"Congo" – the movie, is a chilling story about the discovery of a lost city guarded by blood thirsty gorillas. Unfortunately, this movie also furthered the myth of ‘dangerous’ gorillas. However, the movie rekindled the mystical fascination I had for the jungles of Central Africa. It all started with Phantom (comics) and the mythical state...
A friend once spoke to me about his fascination with the tribes of Kenya – he talked only about the Maasai. I realised that he was under the impression that the Maasai is all there is to Kenya / Tanzania. Having been to Kenya and having understood the diversity of the culture and tribes of...
Dreamy beaches, remote isolated islands, deep blue skies, opalescent waters, tropical wilds, cocoa plantations – enough to tempt you to visit the Nosy Be archipelago in the North of Madagascar? There are paradisiacal islands all over the Indian Ocean; but what makes Nosy be special is the combination of exquisite nature and civilization (meaning people)....
The Ankarana National Park is located in the northern part of Madagascar, about 108 kms south of Antsirananan (Diego Suarez). Created in 1956, Ankarana National park covers an area of 1825 sq km. Ankarana is home to a spectacularly eroded limestone fortress of sharp ridges (the Tsingy), patches of dense tropical jungle, deciduous forest, deep...
Diego Suarez can be the base for two amazing day trips to the surrounding areas. First is the tropical forest of Amber National park – where you can see crater lakes, waterfalls, diverse flora, lemurs and yes, one of the smallest chameleons in the world (barely more than 1 cm). The second is the beautiful...
The heading of this blog for Diego Suarez – ‘Turquoise bays and Golden beaches’ can apply to any number of coastal paradises in the Indian Ocean. This would include Ifaty, Nosy Be and St. Marie in Madagascar itself. But Diego Suarez sets itself apart by not being ‘popular’ for tourists and this turns out to...
The exquisite silhouettes of baobab trees at sunset is a popular postcard for anyone who has been (or aspires to travel) to Madagascar or Southern Africa. This popularity of the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar has brought some recognition to this grand but beleaguered species. In addition, various popular movies and books feature the...
Few tourists visit the not so well known Isalo National Park in South Central Madagascar. The emblematic attractions of Madagascar i.e. the lemurs are present here but not as much in number as the more popular parks like Ranomafana or Andasibe. In addition, the relatively long time taken to travel here makes it less appealing! However,...
A discussion on the topic of tropical beaches in Madagascar would surely bring up the beautiful golden sand beaches of Nosy Be, Diego Suarez and the Island of St Marie (North and East Madagascar). Often missed out are the dreamy, lonely beaches of South West Madagascar i.e. around Ifaty, Anakao and Andavadoaka. This blog is...
Kirindy Private reserve is a true wildlife Oasis – a spot of hope amidst the destruction caused by human development in Western Madagascar. Formerly a Swiss forestry training station and now an active German primate research base, Kirindy Private Reserve is an absolute gem. This 120-square-kilometre tract of dry deciduous forest is one of Madagascar’s truly outstanding natural...
