Madagascar
Poised atop Ambohimanga hill is the Rova, the fortress-palace. The walls of the compounds were constructed using cement made from sand, shells and egg…
Must-see attractions in Madagascar
Antananarivo
Tana’s rova (fortified palace), known as Manjakamiadana (A Fine Place to Rule), is the imposing structure that crowns the city's highest hill. Gutted in a…
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Western Madagascar
One of Madagascar's most recognisable images, this small stretch of the RN8 between Morondava and Belo-sur-Tsiribihina is flanked on both sides by…
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Madagascar
This 370,000-sq-metre reserve encompasses three mountain-size granite boulders (the three sisters) ringed at the base by a forest full of ring-tailed…
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Madagascar
The Parc National Ranomafana is a steamy hothouse of jungle bio-diversity where the hum of insects of is ever present and the wail and squeal of a dozen…
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Madagascar
The oldest and most attractive part of town is the pedestrian Haute-Ville (known as Tanana Ambony in Malagasy). Utterly removed from the hustle of the…
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Madagascar
Parc National Andringitra is the pièce de résistance of the wider Massif de l'Andringitra. It encompasses a high-altitude granite plateaux of epic beauty,…
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Antananarivo
Opened in early 2018, this fabulous photography museum is Antananarivo's best museum. There are four small rooms showing films (in French, English or…
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Western Madagascar
If you visit one place in western Madagascar, make it Parc National Bemaraha. A Unesco World Heritage Site, its highlights are the jagged, limestone…
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Western Madagascar
Dramatic Cirque Rouge is one of western Madagascar’s most famous sights. This amphitheatre of eroded rock is tinted in a rainbow hue of colours, including…
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Western Madagascar
This reserve, 60km northeast of Morondava, covers about 12,500 hectares and is a protected area that's popular with scientists and travellers for its…
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Madagascar
For 30 years this family workshop has been creating miniature objects (cars, rickshaws, bicycles etc) made from recycled materials – anything from…
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Nosy Be
Parc National Lokobe protects most of Nosy Be’s remaining endemic vegetation. The reserve is home to the black lemur (the male is dark brown, almost black…
Antananarivo
Antananarivo’s heart-shaped lake lies in the southern part of town. It's particularly lovely in October, when the jacaranda trees lining its shores are…
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Parcs Nationaux Baie de Baly et Tsingy de Namoroka
Western Madagascar
This isolated park is home to that peculiarly Malagasy landform, the tsingy, a dense forest of jagged rocky pinnacles interwoven with deep canyons filled…
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Western Madagascar
This series of subterranean rooms and galleries, some of them the size of buildings, are among Madagascar's most impressive. Stretching over 5km, and…
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Madagascar
You'll find nine species of lemur at this private reserve, 22km west of the capital. It's a good place to visit if you haven't yet seen lemurs elsewhere,…
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Parc National de Kirindy-Mitea
Western Madagascar
Not to be confused with the Réserve Forestière de Kirindy, the deliciously remote 72,200-hectare Parc National de Kirindy-Mitea, which surrounds Belo-sur…
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Antananarivo
In 1929 French engineer André Michelin, of tyre fame, patented the use of pneumatics on rail vehicles in a bid to improve passenger comfort. Trials were…
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Parc National Marin de Nosy Tanikely
Nosy Be
Nosy Tanikely is a protected marine reserve 10km south of Nosy Be. It's one of the best snorkelling sites in the area, with coral, numerous fish and sea…
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Antananarivo
Housed in a magnificent pink baroque palace, this museum is the former home of Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony, the power behind the throne of the three…
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Madagascar
The grimy and utterly fascinating aluminium pot workshops are all gathered in one small area behind the market. The area is filled with small workshops…
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Mahavy-Kinkony Wetland Complex
Western Madagascar
The Mahavy-Kinkony Wetland Complex incorporates a diverse and fragile ecosystem consisting of marine bays, river, delta and 22 lakes, including Madagascar…
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Madagascar
Some 18km south of Manakara on the road to Vohipeno, you'll find Domaine Aavyland, a 31-hectare organic plantation and distillery producing medicinal and…
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Madagascar
This is an unusual place: a commercial crocodile farm that breeds crocs, as well as a zoo where you can see the reptilian giants in all their basking…
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Madagascar
This international training centre for the study of biodiversity is housed in attractive buildings on the edge of the national park. If you have any…
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Western Madagascar
Best known as the home of the critically endangered ploughshare tortoise, this remote park has dense dry, bamboo and mangrove forests, sand dunes and…
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Madagascar
Established in 1969 and specialising in green teas, this is Madagascar's only tea plantation. Visits take you from the fields to the processing plant and…
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Madagascar
The monks at this monastery continue to do what they have done for centuries: make wine (red and white, and flavoured aperitifs) and honey (which you can…
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Western Madagascar
Majunga is all about the Corniche, the palm-lined promenade bordering the sea made up of Blvd Poincarré and Blvd Marcoz. In the evening residents come…
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Parc Communautaire de Sakaviro Miray
Madagascar
For the moment, the Parc Communautaire de Sakaviro Miray, a community conservation project preserving a small patch of forest that is home to three groups…
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Antananarivo
This beautiful 19th-century manor was an official French residence for many years. It became the Malagasy presidential palace in 1975 and remained so…
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Madagascar
Once the grand dame of Antsirabe, the exterior of this landmark hotel is still gorgeous and a sight in its own right. Sadly, the interiors have been…
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Nosy Be
The gorgeous Nosy Iranja, southwest of Nosy Be, consists of two islands: larger, inhabited Nosy Iranja Be (about 2 sq km) and tiny Nosy Iranja Kely (0.13…
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Madagascar
Zebu horn is a versatile – and beautiful – material, which artisans at this family-owned workshop turn into numerous objects, from jewellery to salad…
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Western Madagascar
Providing inspiration for many a Malagasy wood sculptor, these two A grandidieri baobabs have twisted themselves into a perfect embrace, earning them the…
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Antananarivo
Lake Alarobia may be located at the heart of Antananarivo's industrial area, but it is a vital refuge and nesting site for 14 threatened endemic bird…
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Nosy Be
On the coast beyond tiny Mahatsinjo village, there's an enormous sacred banyan tree planted by the Queen of the Sakalava tribe in 1836. Nowadays, the…
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Western Madagascar
Ankarafantsika (130,026 hectares) is the last strand of dry western deciduous forest in Madagascar. Its excellent wildlife viewing and hiking…
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Nosy Be
Far and away Nosy Be’s best beach, Andilana, at the island’s northwest tip, is a long stretch of pearly white sand, with water that’s true azure and clear…
