Daraina & Loky Manambato

When we finally reached the edge of the dry deciduous forest, Amidou, our guide and somehow lonesome manager of Loky Manambato Protected Area, and his two friends, the Aye-Aye trackers, had already spotted the first group of Golden-crowned sifakas or Tattersall’s sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli) up in the branches of a grove of trees. We followed […]

Vohemar (Iharana)

Vohemar, also referred to as Iharana, is the northernmost town in Madagascar’s north-eastern SAVA region. It is located right at the Indian ocean and vast Iharana bay which is subjected to the tides. Historically, Vohemar seems to be one of Madagascar´s oldest settlements, if not the oldest, where Swahili merchants installed a port for trading […]

Bobangira

If you are looking for a last unspoilt piece of paradise, it is unavoidable to come across Bobangira, even though there are only few people right now who know about that place. The local residents for sure, some expats, and a few adventurous travellers who came upon the name accidentally and were open enough to […]

Macolline, Antalaha

Right before entering the southernmost town of the SAVA region, Antalaha, there is a steep hill that once had been intensively used for agricultural means. More than ten years ago, Marie-Hélène Kam Hyo, a Malagasy pharmacist, and her german dentist husband Bernd Zschocke have bought those 10 ha of land. Both are passionate about conservation, […]

Marojejy

A good 60 km southwest of Sambava lies Marojejy National Park in the eponymous Massif de Marojejy, a mountain range with its highest point at 2.132 m altitude. Those mountains are covered by dense rainforest as well as montane rainforest and cloud forest on the higher levels, and the forest is one of the top […]

Vola Maitso, Bemarivo river & Soavoanio Coconut plantation – Vola Maitso, der Bemarivo-Fluss und die Soavoanio Kokosnuss-Plantage

Vola Maitso is a cooperative of farmers growing and selling cocoa, vanilla, pepper, cloves, coconuts, and fruits in a picturesque landscape a few kilometres north of Sambava. They practice a sustainable form of agriculture, combining the cultivation of different plants in an ecological way – without chopping off trees till there is nothing left. Unfortunately, […]

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Despite attractions like the mountain gorillas or Rwenzori mountains, Uganda’s most famous National Park is still Queen Elizabeth National Park, the oldest park in the country and with 1.978 km2 also the second largest. The region where the Rift Valley crosses the equator is under protection since the 20s of the last century, and the […]

Virunga II – Golden monkeys – Goldmeerkatzen

Virunga I – The mountain gorillas – Die Berggorillas

The Virunga volcanoes include eight volcanoes in total, situated at the border triangle of Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. Extended areas around the volcanoes are protected in order to preserve half of the population of the famous mountain gorillas living in the montane forests. The most active of the volcanoes are Nyiragongo (3.462 m) and […]

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo and the eponymous National Park protecting 260 km2 of rolling hills, forests, and bush savanna is an underrated gem in Uganda’s impressive set of National Parks. The landscape surrounding the five lakes within the park is picturesque at least, and there is an abundance of wildlife ranging from zebra and antelope, like the […]