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Hilary Bradt
Publisher, travel writer, lecturer and sculptor
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Hilary Bradt 
Terre La near Mahajanga produces very high-quality handicrafts and textiles using traditional techniques and natural dyes. They have been creating products with raffia, cotton and wild silk for some 15 years. The operation, which employs around 20 skilled artisans, is run by Madame Andrée Mathilde Etheve, who has Malagasy-Reunionnaise heritage. It is possible to visit their workshop to see the process of making and using natural dyes, and to buy the rugs, tablecloths, curtains, place mats, and other such home décor items. Contact: 032 04 740 71, terrelasarl@gmail.com, facebook.com/terrelasarl, terrelasarl.wordpress.com.
In 2018, a new protected area called Oronjia was set up by Missouri Botanical Garden near to Ramena and French Mountain, east of Antsiranana (Diego Suarez). It has an area of 1,678ha and prioritises managing the forest for sustainable use by the local community. The vegetation is characterised by a degraded dry plant formation on sand and limestone. Some 290 species of plants, 2 lemurs, 37 reptiles, 5 amphibians and 77 birds have been recorded there. There are tourist trails, including a 60- to 90-minute loop circuit on sandy trails (moderately steep in parts) with minimal shade. There are a number of ruined French military fortifications, some of which harbour species such as bats and frogs. On weekdays, it is also possible to visit the plant nursery to see some of the reforestation work being done.
Amber Mountain National Park has recently increased from around 18,000 ha to some 30,000 ha, principally as a result of a neighbouring reserve being subsumed into the park. The road up to the park is currently being rebuilt with money from the African Bank (due to be completed in April 2025). The resurfaced road will run to Joffreville and beyond, right up to the park entrance. Once done, the park plans to improve the track from the entrance office to the campsite. In mid-2024, a new trail called Andranotsara was opened in the park, crossing the popular Voie des Mille Arbres route and giving more options for different lengths and difficulties of walk.
Ankarana Lodge has recently built a number of new suites. Note that the swimming pool at this hotel is only open to staying guests.
In September 2022, bush fires burned an estimated 8,000 hectares of Baie de Baly National Park, representing nearly a fifth of the protected area. This was of particular concern, as the park is the last preserve of the incredibly rare ploughshare tortoise or angonoka. Fewer than 200 individuals of this species are thought to remain in the wild – down from an estimated 600 in 1999 – leading some to describe the species as already functionally extinct.
Marionel Hotel is a place to stay on Nosy Faly, the little-visited island to the east of Nosy Be. They have colourful bungalows with AC. Contact tel 032 11 073 88 or 032 77 355 71; FB Marionel Hotel Nosy Faly.
The village near to Fanamby’s lodge in Andrafiamena-Andavakoera Protected Area, formerly known as Black Lemur Camp, is called Anjahakely. Fanamby has a tree nursery there for its local reforestation projects. The lodge can arrange guided visits to both the village and the nursery.
We have had concerning reports from local tour operators suggesting that Goulam Lodge at Ankarana Est has closed down some time ago, but that they are continuing to take bookings and are keeping the deposits.
A few centuries ago, Madagascar had a couple of species of native giant tortoise. They are extinct now, thanks to the arrival of man, but it’s believed they were very closely related to those that remain on the remote Seychelles island of Aldabra not so very far away.
In 2018, Madagascar-based herpetologist and conservation biologist Miguel Pedrono worked with the government to “reintroduce” the Aldabra giant tortoise to Anjajavy Reserve in the northwest of Madagascar. Grant Joseph, an ecologist and conservation biologist worked alongside him to model the impact the tortoise could have on vegetation.
The first group of 12 tortoises arrived and were fitted with transponders before being released. Two babies were born within a year of the resettlement, and in the five years since another 152 tortoises have hatched!
All of the hatchlings are being protected in a tortoise nursery and will be returned to the wild as soon as they are large enough to be safe from predators – such as feral cats and dogs, rats, birds of prey, and fossa. Through natural breeding, this project aims to have 500 wild giant tortoises in Anjajavy Reserve by 2030 and about 2,000 by 2040.
