Réserve Spéciale Ankarana

Northern Madagascar


This striking and undeveloped fantasy land is home to uniquely Malagasy sights: psychedelic fields of spiky tsingy (limestone pinnacle formations) next to dry forests. Running through and under the tsingy are hidden forest-filled canyons, an extensive cave system and subterranean rivers. The park is famed for its bat-filled grottoes steeped in legend and history, where the Antakarana (the predominant tribe in northern Madagascar) took refuge from the Merina (the traditional ruling elite from the highlands) during the 18th-century tribal wars.

Guides are compulsory, and the price varies depending on which circuit you do. If you need a porter, it costs Ar40,000 per day.