Where to go in Madagascar

You probably wouldn’t have guessed that there would be a spa resort in the heart of Madagascar’s central highlands, but lo and behold, here’s Antsirabe. Nicknamed the ‘City of Water’, the city is surrounded by thermal springs and thousands visit the town every year to bathe in the Thermal Bath and taste the naturally-sparkling mineral water. If you don’t fancy being healed by the therapeutic water, pay the town a visit anyway. Used by French colonialists as a chic weekend getaway from the nearby capital, the streets are broad and tree-lined and the buildings, large and beautiful. There’s also a plethora of excellent eating options, plenty to do and see and the energy of the place is infectious.

The chief seaport of Madagascar, Toamasina (also known as Tamatave) is tucked away at the top of a long finger of rainforest on the eastern side of the island. From early beginnings as a pirate hang-out to a modern-day city of commerce, it’s a chaotic, atmospheric place that makes a convenient stopover between Tana and Nosy Boraha. But hidden between the stilted, Creole buildings and rickshaw-filled roads are some nuggets worth exploring – the Manda fort, the ‘baazar be’ market and the waterfront spring to mind. But, if the city bustle gets the better of you, a quick drive will take you to pretty Port Fluvial, a series of lakes and bobbing pirogues, the sandy beaches of Foulepoints, and Mahambo and its laidback surfers.

If Madagascar’s wild, rugged and incomparably diverse south-eastern coastline is in your sights, add the Pangalanes Canal to your list. A series of man-made channels that run parallel to the Indian Ocean all the way from Tamatave to Farafangana, the whole thing is a staggering 600 kilometres making it factually the longest canal in the world. But simple tourist attraction it is not: the waterways dominate daily life in this part of Madagascar and as you cruise, it will be alongside fishermen touting their wares, laden pirogues, and the Betsimisaraka villages that line the banks. Explore from Manakara, a pretty colonial town, or one of the surrounding hotels, and combine canal-floating with palm-lined beaches, a spot of cycling, or even a trip on the mystery-shrouded Fianarantsoa-Manakara railway line.

If there’s one thing you might not expect from Madagascar, it’s the highland town of Fianarantsoa. Split into upper and lower town, it’s the old quarter, with its attractive red-roofed buildings, schools, bookstores and traditional churches, that really captures the imagination. Stroll around the vertiginous streets, then head out to the surrounding valleys and vineyards (really!) to see an entirely different side of Mada. And there’s the famous Fianarantsoa railway line. The steepest in the world, it winds its way through forests, along cliff-edges and down dramatic descents. If you don’t have time to embark on the full 163-kilometre adventure (including all 48 tunnels and 67 bridges!), make the 25-kilometre journey to Sahambavy and visit the beautiful tea plantations instead.

If India is the Taj Mahal, then Madagascar is the Avenue of the Baobabs – and even if you don’t know the name, you’ll more than certainly recognise the photos. The ‘avenue’ is in fact a dusty, red road, linking the capital of the region, Morondova, to a small hamlet on the Tsiribihina River, 100-kilometres away. It’s flanked by a procession of enormous baobabs that reach their spindly fingers high into the sun-soaked sky, some a staggering 30 metres tall. “But they’re just baobabs”, you might say. Well, yes, but what makes them so spectacular is the lack of surrounding foliage. Here, it’s just you, the gnarled trees and some of the best photographs of your trip. Look out for the baobab amoreux, two trees twisted around each other in an eternal hug, and the sacred baobab, believed to the burial site of an ancient King.

Located in south-western Mada, Ifaty is a laidback, chilled-out corner where relaxation is the name of the game. Well, we say that (and the powder-soft beaches, littered with palms and strewn along the Mozambique Channel certainly back us up), but there’s also a fair amount of adventure to be had too. The offshore coral reef is ripe for snorkelling and diving, as is the equally special Ranobe Lagoon, and in July and August, migrating whales can be spotted in their hundreds. On land, there are three areas of forest to explore, each of which is home to iconic lemurs, plenty of birds and reptiles, and baobabs. And who wouldn’t want to visit somewhere blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year? Yes please!

