Day 1 & 2: Arrival in the Lost Continent

Surrounded by the Indian ocean, 250 miles off the Southeastern coast of Africa lies the island nation of Madagascar. The 4th largest island in the world, often referred to as the “lost continent” or the “8th continent” due to its isolated evolutionary history. The island is 144 million acres, about the size of Texas and is home to many endemic species such as over 100 species of lemur and around 12,000 species of endemic plants. Due to the countries geographical isolation from mainland Africa, the animals and vegetation differ vastly from the continent. The island was inhabited around 1300 years ago and today 18 ethnic groups co-exist, the population comprising of descendants of settlers from Borneo, South-East Asia, the Middle East and East Africa. The common language is Malagasy although French is spoken within larger towns, due to its history as a French colony. Malagsy is most closely related to the language spoken in Southeast Borneo rather than the Bantu languages spoken on the Eastern coast of Africa. After a long journey from Heathrow, I finally landed in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar and the setting for the beginning of my next adventure.

Due to the sheer size of the country and the poor road conditions, it is very difficult to see the whole island unless you are here for over a month so my trip will focus on the central and Southern parts of Madagascar, visiting National parks and local communities. Antananarivo airport is small and chaotic, but I instantly felt welcome as the man on the passport control desk processed my visa and stamped my passport with a beaming smile, simply asking me if I was here to meet the lemurs. The hotel I was staying at was a short 15-minute transfer from the airport on the outskirts of the capital city. Antananarivo, locally referred to as Tana, was founded in the 17th century and is built on a narrow rocky ridge of the high plateau in the centre of the island. I would return here for exploration at the end of my trip so decided to use my free time to relax and recover from the long journey before meeting my group and guide for an evening briefing.

After a restful nap, I met my group of 8 travellers (mostly Brits, with one Aussie) and my guide Hery. Hery used a map to explain the route we’d be taking through the country; he warned us of the poor conditions on the roads, early starts and late finishes due to the length of time the travel would take between the National Parks. Following this we ate dinner which consisted of a bean and zebu meat casserole with rice before heading to bed before the first stretch of the journey.

The next day involved a 9 hour drive South from Antananarivo to Ambositra across the highland region of the island. Although the drive was long on a potholed lined road, the scenery helped pass the time. The land is dominated with rice paddies, terraced land and small red clay houses with thatched roofs. Locals worked in the fields assisted by zebu cattle that they use to tread down the ground to make it more even. Ambositra is a peaceful and charming town with scenery typical of the highlands and is the capital of the Betsileo people of Madagascar, known for their wood carving and craft production. Locals gathered in a small arena as loud cheers and upbeat African music echoed down the streets as the people attended a Savika, which is essentially their equivalent of Spanish bullfighting. Savika is used to demonstrate the courage of young men, proving that they have the ability to protect their families and provide for their community and is considered a rite of passage. As zebu cattle are highly respected in the area, the aim is not to injure or kill the animal but simply hold onto the hump of the zebu for as long as possible while avoiding its horns and kicks. Locals proudly tell tales of their zebu encounters, displaying their wounds and scars as symbols of their resilience. The event seems to be a cornerstone of the cultural identity of the Betsileo people, and they wear traditional colourful clothing to attend the event. The excitement was clear as the locals laughed and smiled as they spilled out of the arena onto the narrow streets.

Everyone was tired after the long drive so rested for a while before Hery took us to a local community centre where we were given a traditional dinner of rice, vegetables and zebu meat along with platters of fresh pineapple and papaya. There were large jugs of a cloudy drink which I assumed was some sort of local lemonade and took a large gulp, and my face must have been very transparent upon swallowing it that it wasn’t to my taste. Hery explained to me that it is tradition to drink the water that the rice has been boiled in as it provides extra starch and aids digestion but agreed it did have an acquired taste. After dinner a group of local people performed traditional Madagasy songs from this region, using handmade guitars and drums and wooden stick props to dance with.

Despite the sheer volume of travelling on these first days I was happy that I’d already had the opportunity to see some of the local culture in the area but was definitely looking forward to finally reaching the first National Park to begin hiking as my feet were beginning to get itchy from all the sitting on transport.