The journey from the small town of Morondava north into the wilderness towards Bemaraha National Park and the Tsingy is a real adventure, and the highlight of a trip to Madagascar.
You crawl along some of the worst roads in the country – sometimes in the world – cross wide tropical rivers on small ferries, and slowly make your way deeper and deeper into one of the least developed and most remote parts of Africa. Along the way you see the famous baobabs, remote villages, and some of the best places in Madagascar to see lemurs. And at the end of it all, you reach the extraordinary Tsingy – vast forests of sharp limestone pinnacles and a UNESCO World Heritage site that looks like nowhere else on Earth.
This is not easy travel. Transport takes forever, plans change, you are heavily reliant on local guides, and there is often no WiFi, limited electricity and very little sense of control over the schedule. It really does feel like stepping back in time.
But that’s exactly what makes it so good. This is proper adventure travel. If you are willing to put up with the discomfort and the long days of travel, this is 100% worth it and is, in my view, the best and most memorable part of Madagascar.
Need to do a bit of prep before you go, so I’ve listed out key tips in the section below.
