I had spent thirty days in Madagascar and I hadn’t seen a single lemur. Nor had I feasted my eyes on lanes filled with the iconic baobab tree. Both are indigenous and unique species of that island. And yet, it was as if I had seen it all without having seen anything, such is the intensity of life in those parts where time seems to be frozen.
Let me explain: a stay of one month in a place like Madagascar comes to very little, unless you decide to take the airborne option to get around – a trend among Western tourists (Asians? I didn’t see any!) – just because the roads are quite basic. For example, Route Nationale 7, a 980km primary highway, is basically equivalent to a tertiary road in any European country. The rest…well, the rest are potholed trails of grit and sand, impassable during the rainy season that lasts from November to April.
But what do you expect? We are in Africa after all. Or rather, between Asia and Africa. Madagascar, the fourth largest island on the planet and still uninhabited 2,500 years ago, was initially populated by seafarers from the Indonesian archipelago, followed by bantu Africans and Arabs of Omani origin. This ethnic stock, which underwent obvious mingling, resulted in different tribal realities, which the Portuguese navigators that landed on the island in 1504 would have to deal with. They originally named it St. Lawrence Island. Two of these pioneers, Diogo Dias and Pedro Soares, “lent” their names to the northern city of Diego Suarez, now called Antsiranana.
And if you find it hard to pronounce that word, try saying Ambodhiatrimo, one of the eleven hills surrounding the capital Antanararivo. To resolve this issue, the Malagasy found a clever, practical solution. Thus, Antanararivo is simply Tana; and Fiannarantsoa an important city further south, is just Finnar.
The island features mountainous country in the hinterland, with green patches transmuted into nature reserves (eighteen in all); an arid and almost unpopulated west coast contrasting with the lush east coast which attracted people with commercial traditions such as Arabs, Indians and Chinese. Islam came in this way, followed by Christianity, profusely spread over a long colonial process, which took place in two stages. English and French ruled and the latter would last. The result remains in clear sight: churches (Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic), stylish houses that remind of northern Europe, and baguettes smothered in butter for breakfast…
I invite you to take a land journey to the south of the country aboard overcrowded vans, known as taxi-brousses. I cannot promise you comfort nor a precise day or time of arrival. And almost certainly there will be at least one mishap or another, like when a broken axle on our Mercedes Sprinter bus forced us to spend the night in a field, fortunately not too far from a village of huts, and I spent an unforgettable night staring at the Southern Cross and other southern constellations, all framed by the profile of a giant baobab.
Instead, I can promise you a constant parade of multicolored realities: elegant two-story mud houses with wooden balconies and thatched roofs; coniferous forests; giant granite boulders emerging from the earth; and fantastic people with frank, bright smiles on their faces.
At the end of the trail, is the little town of Toliara, which joins up fishing communities made up of laborious vezos, a bunch of French expats, responsible for the introduction of the habit of riding quads and reading comic books. Their fish is the best there is. I ate at a local restaurant with the world’s best prawn kebabs, all topped off with a shot of ginger rum.
A few kilometers south, the fishing village of Saint Augustin, in a small delta sailed by tiny dhows, reminiscent of the one on the Nile, serves as the antechamber to Anako retreat, a luxury seaside resort with pool and spa, custom-made for those who like to imagine themselves in the Seychelles.
Several men piloting rustic pirogues toil the shallow waters. Others, onboard graceful wooden sailing boats (without any kind of motor to assist) await the rise of the tide to start another coastal navigation, carrying essential products for the settlements spread along the coast.
And one should not forget to plan a few days to wander around the absolutely unreal landscape, sometimes lunar-like, of Isalo Park. A massive granite and sandstone territory, a legacy of the Jurassic period, carved with canyons and bold peaks; an oasis of palm trees and unexpected natural pools, stretching 100 kilometers from north to south.
A mere walk will not guarantee you a substantial sighting of animal life, but most likely you will encounter one of the various species of lemurs and birds that live there, as well as vast host of reptiles, and of course the rich and diverse flora on display.
We proceed on our journey further south, this time in an open truck with wooden benches. A trip of a day and a half into a rough inner land made up of ancient ferns and cactuses of the most bizarre shapes and sizes. Due to the isolated location of the island, 200,000 species of plants and animals have been preserved in Madagascar providing it with a collection of flora and fauna that is unique in the world.
A succession of villages, some blessed with rivers, is the best proof that one can live well in the bush. Every time we stop, locals come by and, in exchange for a few hundreds (the local currency), feed us with delicious spicy carp and homegrown chicken. Look at the smile of these people. Unequaled!
Throughout the South, subsistence farming is practiced, with the exception being sisal and cotton, produced on large foreign investment plantations, close to shore and buffeted by the icy and persistent Antarctic wind.
Lining the landscape of green and elegant topography, embellished by ridges that protect the natural reserve of Andohahela, is the true guardian of the many secrets carefully kept by Tolaganaro, or rather, Port Dauphin. Here I came across one of the most beautiful bays: the Bay of Galleons. On one side, a choppy sea; on the opposite side curvy and gentle waves, ideal for swimming and surfing. The only thing it lacks is visitors, complain the locals. This is likely because it is so difficult to access, but this is a factor that, honestly, doesn’t bother me, as I now have plenty of reasons to prepare for my return. Soon. And for a longer sojourn.
How to go – Kenya Airways flies from Hong Kong via Bangkok and Nairobi three times a week. As an alternative, there is a more expensive flight with Cathay Pacific/Air Madagascar with a stopover in Bangkok.
Where to stay – In all towns and cities there is accommodation ranging from 3 and 4 star hotels to modest pensions and maisons d’hôtes, as they are called here. By the beaches, there are resorts with bungalows.
What to eat – Fish and seafood. Fresh and for a good price. Some of the best lobsters and shrimp in the world!
Not to be missed – Isalo National Park, with flora dating back to the Jurassic period and several species of lemurs, reptiles and birds.