An exotic private island 3.5 kilometres off Madagascar’s north-eastern tip, Nosy Ankao is wild and gloriously pristine. It’s part of the obscure Levens Archipelago and was a seaweed farm in the 1990s and 2000s, created to preserve the area and provide local employment. Today, it’s home to Miavana, one of the continent’s most exclusive yet sustainable lodges that’s more than playing its part in protecting the surroundings. And what exquisite surroundings they are: think aquamarine bays traced by pearly-white beaches and winding waterways, fragrant forests where rehabilitated lemurs roam and butterflies flutter, and healthy coral gardens where multi-coloured fish are regular visitors. We’ll have what they’re having…

Masoala is the largest of Madagascar’s protected areas (quite a feat when you consider them all) yet also its least visited. Established in 1997, the park preserves a unique ecosystem of rainforest, complete with glorious pallisander trees, wild ginger plants, and multi-coloured orchids, mountains, and the mangroves and coastal forests of Nosy Mangabe, an offshore island reserve. If a dinosaur was to appear amongst the ferns, you probably wouldn’t be surprised – and what you will find isn’t far off: tomato frogs and chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos and serpent eagles, and the incredibly rare red-ruffed lemur. The hikes and treks here are immense, as are the whale-watching opportunities from land or sea – or you may simply wish to stroll along the near deserted beaches and see what you stumble upon…

Located around 50 kilometres from Morondova and those famous baobabs, Kirindy is a dry, deciduous forest reserve home to a variety of curious chameleons and lizards, giant jumping rats and beautiful dancing lemur - but it’s the infamous fossa that really draws the crowds. They might not jump and they may not dance, but the carnivorous mammal, endemic to Madagascar, is quite a creature to behold. Not dissimilar to a small puma but also related to the mongoose family, they are formidable, wily and strong, yet so elusive that scientists know very little about them. Mating season, from October to December, is the best time to spot one, but visit at other times of the year and be equally entertained by lemurs, nocturnal walks and the astonishing variety of flora.

Amber Mountain National Park may be pretty by name, but it’s also really quite pretty by nature. Named after the delicate flowers that cover the mountainside and shine amber from afar, the forested park is a cooling oasis where mists hang mysteriously around towering vine trees and ferns, and wild orchids peek through the foliage. The walking trails are plentiful and beautiful, and almost all lead to the famous Antomboka and Sacred waterfalls, or one of the five glorious crater lakes. The park also attracts for its wildlife spotting, but perhaps not as you know it. Amongst the seven species of lemurs and various amphibians, keep your eyes (and magnifying glasses!) peeled for leaf-mimic chameleons, tree boas, leaf-tailed geckos, pill millipedes and the Brookesia micra chameleon, which, at 25mm, is the smallest in the world.

A relatively new stop on the Madagascar circuit, the Andrafiamena protected area lies about 100 kilometres south of Diego Suarez and is a melee of deciduous, dry forest, caves and limestone formations. The definition of off-the-beaten-track, this is the place for nature lovers looking for a spot where truly, not many have been before. There are several hikes of varying lengths and difficulties to get stuck into, including the prettily named Natural Pool Circuit and Black Sifaka Circuit, all of which wind through rolling scenery and offer the chance to see the all-black Perrier’s sifaka, one of the world’s 25 most endangered primates.

If you were to travel in a straight line from Madagascar’s south coast, you wouldn’t hit any land until Antarctica. That’s pretty cool – but what’s even cooler are the bizarre landscapes of the Mandrare Valley. We’re talking spiny forests, enclaves of exotic flora, baobab-scattered basins and of course, more than a smattering of the island’s most iconic wildlife. The region is probably most famous for the Berenty Reserve, one of Mada’s first ever eco-tourism destinations and now the protector of a swathe of tamarind gallery forest and one of the best places to see habituated ringtail and Verreaux sifaka lemurs at close range. The area is also the stomping ground of the pastoralist Antandroy people who have a complex network of taboos and tradition that are fascinating to watch at play.