Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ontheropesandlatereatenwiththerice.Theawfulsmellaccompanied usfortherest
of the voyage.
That night we experienced an incredible storm. The lightning flashes turned the
sea an eerie greyish-white and the rain poured. The sailors set up a large (perforated)
tarpaulin over the boom and everybody squeezed underneath for shelter. We were
soaked, cold, and didn't sleep much.
At the end of the third day we finally reached our first port of call: Tamborano. The
little town's harbour is reached via a river mouth - a risky business due to sand flats
- so the onboard dugout canoe was sent out to guide us. When we finally set foot on
dry land we swayed like drunks! This little town can only be reached by sea and air
as the roads are impassable. There was no restaurant so one of the passengers we had
befriended (the only French-speaker) took us to an Indian trader who kindly cooked
us pasta. It was our first proper meal in four days.
The next day, thanks to a strong wind, we finally reached Maintirano, to offload
our cargo of sugar and soap. It is as isolated as Tamborano, but this makes the people
friendly and welcoming and we really grew to like this town.
AdrunkensailordelayedthedepartureandthetwogirlsdecidedtoflybacktoTana.
I, being stubborn and having enough time, decided to continue on the boat which,
thanks to a very strong wind, reached Morondava in less than 24 hours. The sailors
found it hilarious that I had been deserted by the girls but the drunken sailor was
ashamed and avoided me!
The two must-see inhabitants of the park are the ploughshare tortoise, endemic to the
park, and the very rare Madagascar fish eagle. Baie de Baly also hosts a large community
of migratory birds including the greater flamingo. Dolphins have also been known to trail
the outgoing boat traffic.
GETTING THERE
Whilst there is a park office in Soalala, you are best advised to visit
the regional National Parks office in Mahajanga first to make arrangements. Transporta-
tion to and from the national park can be arranged here or through Maurice Bonafous (see
Soalala
,
Click Here
).
TSINGY DE NAMOROKA NATIONAL PARK
Although protected since 1966, Tsingy de Namoroka only gained national park status in
2002. It is 164km southwest of Mahajanga and 50km south of Soalala. The park offers
