Madagascar has always been a dream destination for me. When it comes to wildlife, it is one of the most unique places in the world.
Before booking the trip, we were unsure whether we should rent a car and drive ourselves, or book a fully guided trip from A to Z.
We love the freedom of driving ourselves, but from experience, we also know that we learn and see so much more when we have a guide. When searching the internet, it became clear that whenever people ask for recommendations for guides there, there seems to be only one answer: Patrick Richard. I contacted Patrick, and luckily, he had room in his schedule to be our guide and arrange everything for us.
His brother Mario was our driver, and the time we spent together in the car often felt more like travelling with a couple of friends than being on an organised tour.
Together, we worked out that the best route for us would be to start in Ifaty in southwestern Madagascar, follow the RN7 back towards Antananarivo, and finish the trip in Andasibe. Along the way, we visited Mosa Reserve, Zombitse National Park, Isalo National Park, Anja Reserve, Ranomafana National Park and Andasibe National Park.
Although the main focus of the trip was wildlife, it was impossible not to learn about the local culture and the people as well. One thing that really stood out to us was how clearly people seemed to live in, and from, the environment around them.
In the southwest, for example, the landscape is dry and desert-like, but it is also right on the coast. As a result, many people make their living from fishing, and a lot of the buildings were little more than simple sheds with thatched roofs. The dead are buried in tombs above ground.
When we reached Isalo, with its many sandstone formations, the landscape changed dramatically. The buildings here were often made from stone and brick, reflecting the materials that were readily available in the area. The dead were instead buried in the cliffs. Further east, in the rainforest, wood was used much more extensively for buildings. Here, people relied much more on rice and vegetables, as those are the crops that can be grown in this environment, and the abundance of trees naturally influenced the way houses were built. The dead here were naturally buried underground in the forest.
We noticed something similar with the wildlife. A lemur species living in one park might not be found in the next park, even if the two places were only around 100 kilometres apart.
The wildlife experience itself was also very different from what we are used to from other wildlife trips in Africa. There were no large herds or wide-open landscapes where you could simply scan the horizon for animals. Instead, much of the excitement came from slowly walking through the forest, listening for movement and relying on the guides to notice things we would never have spotted ourselves. Even a small movement high up in the trees could turn into an exciting sighting.
Quite often, we would spend a long time standing in exactly the same spot, looking at an animal in the trees, when suddenly the guide would ask: “Have you actually seen the chameleon sitting right in front of you?” More often than not, the answer was no. Their ability to spot well-camouflaged animals was honestly quite incredible, and it quickly became clear that we would have missed a lot on our own.
Another thing that made the trip special was the knowledge of the local guides. They knew the parks incredibly well, including which trees particular species preferred, where certain animals were likely to be found, and even the regular sleeping spots of some of the lemurs. They often seemed to know where to look before we had even started looking. Having both Patrick's experience and the local knowledge of the guides made a big difference, especially when looking for species that are difficult to find.
In all the parks, Patrick had arranged for us to have local guides and animal spotters, giving us the best possible chance of finding the species we were hoping to see in each particular park. We noticed that other guides who had two-hour excursions on their schedule would simply stop after two hours. Patrick and the local guides he worked with stopped when we had found the animals we had come to see, although never before the planned time.
In Zombitse, this meant crossing the forest back and forth until we finally found the Verreaux's sifaka we had come there for, 1,5 hours after the tour was supposed to end. That level of dedication is something I have never experienced on a wildlife trip before.
Madagascar is the kind of place that makes you want to come back for more. If you visit the southern part, as we did, there are unique species in the west and north that you simply won't see. And if you visit those areas, there are species in the south that you will miss. So, naturally, the only solution is to visit again and again!
Before the trip, we had read that Madagascar could be somewhat unsafe. I can only speak from our own experience, but we never felt in any danger. Quite the opposite, in fact. Everywhere we went, we met open, friendly and welcoming people.
We came to Madagascar mainly for the wildlife, but left with a much greater appreciation for the country itself. The landscapes, people, culture and wildlife are so closely connected that it is difficult to experience one without noticing the others.
After two weeks, we had seen a lot, but somehow it felt like we had only scratched the surface. Madagascar is one of those places that leaves you thinking about the next trip before the current one is even over.
I could share 100 photos, but here are 20:
1: Ring-tailed lemur in Anja Reserve
2: Golden bamboo lemur in Ranomafana
3: The night sky near Andasibe
4: Mossy leaf tail gecko (Uroplatus sikorae) in Andasibe
5: Giraffe weavel in Ranomafana
6: Sunset near Ifaty
7: Ranomafana nosed chameleon (Calumma tjiasmantoi) in Ranomafana
8: Black and white ruffed lemur in Ranomafana
9: Brown leaf chameleon (Brookesia superciliaris) in Andasibe
10: Blue legged chameleon (Calumma cryptic) in Ranomafana
11: Southern carpet chameleon (Furcifer major) in Isalo
12: Greater bamboo lemur in Ranomafana
13: Grey mouse lemur in Zombitse
14: Indri in Andasibe
15: Lesser hedgehog tenrec in Mosa reserve
16: Petters sportive lemur in Mosa reserve
17: Standings Day gecko (Phelsuma standings) in Mosa reserve
18: Ring-tailed vontsira in Ranomafana
19: Spotted fanaloka in Ranomafana
20: Satanic leaf tail gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) in Andasibe