The concept of discovering off-the-wall destinations strongly chimes with me. For me, travel isn’t about going to a touristy, almost over-run destination, sightseeing and being comfortable. It’s about broadening horizons, absorbing vibes, staying in unconventional locations, experiencing avant-garde cultures and partaking in something starkly distinctive. Having established these ‘filters’, Madagascar endured as a sparkling backpacking destination. I’ll admit though, ever since I watched the movie, I wanted to go! “So why not now?” At least that was my thinking when I set out on this ‘Madness in Madagascar’.
Picturesque ‘Tana’
I landed in the capital, Antananarivo, affectionately known as ‘Tana’, where the haute-ville with colonial buildings and slopes is a great place to wander. Built on hillocks around the gorgeous Lake Anosy, and Rovas’ Palace overlooking the cosy capital, Tana is exceptionally picturesque, but somewhat disorganised! Nevertheless, here, I sensed a method in madness, comfort in chaos, resort in ruckus. I spent the day exploring the fascinating coffee, chocolate and rum markets, and observing locals as they exchanged coal, cassava and zebu. Probably one of the last places on the planet where the barter system is still significant! As a spectacular sunset engulfed Tana, I settled for my first dinner — grilled crocodile skewers!
Roots of the sky
Early next morning, I hopped onto a taxi-brousse to Morondava, a rustic fishing town, to witness Madagascar’s most recognisable image — the Baobab Avenue. This small section of RN8 is flanked on both sides by oddly-shaped majestic, gargantuan baobabs, some of which are 1000 years old. With gnarled branches fanning out at the top of their trunks, it’s easy to see why they’ve been nicknamed ‘roots of the sky’. The actual stretch of road was shorter than I expected, but even this brief concentration in a ‘guard-of-honour’ formation, has no parallel anywhere in the world. Soaking in this imposing sight, a cheery tribal girl encouraged me to try some baobab fruit. And sure enough, I was wincing as I bit into this tart, nutty, somewhat sour fruit, much to her amusement! I stayed on till sunset, when the elongated shadows are most pronounced. This, coupled with the extraordinary arrangement of baobabs, makes it a must-have-on-your-bucket-list location!
The elusive fossa
I continued to Ranomafana National Park, where I arrived at midnight after a drive probably on the bumpiest road ever! As I opened the tent door next morning, I froze. In front, stood gigantic mountains concealed in dense forest. Mesmerised, I headed into the steep and root-filled jungle with numerous caves where I spotted the elusive fossa and the shy aye-aye lemur. Crawling through the thick off-road regions and hiding in impenetrable foliage was definitely worth it as I saw a huge crocodile chameleon gulp a colourful butterfly, the marvellous colubridae snake and came face to face with an eerie-looking fossa (biggest predator in Madagascar). I won’t deny, it was a hair-raising experience to see such creatures around me but that’s Madagascar!
Cool ring-tailed lemurs
I continued my journey southwest to Isalo National Park through the Horombe Plateau. With nothing but grassy plains stretching to the horizon on all sides, its paradoxically amazing as to how much there is to ‘see’ with ‘nothing’ around you. Camping in the park, it felt like a museum dedicated to the desert canyon’s art. Gorges filled with yellow savannah grass, sculpted buttes, vertical rock walls, deep floors, and best of all, scattered natural pools. The dominating rock formations change the forest colours, culminating in extraordinary sunsets beneath a big sky. Multi-coloured and camouflaged chameleons, oddly-shaped insects, vivid frogs, graceful rays, turtles and ring tailed lemurs kept me entertained throughout.
Why are ring-tailed lemurs cool? Well, they do look pretty awesome but their claim to fame is the movie Madagascar. King Julien anyone? Ultimately, a dip in a tepid blue pool and cool black pool was the perfect way to end a daylong hike through these luxuriant landscapes.
A lifetime experience
Finally, I continued to the untouched coast of Ifaty. Surrounded by the spiny forest, a perfect semicircle of white sand and a view of the stunningly turquoise water of the Mozambique Channel, Ifaty is laidback in the finest tradition of seaside Malagasy settlements. An incredible location where I camped on the beach soaking in the coastal stance of ‘mora mora’ (literally slowly, slowly). It was here that I witnessed a phenomenon that can only be described as magical. What started as a spontaneous jaunt in a fisherman’s pirogue emerged as a lifetime experience.
As we sailed deeper into the channel, I observed spouts of water bursting out into the air. Little did I know that it was the magnificent humpback whale migration! When you see that powerful tail splash the oceanwater, it’s a moment where you gasp in awe combined with the reflex of a jawdrop! Returning from this overwhelming experience, I indulged in a lunch of eel with carrot rice!
Madagascar is unlike anywhere I have been to — amazingly diverse and still so unspoiled. Vast tracts of the country are virtually uninhabited and seldom explored, and nothing comes easy. But that’s what makes it so unique and rewarding. So if you’re up for it, why think again? There’s a madness that awaits you.
