The West - Madagascar - page 635

The wide variety of ecosystems here leads to extraordinary biodiversity, with plenty of
fauna: nine species of lemur, including crowned and Decken's sifakas and the mongoose
lemur,asimilarnumberofbats,ahostofreptilesand,ofcourse,fish.Butitisthebirdsthat
cause the most excitement: 143 species. And this is the only site where all of the Malagasy
western waterfowl species may be seen. July to September are the best months for seeing
breeding birds.
In the Tsiombikibo Classified Forest, near Mitsinjo, are several small beautiful ponds
which are the refuge of white-backed ducks and African pygmy geese. Mitsinjo is the cap-
ital of the district but the gateway town is Namakia. It is a tough place to access independ-
ently. The port of Namakia may be reached in five to six hours by motorboat from Ma-
hajanga but the sea is usually quite rough. Alternatively, from Katsepy it is three to four
hours' drive, but the road beyond Mitsinjo is in poor condition and closed during the rainy
season.
The town of Mitsinjo has some very basic accommodation and camping is possible too.
The best option in Namakia is La Cercle, with budget and mid-range rooms. Contact As-
ity for the latest information on places to camp.
SOALALA AND BEYOND
SOALALA Only a handful of adventurous travellers come to Soalala, but this fascinating
port is gaining importance as the gateway town to Tsingy de Namoroka and Baie de Baly
national parks. John and Valerie Middleton report that 'there are several very large African
baobabsandimpressivepachypodiums.ItwaspreviouslyaFrenchfortandatleasttwoan-
cient cannons can be seen on the seafront. There are also many good eating places. Across
the bay is a massive French shrimp farm.'
There is budget accommodation at Chez la Mere de Nadia ( m 034 01 036 79/ 033 12
17956; e [e-mail] ; €€ ).TheFrenchowner,MauriceBonafous,alsoprovides
a guide service and can organise all-in tours locally, including a 4x4 with air conditioning.
Or you could camp in the quiet area near the beachfront.
Getting there Soalala has an airstrip served by Air Mad Twin Otter from Mahajanga or
Tana about four times a week.
Taxi-brousses from Katsepy go to Soalala a few times week (12 hours/30,000Ar). By
4x4 it takes about nine hours, but the road is only passable from May to November.
Alternatively, the boutres (cargo boats) from Mahajanga frequently call at Soalala. It
shouldcostaround10,000Arforapassengerbutitisnotatripforsofties(seeboxon Click