Madagascar : the famous Tsingy, a Black & white ruffed lemur, a Baobab A. grandidieri

For nature lovers and for hiking lovers
Madagascar is a wonderland of opportunity

Let's talk immediately about the essentials :
Why to come in Madagascar to visit it ? I give you just few reasons for that : You will find only in Madagascar :

Why to come in Madagascar to visit it ?
Another excellent reason : I am a professional Tour Guide and Tour Organizer in my country Madagascar since ... 1993, that means with more than 30 years of experiences ; to give you memorable souvenirs and entire satisfaction. I know ALL the items that I've talked you above and below ( the Baobabs, the Lemurs, the Tsingy, Makay massif, etc. ). To give you a proof for that ( a virtual proof first, before to give you a real proof when you will come to discover the country ), below are some articles if you want more details ; some articles with many pictures. Thank you to click on the article to find the information about that. And pleased to meet you and to guide you next time, thank you very much for your trust :-)

The Baobabs ( there are 8 species of Baobab in the world, we have 6 endemic species in Madagascar plus the african species ) - The Lemurs ( only two countries have lemurs in the wild : Comoros and Madagascar, but we have more than 110 endemic species that means ALL the species in the world ) - Unique landscapes such as The Tsingy NP, Makay massif and The Pangalanes Canal - Wonderful Beaches such as Anakao fishermen village, Sainte Marie island and Nosy Be island - Very dense forest such as Masoala National Park tropical evergreen rainforest ( but I'm sorry, this last one is an article in french ). I am too a Birdwatching Malagasy Tour Guide.

Once again :
pleased to meet you and to guide you, thank you very much for your trust and all the best to you.

It will be a great pleasure for me to organize for you ( with your children or just for you ) a wonderful trip for you in Madagascar, my country. Tour Guide & Tour Organizer since ... 1993, I will give you useful advice with my more than 28 years of experiences through all Madagascar's National Parks and Reserves and through all Madagascar areas. To provide you all kind of travel arrangements. Please feel free to contact me for a customized itinerary ( for individual tours, for groups, for essential road trips, for treks and adventurous trips, for specialized trips such as birdwatching ; at luxury hotels, or at moderate hotels, or at tents in bivouac ). To prove my sincerity these are below some tourists testimonies,

Madagascar : the famous Tsingy, a Black & white ruffed lemur, a Baobab A. Grandidieri

• Madagascar, the Flora
• Madagascar, the Fauna

Below you can admire some pictures © of Madagascar's Fauna and Flora
To show you what kind of animals you can observe in a trip in Madagascar
Looking forward to see you and to guide you soon, all best to you

Andavadoaka - on the picture : Ravo
West coast of Madagascar :
Pierrette, Jenny, Ravo

About the different habitats in Madagascar. There are 7 types of habitats :

1- Eastern Madagascar evergreen humid rainforest :

With 3 categories :
a- Lowland rainforest : below 600 m, where trees are often very tall ( up to 50 m ) and epiphytes ( especially ferns & orchids ) are very abundant. You can find : Scaly Ground-roller, Bernier's & Helmet Vangas, Red-tailed Newtonia, Red-breasted Coua, etc. This area includes Masoala Peninsula National Park.
b- Mid-altitude forest : between 600 to 1600 m, where trees become smaller ( 20 - 30 m ), epiphytes & Pandanus trees always abundant. You can find : Cryptic Warbler, Rand's Warbler, Grey-crowned Greenbul, Rufous-headed Ground-roller, Crossley's Babbler, Madagascar Magpie-Robin, Common Jeries, Hook-billed & White-headed Vangas, etc. This area includes Mantadia National Park & Andasibe Special Reserve, Ranomafana National Park and Amber Mountain National Park.
a- Montane forest : above 1600 m, where canopy is rarely more than 7 m and with very heavy moss growth, where bamboo, palms & tree-ferns are locally common.

