Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Camions-brousses
These huge, 4WD army-style trucks go to Bekopaka (for Parc National des Tsingy de Be-
maraha) every few days in the dry season (May to October). The trip (Ar20,000) takes any-
thing from 10 to 24 hours and is extremely rough.
Parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha
Parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and its highlights
are the jagged, limestone pinnacles known as
tsingy
and the impressive infrastructure -
via
ferrata
(mountain route equipped with fixed cables, stemples, ladders and bridges), rope
bridges, walkways - that the park has put in place to explore them. Formed over centuries
by the movement of wind and water, and often towering several hundred metres into the
air, the serrated peaks would definitely look at home in a Dalí painting.
Park visitors will stay at the small village of
Bekopaka
, at the entrance of the gorges of
the Manambolo River. It is a ramshackle collection of huts with bright green paddy fields
stretching under immense skies.
Park Fees & Guides
Guides
(Ar12,000-40,000 for up to five people) are compulsory. They must be booked at
the
MNP Office
( 034 49 401 30;
www.parcs-madagascar.com
; 6-11am & 1-4pm)
at the entrance of Bekopaka, where you must also pay your
park fees
(per 1/2/3/4 days
Ar25,000/37,000/40,000/50,000) and pick up your harness if applicable. Most guides now
speak English and Italian.
Toptip:duringpeakseason(JulyandAugust),therearenotenoughguidesandharnesses
so arrange everything the day before to avoid disappointment. This also allows you to de-
part around 5am and avoid the human jams along the
via ferrata
(seriously).
ACTIVITIES
Much of the walking in the
tsingy
area of the park is pretty strenuous - gaps between the
rocks are very narrow, bridges are high and the caves under the pinnacles are cramped and
dark. Anyone with a low level of fitness or vertigo might find exploring the
tsingy
challen-
ging, particularly the Grands Tsingy where hauling, squeezing, crawling and pulling are all
part of the fun. It is worth noting that visitors of stout build may not be able to go through
the tight passages inside the caves - the guides know the trails inside out and will let you
know if they foresee a problem. They have also developed an arsenal of tricks to coax even
the most vertigo-struck trekkers across the rope bridges.
The
Petits Tsingy
, near Bekopaka, is the most accessible section of the park. There are
seven hiking circuits in this area, ranging from an easy 1½-hour walk with walkways and
