Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
local politicians were quick to point out that since Malagasy women had always been
exempt from taxation, the same rule should apply to cows!
The reserve covers 8ha and is home to about 300 ring-tails. Given the health problems
affectingthelemursofBerenty(see
ClickHere
)thisparkprovidesaworthwhilealternative
for tourists wanting a lemur fix and to benefit the local people. It costs 7,000Ar to visit the
park, where you are provided with a guide (8,000Ar for two people). The well-maintained
short trail winds past some impressive rocks, topped by waiting lemurs, to a sacred cliff
where there is an apparently inaccessible tomb high in the rock face. The tour takes one
to two hours. A longer circuit incorporating several stunning viewpoints can take up to six
hours. There is a simple campsite at the trailhead.
MosthotelsandtouroperatorsinAmbalavaoandFianarcanhelporganiseavisittoAnja
Park.
AMBOHIMAHAMASINA
Some 40km southeast of Ambalavao, Ambohimahamasina is home to Madagascar's most
sacred mountain: Ambondrombe. A community ecotourism project, FIZAM, has set up a
network of trails and homestays in the area, giving travellers an opportunity to experience
how rural Malagasy people really live. Bordering the rainforest corridor that runs from
RanomafanatoAndringitra,thebeautifulBetsileovillagesaroundAmbohimahamasinaare
surrounded by spectacular scenery.
The
Angavoa
trail (3 hours) is the shortest, passing wonderful scenery and interesting
tombs. Of the three one-day trails,
Ambohitrampanefy
and
Ambohitravo
show you the
traditional livelihoods of the region and allow you to try your hand at blacksmithing and
basket weaving, while
Itaolana
incorporates more flora and fauna and shows you the cul-
turalvalueofthesacredmountain.Thetwo-day
Ambondrombe
trailclimbstothe1,936m
summit of Ambondrombe. And the three-day
Andriapiaka and Tsipoapoaka
trail passes
throughtherainforesttoVohipenoontheeastcoast.Thetrailsareallinterconnectedsocan
becombinedtomakelongertreks,withseveralhomestaysandcampsitesprovidingaccom-
modation
en route
.
Trained guides can be found at the FIZAM office in Ambohimahamasina. There are
fixed rates for guides, accommodation and meals, and the profits are used to benefit local
communities.
