Saturday Plans - MG Family Trip - Days 1-4

Not too much new to report on the Martin girls. I'm trying to take them to the market today....which is always an experience... They are suffering through the effects of jet lag...but they're on holiday so they can sleep as they wish. I think by the time we leave on Saturday, they'll be fine.

The first part of our trip focuses Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park.

We start at in Toamasina (a.k.a Tamatave), fly to Tana (a.k.a Antananarivo), then fly to Morondava. Because of flight connections, we leave VERY early and we spend four our five hours in Tana. There's lots to do there if we get our act together and get a driver...

After we arrive in Morondava, we'll drive to Bemaraha National Park and Nature Reserve, where we'll spend roughly three days.

"The spectacular mineral forest of Tsingy de Bemaraha stands on the western coast of Madagascar. Tsingy is the Malagasy word for “walking on tiptoes” and the nearly impenetrable labyrinth of limestone needles justifies this name. The whole protected area, designated a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1990, comprises a surface of 1.575 km². This remote area was not a tourist trek until 1998, when the southern part (723 km²) was declared a National Park. The northern section is an Integral Reserve so tourists are not allowed to enter the zone. The reserve’s canyons, gorges, undisturbed forests, lakes and mangrove swamps display an astonishing richness of fauna and flora which have not been completely recorded. The rate of ed endemism is about 85%, and 47% are even local endemic!

The limestone seabed rose to create a plateau around 200 million years ago, which was little by little eroded by heavy rainfalls until it became its actual shape. This massif is delimited to the east by the abrupt Bemaraha Cliffs, which rises some 300 to 400m above the Manambolo River valley and extends several tens of kilometres from north to south. The western slopes of the massif rise more gently, and the whole western region of the reserve forms a plateau with rounded hillocks which slope away to the west. To the north undulating hills alternate with limestone extrusions, while in the south extensive pinnacle formations make access extremely restricted. In the south of Petit Tsingy is the spectacular Manambolo Gorge where you can see waterfalls, lemurs and magnificent untouched forests. Despite the inaccessibility of the area, this park is more and more part of tour operator programs.

Visitors can spot 11 lemur species, including for Decken's sifaka, red-fronted brown lemur, fat-tailed dwarf lemur, grey mouse lemur or the Cleese's woolly lemur and the Sambirano lesser bamboo lemur, which only occur here. Other resident mammals are the small carnivorous falanouc and ring-tailed mongoose, and several bats.
More than 100 bird species have been catalogued at present inside the National Park, including the critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle and crested ibis, Madagascar wood-rail, giant coua or Coquerel´s coua.
The 45 reptiles and amphibians which are found here are all endemic. Some significant species which only occur in Bemaraha are the Madagascar iguana, a local endemic long-tailed skunk and the Antsingy leaf chameleon.

Generally most visitors coming to the park usually stay over three nights to explore this unique and amazing place. A recommended plan would be:

Day 1:

• Petit tsingy: this circuit of 4-5 hours of duration passes through a labyrinth of limestones and two view points over the impressive pinnacles. There are some good chances to spot the Decken’s sifaka and red-fronted brown lemurs.

• Manambolo gorge: It is a canoe trip along the gorge combined with an easier path through caves, stalactites, stalagmites and the famous family tomb of the Vazimba tribe.

Day 2

• The big Tsingy: This is probably the most rewarding half-day trip within the park as it goes deep into the limestone forest passing through several hanging bridges with the impressive karstic formations below your feet. The trail is not technically difficult and even children can cope with it, but you certainly should not suffer from vertigo! The look down from the hanging bridge is something to avoid for the easily fainted.

The Park is only opened during the dry season from April to November, since it is inaccessible during the rainy season (mid-end November to mid-end May). The Grand Tsingy are only accessible between June and the beginning of November.

The access to Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is indeed quite tough. If you are travelling by car, follow the road RN8 from Morondava until Belo-sur-Tsiribihina and once you have managed to cross the river (this can take longer than expected!) continue northwards along a bad secondary road until the village of Bekopaka where the Park entrance is. If you are really lucky you can manage the transfer in one day.

And do not forget: whenever you are in the park pointing with the finger is a serious taboo!"
Source

Well, we hope to be lucky because we ARE doing the transfer in one day...Edited: I found out that we are staying outside the park the first night and driving 5 hours the second day to the park. It is serious business about the taboo! They vary from region to region and are called "fady". I'm certain that the locals are used to foreigners, but it's nice to know what we should/shouldn't do. After these few days we'll be taking a rest day in Morondava, which is a freaking amazing place. I'll save that for another post. Happy 4th of July to all my American friends!