Month: August 2026

Returning to Morondava was strange, much too familiar. Just a handful of days ago, we had traveled northward on the same road filled with excitement and curiosity, we were on our way to find Kirindy and the limestone labyrinths of Bemaraha. After traveling hundreds of kilometers of corrugated dirt roads, crossing numerous rivers, and experiencing some of the most unique landscapes we had ever seen, the very same road was carrying us southward toward the coast.

Nothing had changed about the landscape, but our experiences had shaped completely the way we looked at everything surrounding us.

One Final Night Beneath the Baobabs

When approaching Morondava, the silhouettes of the baobab trees reappeared on the horizon, once again, and this time we had carefully timed our arrival to enjoy the evening at the very place our travels through Western Madagascar started, The Avenue of the Baobabs.

Late afternoon had arrived, and the intense light of day was fading into soft, warm tones. Families began to gather beneath the trees. Photographers were quietly searching for photo opportunities between massive tree trunks. Zebu carts were returning from nearby fields. Motorcycles kicked up clouds of red dust that hung in the air for miles in the soft evening light. In comparison to when we visited a few days prior, what initially seemed like a popular tourist attraction in Madagascar now felt like a normal part of everyday life.

The baobabs were never far from the people who lived close-by. Life went on all around them. Women carried large bundles of firewood easily perched atop their heads. Farmers led their zebus back to their homes before it got dark. Children played chasing each other between trees that were older than European cathedrals.

Perhaps that is why this area will always be remembered. It is not just a beautiful landscape. It is a living landscape.

As the sun slowly set below the horizon, the trunks turned color from light gray to deep orange and ultimately dark silhouette against a brightening western sky.

Nearly an hour of complete silence followed. Looking back, this was one of those places where photography eventually takes a backseat to mere observation, and you can’t help but enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

Leaving Morondava

The next morning we embarked upon one of the longest drives of the entire trip. Our destination was located hundreds of kilometres inland in Madagascar’s Central Highland Plateau.

Maps do not provide a true sense of what it means to travel across this massive country. Many times distances that seem reasonable may take an entire day driving. Average speeds remain unexpectedly slow due to constant attention being needed to watch for pot holes, poor roads, construction zones and people, zebu, bicycle, and taxi traffic sharing the same lane of travel. Distance becomes measured in terms of hours versus kilometres.

However, these extended periods of travel also show travelers a part of Madagascar that most visitors never see. Small roadside markets appeared constantly. Each market displayed various local produce including bananas, cassava, lychee fruits, charcoal and seasonal fruits laid out in neat piles. Every child encountered us as we drove past waved enthusiastically. Often children called out “bonjour” which faded quickly behind us as we disappeared into a cloud of dust.

Daily routines took place alongside every inch of the road. Clothes were washed by women in nearby streams as they used small bridges to cross over the waterways. Large herds of zebus roamed freely through rice fields. Colorful taxi-brousse vehicles loaded with passengers, luggage and/or animals seemingly defied every physical law in order to accommodate everyone inside.

Madagascar’s roads serve as transportation routes, but they are also where life takes place daily.

The Worst Travel Companion

No, it was not my wife. At that point though I was giving more thought to something besides her and scenic views. I had been feeling ill for several days now. And it wasn’t malaria, it was the cure for it.

Like many travelers to malaria-prone countries, I had taken anti-malarial medications for the duration of my trip, and since the very first pill, I had been feeling worse and worse.

Long drives were considerably less fun than they otherwise would have been.Bouncing down bad roads for hours can be unpleasant enough even without stomach pain, but that was misery.

Fortunately though Rado didn’t seem bothered by either of us stopping every hour or so, as he continued to smile and wait patiently until it was safe to proceed. After traveling together for a week, minor annoyances such as ours were nothing more than another aspect of our journey.

These are some of the aspects that create lasting impressions regarding our trips, both the amazing landscapes we encounter and the more mundane events that remind us how unpredictable long journeys can be.

Back Into The Highlands

Slowly though, our surroundings began to change yet again. Western Madagascar’s dry deciduous forests gradually disappeared as we headed east and entered rolling hills, rice paddies and cooler weather as we ascended into Madagascar’s Central Highland Plateau.

The transformation occurred quite suddenly. Eucalyptus groves replaced baobab trees. Rice terraced hillsides once again dominated the view while brick buildings became more common than wood frame structures characteristic of western Madagascar. We essentially felt as if we were entering a different country.

Madagascar’s incredible biological diversity was one of the dominant themes of our journey so far. In less than two weeks, we had moved from tropical rainforests to dry forests, traversed extensive river plains, discovered limestone karst formations and now found ourselves again among volcanic plateaus developed by farming rather than aridity. Very few islands pack such dramatically varied ecosystems within such limited space.

Fire Lakes & Legends

On our last couple of nights before heading off to Ranomafana National Park, we made two final visits in the vicinity of Antsirabe. First we visited Lake Tritriva, possibly Madagascar’s most well-known volcanic caldera lake.

Tucked away amidst pine trees and towering volcanic walls stands a deep blue body of water whose ambiance differs greatly from the broad rivers and vast expanses of barren plains we had just exited behind us. The history of Lake Tritriva includes a tale told by local traditions, two young lovers who couldn’t get married because of their families, and chose to throw themselves into the lake together rather than be separated. The two lovers allegedly became two trees standing side by side on opposite sides of the lake and have remained joined forever in their love for each other.

Today Lake Tritriva is considered still a sacred location. People continue to leave offerings on portions of its shores, there is even zebu sacrifices still. Certain areas continue to hold spiritual value for nearby residents. It is easy to see why this environment has inspired tales for generations whether or not one believes in the legend.

Not far from Lake Tritriva lies Lake Andraikiba. Its ambiance is worlds apart from Lake Tritriva though. Children playfully leaped into the water as families enjoyed the afternoon along its shorelines. Couples strolled hand-in-hand along its lakefront road while vendors sold snacks under eucalyptus trees providing welcome shade.

Together these two lakes exemplify another facet of Madagascar, one shaped by culture, tradition and quiet rhythms of daily life in Madagascar’s central highlands.

Later that evening we returned to Antsirabe for our last night before moving south. It was a very cold night, which gave us a huge relief from western Madagascar’s heat for the first time in many days. It was great to smell damp earth instead of dust for once. Early morning we would head south toward the escarpment dividing Madagascar’s highland plateaus from its eastern rainforests.

Ranomafana waited ahead of us.