Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mangatsa
(
m
032 40 032 48/034 06 775 29/032 43 035 45;
e
kalotody@moov.mg
) There
is a small sacred lake here, on a site once owned by Madagascar's first president: Philibert
Tsiranana.Asidefromthelake,whichishometocrocodiles,therearemangroves,baobabs,
mango and coconut plantations, and you may see sifakas. There is a restaurant and bunga-
lows at
Espace Kalatody,
and it is also possible to camp. The site is 16km to the north of
Mahajanga, 30 minutes by car beyond the airport.
ANKAFOBE FOREST
Chris Birkinshaw, Missouri Botanical Gardens
Ankafobe Forest is a complex of several small and degraded forest fragments located
invalleysontheTampoketsa(highplateausavanna)ofAnkafobeincentralMadagas-
car. We selected this site because it contains much of the remaining population of one
of Madagascar's most threatened trees:
Schizolaena tampoketsana
. One of the forest
fragments is immediately adjacent to RN4, linking Tana and Mahajanga (some 30km
northwest of Ankafobe, near PK 131).
It is here that we have built a simple chalet with educational signs and seats, and
alsoconstructeda1kmtrail,passingthroughsavanna,valley-bottommarshandforest,
with labelled trees. Although the forest here is small it is of general interest as a liv-
ingremnant ofthe type offorest that presumably covered much ofthe
hautsplateaux
.
The site supports much else of interest (including three lemur species) for the road-
weary tourist needing a short break from the journey between Tana and Mahajanga. I
think many tourists will also appreciate that here we do not hassle them with guides
or even entry fees - rather they can just park next to the road enjoy the scenery and
wander around the trail themselves. We ask that anyone who appreciates the project
stops at the shop in the nearby village of Firarazana (5km southeast of the site on the
left) to buy a project T-shirt. Profits are used to support the various activities neces-
sary to conserve this site.
BelobakaCaves
Althoughclassedasatouristsitesincethe1940s,thesesixcavesarelittle
known. The first is a sacred place where people come to make wishes, but the other five
are more spectacular for stalactites and stalagmites. It is said a fence and gate were once
erectedtomanagethetourism,buttheresidentspiritsobjectedtothisarrangementandsent
lightning which struck and destroyed the barrier.
Local tour operators can arrange a visit, or you can get here in 20 minutes or so by car:
take RN4 12km out oftown then turn left for2km. Caretaker Tahiana should be onhand to
show you the path. There is also an ostrich farm nearby.
