The ‘wild west’ of Madagascar remains relatively untouched as it is notoriously difficult to reach by road, with no roads linking the north and the south. It is however, becoming increasingly popular with couples who fly into the region seeking a romantic getaway a hidden paradise with many deserted white sand beaches.
Morondava is a laid-back seaside town located on the delta of the Morandava River. Most visitors come here to walk the famous ‘Avenue of Baobabs’, where giant trees, some over a thousand years old, stand in an almost straight line. Bekopaka a good place to stay for those wanting to visit the Tsingy of Bemaraha National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 due to it’s unique geography, where forests of tsingy (karst) rise up in spikes to create a bizarre looking landscape.
Also on the west coast of Madagascar, 60 km north of Morondava, is Kirindy Mikea National Park, a dry deciduous forest which houses a variety of diurnal lemur such as the Verreaux’s sifaka and the red fronted brown lemur as well as nocturnal lemur species. The Kirindy forest is one of the best parks in the country for spotting the Fosa, the largest Malagasy carnivore, many endemic birds live in the area and there are a huge variety of plant species including two types of baobab tree.