2- Western Madagascar deciduous forest :

Occurs on sandy, calcareous or lateritic soils over the entire west of Madagascar. Canopy at between 8 to 20 m, always many epiphytes ( orchids & lianas ). You will find there a lot of bottle-trunked trees, the best known being the baobabs. Kind of birds : Red-capped , Coquerel's & Giant Coua, Van Dam's Vanga, White-breasted Mesite, Sakalava Weaver, Appert's Greenbul, etc. This area includes Kirindy Forest, Zombitse-Vohibiasa National Park.

3- Southern Madagascar dry spiny forest :

Is particular with its cactus-like trees : the endemic Didieraceae family ( Didiera sp. & Alluaudia sp. ). A 5 - 15 m high forest where you can find Running & Verreaux's Coua, Subdesert Brush-Warbler, Subdesert Mesite, Littoral Rock Thrush, Red-shouldered Vanga, Long-tailed Ground-roller, etc. Example : Berenty Private Reserve.

4- Madagascar coastal habitats :

The west coast is much richer and more diverse than the east one ; with vast mangroves, saltpans, sandy beaches, sandbars, estuaries & offshore islands, both rocky & sandy. Sometimes with coral reef islands with breeding seabirds, example a colony of Red-tailed Tropicbirds on Nosy Ve near Anakao-Toliara. You can find in interesting estuaries ( such as Mahavavy, Betsiboka, Belo sur Tsiribihina ) migrant Crab Plovers, wintering Palearctic waders, Curlew Sandpiper, Greater Sand Plover, Madagascar white Ibis, Sacred Ibis, Madagascar Teal, etc. You can find too in some islands ( such as Nosy Be, Nosy Mitsio ) Common & Lesser Noddies, Roseate Terns, Greater & Lesser Frigatebirds, Crested & Sooty Terns ; and large populations of Flamingos & migrant waders in some lakes & estuaries.

5- Eastern Madagascar wetlands :

Occur in the form of lakes, rivers & marshes. Examples Alaotra lake ( the biggest lake in Madagascar ), Pangalanes canal, Vohiparara marshes near Ranomafana National Park, Torotorofotsy & Didy marshes. There are there colonies of African Spoonbills, species of Heron, Yellow-billed Storks. And near rivers : Meller's Ducks, Madagascar Rail, Grey Emutail, etc. The vegetation is often up to 3 m tall.

6- Western Madagascar wetlands :

Occur too as lakes, rivers & marshes, but include the banks and waters of the larger rivers ( Betsiboka, Tsiribihina, Mahavavy ), the salt lake of Tsimanampetsotsa & Ihotry. Several species of waterbird are found nowhere else but in these wetlands, such as the Sakalava Rail, Madagascar Teal, Great-billed & Humblot's Herons.

7- Madagascar savannas :

Are dominated by alien grass, with vast areas of sterile landscape colonised by fire-resistant native trees such as the endemic palm Bismarckia nobilis & the Tapia tree Uapaca bojeri ( near Isalo National Park & Fianarantsoa ). The most frequent birds that you can find are Madagascar Cisticola, Madagascar Bush Lark, Madagascar Partridge, Hoopoe, Sandgrouse, Buttonquail, Namaqua Dove & Helmeted Guineafowl. Stripe-throated Jery too is very common.

Madagascar, the People :

Humans have come from Malaysia, Polynesia & Africa and they, themselves, evolved into many different cultures. After the Malay-Polynesians have come new arrivals ( African slaves, Arab, Portuguese traders & French colonials ), they have formed the 18 official tribes which inhabit the island today. The Afro-Asian origin of the Malagasy has produced a people who practice fascinating customs. Each tribe has its own territory, customs & traditions. The most common language is Malagasy, of which there are several dialects. No one who visits the island is left unaffected by the warmth & hospitality of the Malagasy people.

If you are the sort of traveller who craves something different and isn't put off by a bit of discomfort, Madagascar is for you.