Foto: The makis in the park (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Madagascar - I wake up to a loud noise. It’s still dark outside. It takes me a moment to realize it's the call of the indri-indri. Their cry echoes loudly through the forest. I have the impression they’re sitting right above my hut. I check my watch—it's 4:30 a.m. At 7:00, I sit down for breakfast. Everyone heard the indris during the night. Some couldn’t get back to sleep afterward. After breakfast, I follow Florant and Rémy to the Andasibe nature park. The group is split into three, depending on the chosen route and duration. I go with Rémy on the four-hour trek. Rémy points out some flowers and explains the trees, but of course I’m here for the indri-indri. When he hears a sound in the trees, Rémy heads into the forest. Two indris turn out to be high up in a tree. A wonderful sight. The other groups soon arrive too—Rémy had informed them. When it gets too crowded, I continue with my small group. A bit further on, a group of diademed sifakas sits in the trees. I try to photograph them through the branches, but it’s difficult against the bright sky. “Just wait,” Rémy says, “once they’re done eating, they’ll come down.” Slightly skeptical, I follow his advice. After about fifteen minutes, one sifaka comes down. I can now watch it from just a few meters away. What a beautiful animal. On either side of me, more sifakas come down. Some are playing on the ground. Farther into the park, we see people gathered near some bushes. A few woolly lemurs are there—normally only active at night. Photographing the small animals among the dark branches proves difficult. I decide to just enjoy watching them. When other groups arrive, we learn they’ve also seen the common brown lemurs. We hurry to the indicated spot. Rémy searches and searches but can’t find them. A pity. Just when I’ve given up hope, I spot a troop near the exit. They’re sitting in the treetops in a dense part of the forest. The lemurs are curious too and come to see what I’m doing. Thanks to this, I can observe the common brown lemur up close—a perfect ending to the walk.
Avenue of the Baobabs
Madagascar - A striking landscape of more than 1000-year-old baobab trees lines the unpaved road of the Avenue of the Baobabs, causing many travelers on the road between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina to stop and be amazed. The trees, about a dozen of them, are ...
Isalo National Park
Madagascar - At seven o’clock, I leave the grounds of Hotel de Isalo. In the village, Toussant gets in. He has brought two helpers, Mark and Names. They ride along to the park entrance. The last three kilometers are on an unpaved road. Faly carefully drives the ...
Les Trois Baies
Madagascar - I walk to the main street of Diego Suarez for breakfast. On the terrace of the Grand Hotel—by far the most luxurious hotel in the city—I order a breakfast menu. Back at the hotel, the 4x4 vehicles are already waiting. Bruno welcomes me again. He will ...
The colorful streets of Antananarivo
Madagascar - I walk out of the hotel and climb the long staircase to the Place de l'Indépendance. It’s busy under the trees on the square. From here, I can see the lower-lying center of Antananarivo. I see the bustling Analakely Market—a maze of parasols. I try ...
Tsingy Rouge Rock Formations
Madagascar - First, I visit the Tsingy Rouge rock formations. These remarkable rock formations lie about thirty kilometers outside Diego. The road there, the RN6, is even worse than the roads in the south. There are many potholes in the asphalt, and Ga-bi, my driver, ...