Antananarivo

587,040 km²
(14.1x the Netherlands)

UTC +3

Malagasy, French

Maromokotro - 2,876 m

The flag of Madagascar exists since October 14, 1958, two years before independence. The color green represents the inhabitants of the country, red and white were the colors of the flag of the Merina monarchy of which Queen Ranavalona III was the last. Probably they represent the ethnic origin of the Malagasy people in south-east Asia and are shared by Indonesia.

The Ariary is divided into five Iraimbilanja. The name Ariary is derived from silver dollar. The currency was introduced in 1961 and replaced the Malagasy franc in early 2005 which had been in circulation since 1925. The Ariary was equal to 5 francs. Depicted on the banknote is the baobab, the national tree of Madagascar.

Masiakampy is a two hour drive from Miandrivazo and the starting point of a three day motorboat trip on the Tsiribihina river to Belo sur Tsiribihina, a stretch of 146 km. On the way you can shower at a waterfall. Overnight in a tent on a large sandbar. The locals play music and dance around the campfire It's impossible to sit still. At Belo you get off the boat and by SUV it's a four hours drive to the north where one of the most spectacular parks of Madagascar is located, Tsingy de Bemaraha. Stay overnight in Bekopaka. You have to cross the Bekopaka river on a ferry. Three vehicles at a time fit on the ferry which is being moved across by pushing long sticks in the water.



The Isalo National Park was established in 1962 and is known for its erratic rock massifs also known as the 'Colorado of Madagascar'. The national park has an area of ??815.4 km². It is the second largest national park in Madagascar after Masoala National Park. The national park is located at an altitude of 820 to 1240 meters above sea level. It is an area with a tropical dry climate. The park consists of a mountain massif that runs almost 100 km from north to south and is marked by bizarre, rock plants, Jurassic sandstone formations, deep gorges, steep peaks, and river-flooded grasslands similar to the continental African savannas. A well-known place in the park is the valley of the river Namaza, where you find several pools. Here you can spot many lemurs on a camping spot. The undisputed highlight is sunset at the 'Fenetre d'Isalo'.

Tsingy is the Malagasy word for a formation of eroded limestone. The limestone cliffs in the reserve are formed by deposits of fossil and dead shells below sea level some 200 million years ago. They are shaped by wind and rain. Some of the sharp limestone peaks are over 70 meters high. The reserve became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990. At the Grands Tsingy you walk through a forest where you can see Sifaka lemurs. Then climb up through a gorge and, armed with a flashlight, you walk through a cave after which you climb up (secured with a harness). The view that awaits you is fantastic. Then you walk via a suspension bridge to another viewpoint and then descend via a very narrow path on the other side back to the forest.

Lemurs (Lemuriformes) are an infraorder of the order of primates. They are endemic to Madagascar. 86 different living species have been described. They owe their name to the call of some species of lemurs. These reminded the first discoverers of the call of the lemures from the Roman mythology: evil spirits of persons who died and wander around like ghosts. Except for the ring-tailed lemurs, all lemurs live almost exclusively in trees. Many lemur species are threatened with extinction. The biggest cause is the disappearance of the forests of Madagascar, their natural habitat.

Île Sainte-Marie, also known as Nosy Boraha, is an island and district off the east coast of Madagascar. The island is 40 km long and about 7 km at its widest point. Capital is Ambodifotatra. In the south it is separated from the smaller Île aux Nattes by a 400 meter wide strait. The strait between Île Sainte-Marie and Madagascar is the best place to view Humpback whales. Especially between July and late September. This is the mating season at which you often see the giants jumping out of the water. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the island was a base for pirates. In the vicinity of Ambodifotatra, a pirate republic called Libertalia may have existed where Olivier Levasseur and William Kidd lived.

Avenue du baobab is located about 30 km outside Morondava. It is a group of baobab trees alongside the dirt road between Morondava and Belo sur Tsiribihina. Over a length of 260 meters there are 20 to 25 baobabs of about 30 meters high. The baobab trees, some up to 800 years old are locally called Reniala (mother of the forest) and they are the remains of what was once a dense tropical forest. Best visit is at sunset when the colors are at their best.