It’s thought that the reintroduction of giant tortoises to the natural landscape of Madagascar will significantly reduce the impact of bush fires, which currently rip through huge swathes of the island every year. Tortoises limit the spread of fire by feeding on the grass and dry leaves on the forest floor that would otherwise be fuel for fire to spread.
Tortoises are also though to be critical to seed dispersal of many native Malagasy trees, so their reintroduction could speed up the growth of forest cover. On Rodrigues and Île aux Aigrettes islands in Mauritius – where giant tortoises were also wiped out by man – similar reintroduction projects have successfully led to the return of ebony forests.
The dream of the scientists behind this work is that giant tortoises could once again roam Madagascar in the hundreds of thousands, benefitting biodiversity and ecotourism.
Contact details of the fairly budget place to stay called Ambre Hotel near Joffreville: tel 032 05 034 49 and 032 83 357 20; email ambrehotel@yahoo.com.
Near to Ambanja, Plantation Millot – which has been offering guided tours of its operation producing cocoa, spices and essential oils for some time – now also has a six-room guesthouse and a swimming pool. The plantation itself employs some 850 workers.
Starting in 2015, Amber Forest Special Reserve and some other areas were merged into Amber Mountain National Park, so that the entire national park now covers 30,500ha.
In a very exciting new development, MCC are constructing a lodge at Namoroka. Until now, this has been one of Madagascar’s hardest national parks to get to, with typically no more than 20 visitors annually in recent years!
Namoroka National Park (formerly Tsingy de Namoroka Strict Nature Reserve) is a protected area complex with the neighbouring Baie de Baly National Park in the remote northwestern region of Madagascar. Wildlife there is abundant in the forest and canyons, scenery is stunning, and there are towering tsingy formations (limestone karst) to rival those at Bemaraha.
Namoroka Tsingy Camp will comprise 7 luxurious safari tents when it opens in July 2024, with a view to increasing that number to 9 or 10 by 2026. It is located just outside the national park, close to Vilanandro. Access is currently via Soalala airstrip, which is 45km (2½hrs) by road to the north, but they hope to get Andranomavo airstrip operational again soon, which will cut the drive time to an hour.
Domaine de Fontenay – a large colonial house in Joffreville near Amber Mountain National Park – reopened as a hotel last month. It had closed a few years ago after the elderly owner passed away and his widow was unable to keep on top of the upkeep. The protected forest attached to the property, known as Fontenay Nature Park, remained open to tourists during the hotel’s period of closure and continues to be a rewarding spot for night walks in particular.
Belobaka Caves are located 11km (30min) from Mahajanga. There are 7 separate caves featuring stalactites and stalagmites in different forms, the whole formed of 65-million-year-old karst. Subfossils of lemurs and hippos (Hippopotamus alloumena) dated to 18,000 years old have been discovered in these caves (now on display at Akiba museum). Inside the first cave, there is a sacred place where offerings are made. A visit of nearby Belobaka village allows you to see various ovens for manufacturing lime from limestone and bricks from red clay. The cave is accessible May to Nov either on foot, by car/taxi, or by bus no 2.
Anjohibe is another remarkable natural area (situated 83km from Mahajanga) comprising caves, an underground river, natural pool and waterfall, attracting speleologists and researchers from all over the world. The Anjohibe cave system has spacious caverns with 5km of interconnecting passages. These caves feature vaulted rooms with tapered pillars, as well as many beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Some caves are illuminated through their ceiling by sun rays, giving long beams of bright light deep inside. A long underground stream also flows deep into the caves. Andranojoby Lake is a true natural swimming pool, over 2m deep in parts. Downstream, water flows onto a ravine and drops 20m at the Mahafanina falls. A real oasis of peace and greenery, the lake is surrounded with a small forest block where Coquerel’s sifakas are resident. At 20km from Mahajanga, the road to the caves turns off RN4. A local tour operator has set up an ecological camp here. Accessible May to Nov by road. It is possible to enjoy cave visits (incl by canoe) with bats, trekking, mangroves, a traditional village visit and a baobab circuit; night visits are possible.
