A pair of Coquerel’s sifakas, Madagascar |
In June 2016, our friend Owen Floody planned and led a
trip to Madagascar. Owen recently retired from a career of teaching and
research at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. He has always been an avid
photographer and in his retirement has taken several trips that allow him to
pursue his passion. He has been a frequent contributor to The Intrepid Tourist.
Here is part 2 of a short reflection on his Madagascar trip and a few of his
excellent photographs.
The second half of my Madagascar trip involved an extended
drive down the central spine of the country, from Tana in the central highlands
to Tulear, on the southwest coast. As
this was a long trip along one of Madagascar’s main roads, it gave us the
chance to see a lot of the country, including many towns, villages and local
markets. Some in my group relished the
opportunities this created for people-watching, other cultural experiences, and
shopping.
Isalo National Park |
I was primarily interested in exploring a series of national
parks promising dramatic contrasts in their environments and wildlife. Chief on my list were
Ranomafana, Andringitra and Isalo National Parks. The first two comprise one third of the
Rainforests of the Atsinanana, a World Heritage Site. In its emphasis on rainforests, this
designation applies perfectly to Ranomafana but strikes me as slightly
misleading in the case of Andringitra.
Ranomafana is one of Madagascar’s premier rainforests. Likewise, it is one of the country’s prime
sites for lemur-focused research and tourism.
In contrast, Andringitra’s claim to fame is based more on its
mountainous landscape, unusual vegetation and opportunities for hiking. And quite distinct from both of these, Isalo
National Park features expanses of dry grassland, rare endemic plants, and
especially striking sandstone formations and canyons.
Ranomafana National Park |
In Ranomafana, the forest itself was the star attraction. We did see lemurs,
although they were difficult to spot, let alone view clearly, in the dense vegetation. On the other
hand, the absence of large predators makes it possible to search for wildlife
at night as well as during the day.
Indeed, we were able to do this in most of the parks and reserves we
visited, and these walks were very productive,
since a significant number of lemurs that are nocturnal.
Mouse lemur |
In Andringitra, we did two demanding hikes, one up
onto a high plateau known for its lunar landscape, the other into one of the
bands of rainforest extending into this park.
The first of these was especially rewarding despite the mist that
obscured much of the landscape on the day of our hike.
“Dancing” Verreaux’s sifaka |
Finally, we had a great time at Isalo. One highlight was a hike up a canyon leading
to the Cascade des Nymphes. We had
rewarding encounters here with lemurs, both on the hike and immediately afterwards, as we attracted
quite an audience to our picnic lunch.
Ring-tailed lemur |
The other Isalo highlight was the viewing of
sunset at La Fenètre (the window), a natural opening in a rock formation
through which the setting sun can be viewed.
I strongly think, however, that the far better sunset views here are
those looking away from the sun and at the glowing slabs of fantastically-shaped
sandstone basking in the sun’s dying rays.
Sunset from La Fenetre |
If you haven’t ever considered a trip to Madagascar, you
should give it some thought. The
remaining natural areas and wildlife need the support of foreign tourists. Furthermore, some of these areas are as
impressive as I’ve seen anywhere and there simply cannot be any animal anywhere
that is as endearing as a lemur.
Note: I devised the trip itinerary, which was ably
implemented by Cortez, USA, a
California-based tour-operator that specializes in Madagascar. In the
past, Madagascar has been criticized for the quality of its tourism
infrastructure. With respect to the roads, this was and still is
justified. In all other respects (accommodations, food, guides), however,
I thought that we were extremely well treated on this trip and so would urge
others, especially those with an interest in unusual wildlife, to give
Madagascar a try.
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