MADAGASCAR & Highlights...
MADAGASCAR
Across the Mozambique Channel & off the southeast coast of Africa, lies the island of Madagascar, also the fourth largest island on this planet...Famous for occupying over 100 known species and subspecies of cute fury lemur found only in Madagascar!
As a result of the islands long term isolation, explorers of this 'biodiversity hotpot' will also encounter thousands of other animal species, colorful chameleons, reptiles & amphibians, plentiful & diverse bird species, magnificent orchids, flora & fauna which can be found nowhere else on Earth...
If that isn’t enough & in addition to its lure, adventurers can take in the national reserves & parks, magical rain-forests decorated by waterfalls & hot springs, canyons, sandy beaches and reefs & finally, the famous towering ‘Avenue of the Baobabs” century old trees….
Capital: Antananarivo
Area: 587,041 km²
Population: Approximately 22.92 million
Currency: Malagasy ariary
Official languages: Malagasy, French - (Although English is Often Spoken)
TOP PLACES TO EXPLORE
Madagascar Ring-Tailed Lemur
Andasibe National Park
Located about 150 km east of Antananarivo (Madagascar’s capital) in the Alaotra-Mangoro region of eastern Madagascar lies the protected 155 square kilometer Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. With elevations ranging from 800–1260 meters of primary forests where the sights and sounds of the various lemurs offer an unforgettable wildlife experience… This is one of the easiest parks in Madagascar to visit from the capital city with a 3-hour drive east on a paved road.
The park is divided by two areas, Mantadia National Park and the Analamazoatra Reserve, famous for its population of Madagascar's largest lemur, the indri with it’s wild & uninhibited wondrous shrieks.
This dense & beautiful rain-forest is habitat to a vast species biodiversity, including many endemic rare species and endangered species, including 11 lemur species… Numerous species of birds, reptiles, frogs & salamanders thrive among-st flourishing tropical forests, dwarf palms, ferns, creepers & hundreds of flowering orchids which blanket the land...
Ranomafana National Park
Ranomafana National Park
Ranomafana National Park is in the southeastern part of Madagascar…Boasting mountainous terrain of @ 415 km² of stunning beauty & vast natural diversity, thick vegetation splattered by waterfalls & streams which flow into the Namorona River…Located about a 10-hour drive from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, is home to several rare species of flora and fauna including the golden bamboo lemur, Ranomafana’s star attraction as well as several other lemur species which can be scene leaping through the enchanting canopy’s by day while other species race up & down tree trunks by night…
It is a rain-forest jungle of delight with numerous species of reptiles, chameleons, snakes, geckos, frogs, butterflies, spiders and several fish flourish in the Ranomafana National Park…Medicinal plants grow with abundance, gorgeous orchids paint the scenery with colorful beauty…Various & plentiful bird species fly freely…
There are a number of lemur species, including:
Peyrieras' woolly lemur
Aye-aye
Crossley's dwarf lemur
Sibree's dwarf lemur
Greater bamboo lemur
Golden bamboo lemur
Ranomafana grey bamboo lemur
Red-bellied lemur
Red-fronted brown lemur
Small-toothed sportive lemur
Southern black and white ruffed lemur, Varecia variegata editorum
Red mouse lemur, Microcebus rufus
Milne-Edwards' sifaka Propithecus edwardsi
Avenue of the Baobabs
Avenue of the Baobabs
Watch the sun slowly slip behind these immense trees, while the silhouettes of the magnificent baobabs stand against the colors of the night sky making it one of the most visited locations in the region.…
The Avenue or Alley of the Baobabs is a distinct group of trees framing the dirt road between Morondava and Belo Tsiribihina in the Menabe region of western Madagascar creating a setting so beautiful that it is looked upon as one of the world’s natural monuments…The distance between the 2 towns is 4 hours or more (about 100km) depending on the road conditions.
Along the Avenue, remain 20 - 25 baobab trees, some soaring up to 98 feet in height and up to 800 years old with diameters reaching up to 36 feet. The Baobabs once thrived throughout the dense tropical forests of Madagascar & did not originally tower in sole isolation like they do now for as the country's population grew, the forests were cleared for agriculture…
The road to the Avenue of Baobabs, said to be the most beautiful, is one of the most popular places in Madagascar & also the most reachable place to see the Baobabs in Africa...
Six of eight known baobab species can only be found on the island while only two have made their way across to the African continent…
Isalo National Park
Isalo National Park
Nestled amidst the southwest terrains in the Ihorombe Region of Madagascar boasts Isalo National Park known for its variety of dazzling landscapes of sweeping canyons, including jutting sandstone formations, palm-lined havens, and grasslands jeweled by natural swimming pools and waterfalls…
A total of 340 faunal species are known to inhabit the area, including 82 species of birds, 33 species of reptiles, 15 species of frogs and 14 species of mammals as well as ring-tailed lemurs leaping & pouncing through the trees.
Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park...
Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park
The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is located in the Melaky Region of Madagascar. The national park is divided into 2 parts, the Great Tsingy and the Little Tsingy & also known as the ‘badlands’ of Madagascar where one ‘cannot walk barefoot’ & is nearly impenetrable by the immense limestone formations…
Notwithstanding the parks barren landscape, the labyrinth-like stone forest is home to several types of lemur and over 100 bird species that are only found within the Tsingys, canyons & gorges which can be explored from the narrow roped bridges for those not afraid of heights…
Over centuries, tectonic activity, monsoon rains, heavy winds and floods formed the extreme jagged terrain with razor sharp limestone formations, deep canyons & humid caves where trees and plants fight their way through the rocks for light & life…The further one journeys into the breathtaking Tsingys the more its hidden world & diversity reveals of itself for those whom want to venture in…
Amber Mountain National Park...
Amber Mountain National Park
In the Diana Region of northern Madagascar lies Amber Mountain National Park & is one of the most accessible. It is 1,000 kilometers north of Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, and is one of the most accessible & biologically diverse places in all of Madagascar...
Encompassing seventy-five species of birds, twenty-five species of mammals, and fifty-nine species of reptiles isolated by a patch of rain-forest that rise from the surrounding dry region. The park is known for its widespread flora and fauna, spectacular waterfalls and numerous crater lakes looming with wildlife...
Most of the park is covered rain-forest with trees up to 130 ft tall and covered vivid plants, orchids and ferns…
Page References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andasibe-Mantadia_National_ / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranomafana_National_Park / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_of_the_Baobabs / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isalo_National_Park / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsingy_de_Bemaraha_National_Park / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Mountain_National_Park