Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INFORMATION
Be forewarned: there are currently no banks or ATMs in Ranomafana. The nearest banks
are 1½ hours away in either Fianarantsoa or Mananjary. Credit cards are not accepted any-
where.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Taxis-brousses go daily from Ranomafana to Fianarantsoa (Ar5000, 1½ hours) and Mana-
kara or Mananjary (Ar15,000, five hours). Taxi-brousses to Fianarantsoa stop at the park
entrance between 7.30am and noon. Taxis-brousses from Manakara usually arrive in Ran-
omafana around 9pm or 10pm. When arriving, let the driver know if you want to get off at
the park entrance or in the nearby village.
To get to the park from your hotel: if you don't have a private car, some hotels will drive
you, or arrange a ride for about Ar5000. There's lots of traffic on the road so hitching is
also a realistic option.
WILD EXPECTATIONS
Many first-time visitors naturally associate Madagascar with two things -
Africa and wildlife - leading to visions either of East African game parks, or of
zoo-like rainforests. The reality is quite different. First, there are no plains full
of roaming beasts here. In fact, there are no wild animals larger than a small
dog. Outside the parks the most common impression is of the
absence
of wild-
life. One can drive for days through the spiny forest in the south, for example,
and see virtually nothing but a few domesticated zebu. Likewise, along the lush
wetlands of the Canal des Pangalanes there are hardly any birds. There are
many reasons for this, beginning with the impact of hunting and deforestation,
which has decimated animal populations. But even the great biological diversity
in the forests is not always obvious. Some animals are nocturnal, or shy of hu-
mans, or simply rare. The broad-nosed gentle lemur, for example, was thought
to be extinct until it was rediscovered in Ranomafana in 1972. It was observed
again in the late 1980s and is only occasionally seen today. Many fascinating
animals, such as the world's smallest chameleon, are simply tiny. And rainforest
is, by its very nature, a fairly effective shield for its inhabitants. So when seek-
ing out this country's wildlife, it is best to adjust your focus to a smaller scale,
look carefully around you, be patient, and hire a good guide. It can be challen-
