Antananarivo is quite a mouthful but also a delightful city. Madagascar’s capital is full of beautiful French-era buildings and when the jacarandas are in bloom the streets are bursting with colour and excitement. Stay in a boutique hotel in the city centre, set in an old colonial building.
You fly north to Antsiranana, which has the second largest bay in the world. The idyllic beaches stretch for miles and miles. The turquoise waters hold fortifications from the French era. And as the sun sets, you find yourself walking along the magnificent red baobabs to end a perfect day of travel on the eaves of the Amber Mountain.
Lemurs, sacred waterfalls and lush vegetation are the protagonists of Amber Mountain National Park. The biodiversity is simply astounding as most of what you see can only be found in Madagascar… "unique" so liberally applied elsewhere, takes a new dimension in this mysterious island! As you make your way through the rainforest, surrounded by conspiracies of lemurs, you arrive at the Grand Cascade, a spectacular tropical waterfall.
Visit the Red Tsingy. Located right at the feet of tall canyons, these wondrous formations are made of sandstone, marl and limestone; the result of many millennia of slow erosion, nature trying its hand at stonecarving. The mystery of the Red Tsingy rests in the time they encapsulate, and how alien they are to anything else on Earth.
The landscape, as far as you can see, is simply a plateau. But as you reach a vantage point, you realise that something is amiss: the Earth suddenly breaks and rocky formations cascade into unknown depths: it is the Wall of Ankarana, one of the geological wonders of Madagascar. As you explore these curious karst formations, you discover many wonderful caves and subterranean rivers. The adventure is further punctuated by sightings of crowned lemur and, as is always the case in Madagascar, with lifeforms that are endemic and special.
Traverse some of the most fertile regions of Madagascar, and visit a cocoa plantation that is run as it was in the 19th Century. Through verdant and lush countryside, you arrive at enormous bays, practically uninhabited, where you board a speedboat and cross into the watery regions of Madagascar, across seas that are pristine and unexplored, and of such beauty you must see them with your own eyes to believe they exist.
Off the northeastern shores of Madagascar you can find some of the last paradises on Earth. The island of Nosy Ankao is a secluded haven, completely surrounded by nature. The only thing in sight is your luxurious villa, decorated with turquoise dyes that seem to melt into the sea and the sky. If you must, pinch yourself!
The possibilities are endless, and a whole array of wonder is at your disposal. Windsurfing, kayaking, diving, snorkelling… it is all within reach. Simply walk outside your villa and you will find a pristine beach, an empty sea, blue and green to satiate your curiosity, to satisfy your thirst for nature, purity, and beauty.
The gentle ocean breeze carries the scent of salt into your villa. With ease and confidence, you step outside to welcome another gorgeous summer day. You hop on your private boat and explore the surrounding desert islands... you explore at your leisure, walking along trails that quiver in the freshness of a green forest. Lemurs scurry all around you and colourful chameleons try to blend into the vegetation, only making it brighter and richer. As you reach the other side of the island… a surprise! A breakfast table has been set up for you: the most delicious and wholesome food you have ever tasted. How not to depart Nosy Ankao with a longing for heaven?
You hop on a helicopter and make your way back to Madagascar. The last couple of days have been like a dream, where green and blue splendour mingled to create something new and surprising. These oneiric shores will remain forever in your memory.
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