range and despite its proximity to the city, the reserve is home to five species of lemur, 50 bird species, 40 species of reptile, […]

Les Trois Baies

East of Antsiranana, Montagne des français rim the bay, protecting the city from the sheer brute force of the annual cyclones approaching the island from the east. Ramena, Antsirananas “seaside resort” with beautiful beaches and astonishingly calm water, is situated right at the entrance to the bay. Beyond Ramena and the mountains, three strikingly picturesque […]

Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez)

Antsiranana is the northernmost city of Madagascar, and beyond Antsiranana, there is only the Cap d´Ambre, the northern tip of the island. Its Malagasy name means port, and that is quite a striking name. The bay of Antsiranana is encircled by mountains and is said to be the largest natural port on earth, with a […]

Tsingy rouge

Just like the Cirque rouge near Mahajanga as well as La Vallée at Ankarafantsika National Park, the Tsingy rouge south of Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez) are a product of deforestation and the following erosion. Only recently discovered, this rock formation is changing its looks with every rainy season, and it is very likely that it will be […]

Ankarana

The Tsingy limestone formations cover areas along Madagascars west coast, from the Tsingy de Bemaraha north of Morondava and the Tsingy de Namoroka south of Mahajanga all the way up to the Ankarana massif south of Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez), where the Tsingy finally meet the ocean. 182 square kilometres of the Ankarana massif are protected as […]

Cirque Rouge

For obvious reasons, that sediment formation north of port town Mahajanga in north-western Madagascar is called Cirque Rouge. Elements keep working on the colourful cliffs, which are holy to some locals. A well is pushing out the water just through the coloured sand in the middle of the valley. People use to pray there, and […]

Mahajanga (Majunga)

Once I dreamt of a town at a turquoise sea with sailing vessels on it, of which I have learned that they have been invented in the Arabic world and are called Dhows. The air was warm and slightly salty, the palm trees along the seaside promenade were murmuring unheard words in the warm wind, […]