Madagascar is a unique large island off the south east coast of Africa. Very different than the African continent, this island is home to 5% of all known animal and plant species in the world. Of course we all know the lemur, which is one of the many wonderful animals in this country, but also the incredible Baobab tree – the famous avenue of these stunning huge trees can be found here. Home to so much biodiversity, Madagascar is unique and worth visiting. Climate change threatens much of the flora and fauna, tourism might just be a force for the good in highlighting the beauty of nature.
Hugely diverse in terrain and biodiversity, Madagascar is unique. The centre is characterised by highlands, the east coast is covered in rainforest, the west is open savannah and the southern tip is semi–desert. Surrounded by 5000 KM of coastline, the turquoise sea is never far. With many endemic species, Madagascar is a fascinating place.
One of the world’s last undiscovered corners, Madagascar, with unique flora and fauna and hugely diverse terrain, is like nowhere else on earth. Situated in the Indian Ocean off the coast of southern Africa, Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island and widely thought of as the ‘Eighth Continent’. Having broken free of the African mainland around 165 million years ago, it is understandably culturally and geographically very different, having evolved independently with influences from as far afield as India and Malaysia.
Madagascar is a dream destination for outdoors enthusiasts. Tourism is pretty much in its children shoes and therefore most destinations are hard to get to, so you must have a lot of patience, but the reward of seeing all this beauty is very worth it. Much of Madagascar’s incredible flora and fauna is unique to the island with over 80% of the wildlife species found there being endemic including, lemurs, chameleons and a huge variety of butterflies. These species mean that several of Madagascar’s national parks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The diverse cultures in Madagascar and the range of flora and fauna make a visit to this island a unique experience, which will be rewarding for those with an adventurous spirit.
The rainy season in Madagascar officially runs from mid-December to early March. There is also a chance of cyclones in that period. That is especially in the east of the country. From mid-March the rains stop and the central highlands get a beautiful fresh green color. The rice terraces are packed and this patchwork of fifty shades of green is a feast for the eyes. During the period just after the rainy season, from mid-March to the end of June, the endless blue sky was laminated with white sheep clouds, which, in contrast to the green hills and valleys, produced very photogenic images. For many, this is the best time to travel to Madagascar! A timeline can be seen in the overview below. The greener the box is by the month, the better it is to travel to this country in that period.
