Madagascar travel guide

Madagascar is sometimes called the "red island". All over the country you can see the red earth rich in iron. While the other tsingy's (of Ankarana close-by and Bemara in the West of the country) are eroded limestone, the red tsingy is completely different. Rain and wind have eroded the red laterite earth creating beautiful white and red shapes. Especially on clear days, the clear blue skies contrast with the reddish pinnacles. It is highly recommended to make the effort of venturing out to the red tsingy, either on a day trip from Diego Suarez or on route to the Ankarana Special Reserve. You will most likely need your own 4x4 transportation as it is located about a one-hour off-road drive away from the main road.

Before 1998, pretty much no-one lived in the plains between Isalo National Park and Tulear. Since the discovery of Sapphire, several towns have appeared and the area has become the "Wild West" of Madagascar. People are attracted here seeking fortune, something that only a few will ever find. They work in the mines and only get paid with whatever they dig up, much like during the gold rush in Northern America. The biggest town of these, Ilakaka, has evolved from a gathering of wooden sheds to a town of over 20,000 people with shops, brothels, places to gamble and even some big mansions for the few that did find their fortune. Security has improved a little but it is still definitely not a town to linger in and even better to be avoided all together at night since the crime rate is very high.

Madagascar has about 20 different ethnic groups. The Vezo people live at the coast in the West of the country, pretty much the region around and North of Toliara (Tulear). Their main activity is fishing. Every day, the Vezo people take their sailing pirogues, which are wooden dug-out canoes, out to the reef and beyond and mostly return about mid-morning with their catch of the day. The Vezo people are skilled sailors and fishermen and it is fascinating to watch them navigate their boats to shore and seeing the crowds of people getting in the fish and seafood. At these moments there is a market atmosphere with sometimes quite a bit of fuzz.