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Madagascar is a universe apart, a floating Noah's ark in the Indian Ocean whose isolated evolution over millions of years has earned it the nickname 'the Eighth Continent'. Few places on Earth provoke such an intense feeling of wonder and discovery: here live more than a hundred species of lemurs with bright eyes and mysterious songs, chameleons ranging from the size of a fingernail to the size of a house cat, and colossal baobab trees that seem planted upside down towards the sky. Its geography challenges the senses, alternating the reddish plateaus of the Highlands with primary rainforests, sandstone gorges and thorn deserts, until leading to the sharp stone spiers of the Tsingy and postcard-perfect turquoise coasts. But the magic of the great red island also resides in its human soul: a mestizo, slow and hospitable people who live in close spiritual communion with their ancestors and the surrounding nature.
Capital
Antananarivo
Population
27.691.018
Langue
Francés, MG
Sites du patrimoine de l'UNESCO
0
Scores basés sur des données réelles de 0 à 100
Located near Morondava, the Avenue of the Baobabs is one of the most photographed natural monuments in Africa. A stretch of dirt track flanked by dozens of monumental baobabs of the species *Adansonia grandidieri* that are more than 800 years old and up to 30 meters high. As evening falls, the cylindrical silhouettes of the wooden giants silhouetted against a sky lit in shades of purple, gold and orange create a visual spectacle of surreal beauty.
The Tsingy de Bemaraha (UNESCO World Heritage Site) are a colossal geological forest of karst limestone sculpted by water and wind into razor-sharp vertical pinnacles. Equipped with a harness and carabiners via via ferrata, the journey runs through walkways suspended over abysses, underground caves and breathtaking viewpoints where Decken's lemurs and rare birds of prey live.
The Andasibe-Mantadia National Park protects one of the richest tropical rainforests on the island. Walking at dawn through dense bamboo forests, tree ferns and wild orchids allows you to hear the soulful, piercing howl of the Indri indri (the world's largest living lemur), a song similar to that of a siren or whale that echoes for miles through the morning fog.
Isalo displays a spectacular Jurassic landscape of eroded red and yellow sandstone plateaus, deep gorges and palm groves reminiscent of a Wild West canyon. Walking routes lead to the 'Piscine Naturelle' (a pool of crystal-clear water fed by a waterfall and shaded by pandanus palms), canyons where troops of ring-tailed lemurs (*maki catta*) leap, and the 'Fenêtre de l'Isalo' at sunset.
Nosy Be, the 'Perfume Island' (named for its extensive plantations of Ylang-Ylang flower, vanilla and sugar cane), is the epicenter of Malagasy marine life. From its port you can access idyllic satellite islands: Nosy Komba (the island of the black lemurs), Nosy Tanikely (a protected marine reserve ideal for snorkeling among hawksbill turtles and parrotfish) and the pristine white sand banks of Nosy Iranja.
Off the eastern coast, the long, tranquil Île Sainte-Marie (Nosy Boraha) combines a legendary history as a former haven for 17th-century pirates (with its pirate cemetery of tombstones engraved with skulls) with one of the largest breeding sanctuaries for humpback whales on the planet, which flock to its calm waters in their thousands between July and September to give birth and court with acrobatic leaps.
Malagasy cuisine is a culinary bridge between Southeast Asia and East Africa, with subtle touches of French influence. It revolves around rice (consumed for breakfast, lunch and dinner), complemented by hearty stews based on tender zebu meat ('omby'), fresh reef fish and seafood, cooked aromatic green leaves, coconut milk and the sought-after Bourbon vanilla harvested in the Sava region.
Madagascar is one of the largest consumers of rice per capita in the world. For a Malagasy, a meal without 'Vary' is not considered a meal. It is cooked in a large casserole and accompanies all stews or 'laoka' (meat, fish or vegetable accompaniments).
The zebu is the quintessential livestock and status symbol, whose tasty, lean meat is prepared on grilled skewers or in stews. Cooking frequently uses the 'brède mafana' leaf (acmella oleracea), which produces a light and stimulating tingling and numbing sensation on the tongue.
The undisputed national dish of Madagascar. A slow-cooked brothy stew with chunks of tender zebu meat, pork or chicken, ginger, tomato, garlic and a mix of wild green leaves ('brèdes'), including 'brède mafana' flowers, served hot over a mound of white rice with spicy 'sakay' chili paste.
One of the most beloved dishes of traditional cuisine. Young cassava leaves pounded in a wooden mortar into a fine dark green paste, cooked for hours over low heat with juicy chunks of fatty pork or zebu and often fresh coconut milk, served with white rice.
The most popular street food in the country after dark. Skewers of zebu meat cubes marinated in garlic, ginger, soy sauce and local spices, grilled over high heat on small sidewalk charcoal grills, served with spicy peanut sauce or 'sakay' chili.
Thin strips of zebu or pork meat cured in the sun or patiently smoked over the kitchen's wood fire, lightly salted and spiced, are briefly fried before being served as a traditional breakfast with rice porridge ('Vary sosoa').
Refined dish typical of the coastal regions and Nosy Be. Large freshly caught tiger shrimp or lobster tails sautéed with fresh butter, shallots and a creamy coconut milk reduction infused with an open pod of authentic Malagasy Bourbon vanilla.
Classic Highland Sunday stew combining slow-cooked chunks of pork with 'voanjobory' (bambara peas or round ground peanuts), poached onion and mild spices to a creamy texture.
