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, […]
Schlagwort: landscape
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, […]
Ankarafantsika
One of Madagascar’s most fascinating natural areas is located on an ascending ledge in the island’s north-western corner and appears quite unspectacular at first sight. In a dry, undulating and treeless area of the fourth biggest island and second biggest island state after Indonesia, Ankarafantsika is towering approximately 250 m above the surrounding landscape. Intersected […]
Tsingy de Bemaraha
After a tropical night that had us soaked in sweat, we faced the fact that our car was still standing on the other side of the river with its hood wide open. So, we got on a pirogue and headed upstream Manombolo for the Petit Tsingy, which is the southern end of the karst scenery. […]
From Morondava to Tsingy de Bemaraha – Von Morondava zu den Tsingy de Bemaraha
We´ve almost made it – but only just! We´ve already managed to finish 200 Kilometres of something that is used to be called a dirt road, but in Madagascar it´s often no more than a swath in the forest and the landscape in general. That very swath had lead us from Morondava along Madagascar´s west […]
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