[Information from ORTBoeny, ITM2023]
Mangatsa Sacred Lake is situated 18km from Mahajanga. This tranquil place conserves nature, Sakalava culture and tradition. The sacred lakes are home to large eels and carp, and offerings are brought to be left at sacred tamarind and baobab trees, which are draped in brightly coloured cloths or Malagasy flags. There are lemurs, as well as captive crocodiles and the Museum Philibert Tsiranana is worth a visit. Locals come here to hunt wild boar and ducks. The lake is accessible year-round, taking approximately 30 minutes by car from Mahajanga Airport; there is a camping area.
The Morira River is a natural extension of the Mangatsa Sacred Lake visit. It is possible to visit by hiking, zebu cart or 4×4. The beautiful scenery includes satrana palms, traveller’s trees, coconut groves, mango plantations, and mangroves with their various species of ducks, herons, ibis, flamingo and mudskipper fish around the dyke. You can see traditional villages and the spectacles of zebu crossing the river.
[Information from ORTBoeny, ITM2023]
It is not widely known that Madagascar is a source of particularly fine chocolate, with an annual export production of 14,000 tonnes, and particularly noted for the rare and exquisite ‘criollo’ variety that makes up just 0.01% of cocoa grown globally.
Tour Operator Autochtone Tour Madagascar have been working in collaboration with Edenia to promote cocoa-based tourism to the country. Set up a couple of years ago, Edenia is a specialist chocolate school in Antananarivo – the first of its kind – that trains 80 chocolate artisans annually.
The goal is to launch a new twelve-day tourist circuit called ‘Criollo Tour’ in the northern part of the country, especially the Sambirano region where most of the cocoa is grown. The route aims to include village tourism, immersive plantation visits, meeting cocoa cultivators to discover the whole process from harvesting to drying and beyond, and incorporating a hands-on chocolate-making workshop in Ambanja, before ending at Nosy Be and Nosy Faly. On nearby Nosy Komba (where cocoa is also grown), tourists will also be able to visit Musée Lovako to learn about Sakalava culture.
Emergency funding has been granted to Ankarana National Park for the deployment of special patrols this month. According to the Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity of Madagascar (FAPBM), this action is needed to crack down on illegal sapphire mining (at Labandy and Bemoko) as well as illegal logging (in Analamahitsy). FAPBM expressed concern that the underground water table has been so seriously exploited that sections of limestone karst are at risk of collapse. It is hoped that the patrols – a collaboration of military, police, and Environment Ministry officials – will be an effective deterrent to loggers and miners in the area.
The gite at Ankarafantsika National Park is reportedly not in good condition. I have been unable to ascertain whether it is abandoned or simply run down, but either way I have been assured that it’s not what it once was, sadly.
The extraordinary Nosy Hara Marine National Park is home to 279 recorded species of reef fish, 108 corals, 3 sponges, 54 shellfish, 5 sea turtles, migratory whales and dolphins, the dugong, 30 birds including the Madagascar fish eagle, 18 reptiles, a boid snake, 2 baobabs, and bats living in caves.
Le Ch’ti Près at Ramena Beach, near Antsiranana, is a much-praised seafront restaurant and bar that opened in 2020. They also have three en-suite bungalows. The excellent menu is (unsurprisingly) mainly seafood-based. Contact mob 032 05 228 51; email lechtipres@lechtipres.com & stephanepatte62@gmail.com; web lechtipres.com; Facebook Le-chti-Près-100771578296848.
Starting from 13 May 2022, Cotisse Transport will start operating a new weekly taxi-brousse route between Antananarivo and Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), departing the capital at noon on Fridays, and returning at 08:00 on Tuesdays. The 1,105km journey costs 160,000Ar (£32/€37/US$40) each way. Online booking: https://cotisse-transport.com
Moses, owner of Madagascar Safari Tour Guide, has a new contact for phone/What’sApp: +261 (0)34 92 799 77. Email infomadagascarsafaritourguide@gmail.com
The phone number for the bungalows of Chez Laurent at Ankarana: 034 87 427 62 and 032 07 992 89. Basic accommodation in Mahamasina.
The road from Tana to Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) is becoming increasingly potholed (to put it mildly). The time taken to cover the route depends on the vehicle and recent weather conditions, but ranges from around 26 to 36 hours. Allow 24hrs for the Tana to Ambanja leg, 5hrs for the next section to Ambanja, and 7hrs for the last part from there to Antsiranana.