Ranomafana to Isalo National Park
Leaving Ranoafana
I am up, showered and people watching from our porch by 6am. It is overcast and the air is the coolest it’s been since we’ve been in Madagascar.
Beautiful trumpet flowers and wild pink roses line the road as we leave Ranomafana. We stop at a waterfall just outside of the village.
Fianaraantsoa
It is a few hours drive to Fianaraantsoa, the fourth largest city in Madagascar. This is the cultural and intellectual centre of the island with a legacy of schools, universities and spiritual centres. The name of the city means “where one learns good things”.
This is the core of the Betsileo ethnic group which are world known for their terraced rice farming.
Zack stops at a pharmacy to check for Malarone. No luck. I read that it is hard to get in Madagascar and expensive at $25-40 USD for 12 pills. The best chance of finding it is in the capital city of Tana. Since we aren’t going to Tana for about a week, it looks like we will be taking the Doxy.
Founded in 1830, Fianaraantsoa is divided into three areas; the lower town which is the modern, busy, commercial area, the middle town from colonial french times with its banks and administrative boulevards and the upper town which is the most historic and oldest area. It has narrow, cobblestone streets and traditional 19th century highland architecture.
Most of its royal history is destroyed except for the beheading stone.
We see a communal laundry building where people have access to water for washing clothes. Other than the wealthy, homes here do not have running water.
We pass a school with some students out front selling hand made cards to help pay their tuition. We buy one. As we leave, I hear one student tell the other that we are American. I quickly correct them and tell them we are Canadian. They immediately reply “Justin Bieber” who apparently is very popular in Madagascar.
There is a gorgeous viewpoint of the city at the very top of the upper town.
Signs of the Upcoming Zebu Market
We leave the city to drive to our next destination.
A few times, herds of zebu block the road. Zack informs us that our next town, Ambalavao, has Madagascar’s largest zebu market on Wednesdays. Today is Sunday. Herdsmen walk their zebu hundreds of kilometers through wilderness to take them to this market.
At the market thousands of zebu are paraded across the arena. Here is where they trade, negotiate and sell their cattle.
In Madagascar, zebu are an indicator of wealth. I am highly suspicious when I catch John pointing at me and negotiating with a herdsman…just kidding.
(PS. I was offered only 3 zebu for Kimberly. John)
Antemoro Paper Making
It is quite warm now and I fall asleep in the car. I wake up when the car stops and Zack announces that we’ve arrived in Ambalavao. John says, “you were snoring”. “You’re mistaken. It was a nearby, bellowing zebu” I reply.
We have lunch then tour and craftshop where we watch Antemoro paper being made from the bark of the Avoha tree. Real local flowers are embedded in the still wet pulp then dried to make cards.
Betsileo Country Lodge
After a little visit to the gift shop we head to our accommodation. The scenery in this area changes from red clay highlands to dry, rocky savanna.
The lodge is lovely with an amazing view from the patio in front of our room. I am delighted to have the rest of the afternoon to relax here and take in the beauty. I also take advantage of the full body massage service.
It has really cooled down and I actually need my jacket in the evening. The winds pick up.
Morning at Anja Community Reserve
It is still cool when I get up next morning. The porters carry every last piece of luggage to the jeep and it’s only a short ride away to the Anja Community Reserve. It is a community managed wildlife sanctuary.
Two community guides take us into the forest that is teaming with ring tailed lemurs. There are many babies in the family. This 30 hectare park has the highest concentration of ring tailed lemurs in Madagascar. Click here for a short video.
There are also many chameleons. I love the way their eyes move. Click here for a short video.
Anja is one of Africa’s most successful examples of community led conservation. About thirty years ago, the local farmers were facing poverty and crop loss because deforestation had pushed lemurs to raid farms. 
The villagers formed an association banning lemur hunting and actively reforested the area. Today the program is fully funded by tourism revenues which fund local salaries, a school and a pharmacy.
The reserve is at the foot of granite cliffs that you can hike up. I am given a choice to stay with the lemurs or climb the rocks in the hot sun. I choose lemurs, John chooses to climb the rocks with a guide to a viewpoint. Click here for a short video.
We lunch at a nearby outdoor restaurant and I have a delicious vegetable soup.
Journey to Isalo
After lunch, we jump into the jeep, crank up the tunes and head on a four hour journey to our next stop- Isalo National Park.
I love watching Madagascar life and the countryside go past. The rock formations are quite beautiful.
Partway there, we stop in a town so that John can get some money from an ATM. Suddenly the main street is blocked off and a very long motorcade drives through. Pickup trucks filled with soldiers pass followed by a black SUV then more soldiers. This is the home town of the wife of Madagascar’s president and they are just leaving from a visit. I see the president waving inside the black SUV.
We continue driving for a few hours. We pass intentional burnings of the grass so that fresh plants can grow for the zebu to eat instead of dried brush.
The countryside is reminiscent of the area around Uluru (Ayer’s Rock). It is quite beautiful.
Hotel Jardin du Roi
Soon we arrive at our lodging, Jardin du Roi Hotel. We are welcomed with cold glasses of Hisbiscus juice. It is a gorgeous resort on beautiful manicured grounds with swimming pool, bar, spa area, billiard area, restaurant and horse paddocks at the base of granite cliffs. It is an oasis of green in a dry area. Our cabin is spacious and in the evening staff come in to pull down our mosquito net and plump our pillows.
The moon is full. We have a candlelight dinner on one of the outdoor tables and make it an early night.
