Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE PANGALANES CANAL
The Canal des Pangalanes is one of the quiet wonders of Madagascar, a collec-
tion of natural and artificial waterways that stretches over 645km along the east
coast from Foulpointe to Farafangana. It was constructed between 1896 and
1904, during the French colonial period, in an effort to create a safe passage for
cargo boats to Tamatave; one look at the waves on the nearby Indian Ocean ex-
plains why. Since then the navigability of the canal has ebbed and flowed like
the tide. After WWII the canal was expanded and 30-ton barges could travel the
160km from Tamatave to Vatomandry. After a long period of silting in, renova-
tions began in the 1980s, including a new barge network. Today the canal is
slipping backwards again. Sections north of Tamatave, between Vatomandry
and Mahanoro, and south of Mananjary have grown in. The remains of the old
barge network are rotting by the pier in Tamatave. During research we had to
get out of the boat in order to push it over a growing
pangalane
(sill) between
Lac Rasobe and Lac Rasoamasay, even though the boat only drew a few inches
of water. It all makes one wonder: could the depth of the canal be an economic
barometer for Madagascar?
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Andranokoditra & Vohibola
VILLAGE
(MATE; 22 674 90 in Antananarivo ;
www.madagascar-environnement.com
;
circuit
Ar18,000) The NGO Man & the Environment has basically turned the local village,
Andranokoditra, into a tourist-friendly destination, with such improvements as signage to
various points of interest (like an essential oils distillery) and a small market for local jew-
ellery. Some of this certainly detracts from the authenticity of the experience, but at the
same time it's done as well as possible, and definitely helps the local economy: you will
run into a lot of visitors here.
The village is also the centre for tours into
Vohibola
, one of the last remaining pieces of
littoral forest in the country, which contains a nursery. There are two hiking trails, the Dis-
covery Trail, a half day immersion in forest conservation, and the Wetlands trail, a 2½-hour
tour that includes a pirogue journey. Visits (and accommodation) are arranged through the
MATE office near the entrance to the village.
Palmarium Reserve
PARK
( 033 14 847 34; admission Ar13,000; dawn-night) This private reserve next to Pal-
marium Hotel is a great place to test your inner guide. There are 50 hectares of dense forest
