Hiking in Madagascar
Madagascar has a very good landscape that can be viewed from the airplanes before you set foot into the country. When you get to the country, the landscape provides you with enough possibilities of trekking and hiking which will be good for your health.
We can always arrange for you to go to the best hiking places in Madagascar and you get to enjoy these and much more as you tour the island. The breathtaking scenery in the country is one to die for and therefore you should not miss it.
There are not many places where you can enjoy your hike in Madagascar and most of them are in the different National parks that are located in the country. You must be wondering why most of the hiking trails are found in the national forest but this is because most of them are located on altitudes that allow some hiking to take place and these have different resting places in case you get too tired from the hikes. We have taken the liberty to introduce you to some of the best hiking areas on the island below:
Where To Go Hiking in Madagascar?
The highlands
The highlands are located south of Tana and it offers one of the best hiking places in the country. You will find the mountain of Ambondrombe here and there are specific hiking routes in the area which provide the perfect place for one to take a hike. There are also other projects that are that are found in the area and a route leading to the gold mines. The trek along the highlands normally take about two days for you to fully complete it.
The highlands are made up of different hills that are scattered all over the place and these can easily be accessed with the help of a tour guide. A visit to the Ambondrombe will have you take a hike through the villages and you will be able to see the different projects that the villagers have undertaken like the sewing. There is also a cave that you can hike to in the area and tombs and your hike will be worthwhile.
The Ankarana National Park Treks
The Ankarana national Park located in Diego Suarez in the northern part of the country. The Park is exclusively secluded and getting there will be a lot of work especially if you are hiking to the center of the park. As you hike up the park, you will find a campsite where you can easily rest after the long hike and due to its secluded location, you will be able to have all the privacy that you need and this part of the country can easily be accessed from the Diego Suarez.
The Andringita Mountains Hiking
The Andringita Mountains rise to a range of 2658 meters high and are one of the most frequented hiking places in Madagascar. It has very rocky steep routes that are not for the faint hearted but enjoyable. There are different routes that one can take and these are:
- The 15 kilometer route that is filled with rare palm trees and has a natural swimming pool along it and this is known as the Isahavato route
- The 18 kilometer route that is known as the Imaitso and you can enjoy birding and lemur trekking while on this route.
- The 6 kilometer route that has sacred caves and cascades and this is known as the Asaramantira route.
- The 13 kilometer route which is known as the Diavolana route and it is known to open to a landscape known as the lunar.
The decision of which route to use is entirely dependent on you as a person but just know that you will have fun on whichever route that you chose. The trekking to the summit will take about two days to be completed.
Trekking through Isalo national park
The Isalo National Park was established in 1962 and is located in the south western part of the country. The park is a home to many wild life and these include over 80 bird species most of which are endemic, fourteen nocturnal lemurs and over 500 species of plants found in the park. You will need an excellent guide to take you through the park while explaining about all that you will find.
The Isalo is not majorly known to have a lot of wild animals but there are other features that provide good scenery for the tourists especially the dense endemic plants that include the palms and elephant foots. There are several routes that are used to get into the park and some of these include:
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The Namaza circuit
This trail is one of the longest when it comes to trekking and it might cost extra money but you will enjoy the view when it comes to the caves and canyons that are found in the area and you should note that it is the most challenging and therefore is reserved for mostly those that are fit.
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The piscine naturelle
There is a natural cave found on this route and a beautiful waterfall that you can view as you trek through the park. It has a lot of canyons that are found there and these offer refreshments when one has finished the hike.
The trek will definitely be done on foot with an experienced tour guide and the cost will range between 20,000 Ar on foot minus the tour guide fees.
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The canyon des singes
This can loosely be translated as the canyon of monkeys and it is the most popularly used route. It is filled with foliage that is too thick to penetrate but the good thing about this is that you will be able to see the different lemurs jumping from one tree to another. During the trek, you will need a tour guide who will take you through the treks. Sometimes the tourists also want to use vans but these are a bit more expensive as compared to the foot trekking.
But with all above trek trails, the best to use is found in the southern part of the park and it is called the Masalo route and it is considered the best because it covers part of the largest part of the park and you get to see all the beautiful scenery.
The Bemaraha National park
This is found in a remote place in the western part of Madagascar and it comprises one of the oldest limestone pinnacles in the country. The best time for one to visit the park is during the dry season as you will be able to hike up the reefs comfortably without slipping as it is during the rainy season. There are also two canyons in the area that were formed due to the erosion that took place when the rains washed away the corals and shells that were left by the sea. These canyons provide the perfect routes for hiking especially in the morning and during the hike, you can also get a chance to go birding while at it.
The Marojejy National Park
The Marojejy National park is located in the North Eastern part of Madagascar in two towns that is Sambava and Andapa. Previously the park had a lot of hiking routes that lead into it but they were all sealed off and only one of them remained.
There are three camps that are situated along the route and they are all well equipped for one to rest after a long day while hiking and it also leads to the Manantenina village where you will be able to see and interact with hem and get to know more about the country and the legends surrounding the park. Most of the hiking here is mostly done during the dry season because the wet season I an extremely bad one due to the slippery trekking routes that are found in the park.
The Masoala peninsula National park
The Masoala peninsula National park stretches out to the ocean and can be accessed through a small town known Maroantsetra. The trek in this park is mostly done during the mornings and evenings since this is the only time that you will be able to see the lemur that roams around the park. You will have to trek through the forests, the marine reserves and to places like the Tampolo.
When you visit the Madagascan Island, you will be able to go hiking and trekking in the different parts of the country and you will also need to get somewhere to stay after the hike. There are great facilities that you will find in the close proximities of the different hike areas.
While hiking in Madagascar, you will also be able to go birding and see the different bird life that is in the country, view the wildlife that is located in the area as the only way to really view all this plus enjoy the beautiful scenery is by taking nature walks and treks around the country.