The traditional and everyday drink par excellence. After cooking the rice, let the layer stuck to the bottom of the pan toast until it burns slightly; Boiling water is added to scrape off the toast and strained, obtaining a hot amber-colored infusion with a smoky flavor, free of bacteria and digestive.
Artisan sugar cane rum from Madagascar in which fresh tropical fruits, local spices (whole Bourbon vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, coffee) or bark of medicinal plants are allowed to macerate for months, consumed as a digestive.
The most emblematic and beloved national beer of the island since 1958. A light, smooth and refreshing 'pilsener' style blonde beer, identifiable by its label with three horse heads, omnipresent in any corner of the country.
Freshly squeezed juices from ripe exotic fruits: soursop ('corossol'), sour passion fruit, sweet mango, fresh tamarind beaten with water and cane sugar, and green coconut water freshly opened with a machete.
The most famous traditional sweet in the country. It consists of a dense cylinder made of rice flour, mashed ripe bananas, jaggery and roasted peanuts crushed in the center, tightly wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for hours, sold in slices at roadside stalls.
Small round spongy buns made with fermented rice flour and coconut milk dough, cooked on iron plates with hemispherical molds over hot coals. The 'Mofo Gasy' is sweet with sugar and vanilla; 'Ramanonaka' is its morning salty version.
Whole or chopped local sweet bananas, coated in a light vanilla-scented rice flour batter and fried in hot oil until golden and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Soft and fluffy traditional pancakes made with white rice flour, thick coconut milk and cane sugar, cooked freshly in a pan to accompany your morning coffee or tea.
Madagascar concentrates a variety of landscapes and unparalleled biodiversity: from misty tropical jungles and karst canyons to thorn deserts, avenues of baobabs and islands with turquoise waters.
Andasibe-Mantadia is the undisputed home of the Indri song and Parson's chameleon. In Ranomafana National Park, waterfalls and mountainous jungles protect the elusive golden bamboo lemur and black-and-white ruffed lemur. In the north, the Montagne d'Ambre National Park offers cloud forests with their own microclimate and volcanic waterfalls.
The Menabe and Morondava region is home to the famous Avenue of the Baobabs and the intertwined 'Baobabs in Love'. To the south, in the Kirindy Mitea National Park and the Kirindy dry forest, you can track nocturnal predators such as the fossa (*Cryptoprocta ferox*), the jumping lemur and giant jumping rats.
In addition to the colossal Big and Small Tsingy of Bemaraha in the west, in the far north is the Ankarana National Park with natural rock bridges and underground rivers inhabited by blind crocodiles, as well as the surprising Red Tsingy (Tsingy Rouge), fragile formations of sandstone and reddish clay sculpted by erosion.
National Route 7 (RN7) is the classic axis of travel: it passes through the colonial city of Antsirabe (capital of the pousse-pousse), the marquetry workshops of Ambositra, the agricultural terraces of Fianarantsoa, the Anja Community Reserve (famous for its habituated troops of ring-tailed lemurs) and the Isalo National Park, ending at the port of Toliara.
Nosy Be and its neighboring archipelagos in the Mozambique Channel offer world-class diving, snorkeling in pristine coral reefs and golden beaches. On the east coast, Île Sainte-Marie and the small Île aux Nattes seduce with their car-free Caribbean atmosphere, tranquil lagoons fringed with coconut trees and humpback whale watching.
The capital Antananarivo (Tana) captivates with its steep hills, traditional red brick houses and the Queen's Palace (Rova). In the extreme arid south, near Ifaty and Anakao, the Spiny Forest exhibits an extraterrestrial endemic vegetation of plants from the Didiereaceae family adapted to extreme dryness.
In Malagasy culture, the 'Fady' are sacred prohibitions and taboos dictated by the ancestors that vary according to each region, forest or village (for example: not pointing at graves with the outstretched index finger, not taking certain foods such as pork to sacred places or not touching certain species of lemurs or chameleons). It is essential to always respect the instructions of the local guide so as not to offend the beliefs of the communities.
Distances in Madagascar are not measured in kilometers but in hours. Except for the paved RN7, many of the roads and tracks (such as the access to Tsingy de Bemaraha or the west coast) are in poor condition and require crossings by barge. For safety and comfort, the general rule for travelers is to rent a 4x4 all-terrain vehicle, which necessarily includes an experienced local driver-guide.
The official currency is the Malagasy Ariary (MGA). International credit cards are only accepted in high-end hotels in Antananarivo and Nosy Be. In the rest of the country, to pay for local hotels, entrance fees to national parks (MNP), roadside restaurants and tips to wildlife trackers, it is mandatory to have plenty of cash in Ariary (obtained by exchanging Euros or withdrawing from bank ATMs such as BNI or BMOI in major cities).
There is a risk of malaria throughout the year throughout the territory of Madagascar (with a higher incidence in coastal and humid areas). It is essential to consult a tropical medicine center to take antimalarial prophylaxis, wear long sleeves at night and apply repellent with DEET. An international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required if you come from an endemic country, and you should drink only bottled and sealed water.
This guide is your passport to enter one of the most fascinating, unique and moving corners of our planet. Madagascar will captivate you with the curious look of its lemurs through the mist, the eternal silhouette of its baobabs at sunset and the kind and sincere smile of its people in each village along the way. Plan your journeys patiently, travel with an open heart to its traditions and prepare for an expedition that you will remember for a lifetime. Tonga soa eto Madagasikara (Welcome to Madagascar)!
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