Madagascar – The Island of Contrasts

Text: M. Mikeš, D. Yousifová; Photo: M. Mikeš, D. Yousifová; Edit: M. Hošková

Our travel articles are based on our own experiences. This time, our graphic designer travelled to Madagascar, the island of contrasts, where beautiful nature, positive people, and nosy lemurs await your visit.

Destination: Nosy Be, Madagascar

Flight: 9 hours, direct from Prague

Length of stay: 14 days

Recommended places: Nosy Be, Nosy Iranja, Hell-Ville, Ankify, Nosy Antsoha

We arrived in paradise

After landing at one of the smallest airports we had ever seen, we had a 40-minute drive to the Royal Beach Hotel, located in an impressive palm grove right on the beach, about 250 meters from the town of Ambatoloaka.

The friendly staff welcomed us with a cold drink and a damp towel, which came in handy after a long drive, at 8am, while the temperature outside was 35°C. The trip from the airport was an experience in itself. The beauty of nature contrasted with the fact that Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with the land revealing its true face. The entrance to the magnificent hotel was lined with the ubiquitous tuk-tuks, crowds of locals, palm-leaf houses, and cows (or zebus, a breed of cattle central to Malagasy culture) running along the road with their carts. In short, something an average European is not used to. We were most surprised by our hotel – our home in paradise for 14 days.

Little guides

The openness and warmth of the local people overwhelmed us from day one. All you had to do was drive to the nearest town, looking for the only ATM available. On the way, we were immediately joined by a group of small children, who took us not only to an ATM but also to the only big store. There, we could buy much-needed bottled water for us, as well as sweet treats for our little guides. From their enthusiastic expressions, we immediately learnt that a large supply of candy would be necessary.

A trip to Hell-Ville, and an encounter with local traditions

One of our first trips took us to Nosy Be’s largest town – Hell-Ville. There, we were lucky to witness a celebration in honour of the local women. To the sounds of indigenous songs, and after a procession walk through the town, they slaughter a cow – a zebu – from which they then prepare a banquet for the entire procession.

The whole event, though, was disturbed by a piercing sound coming from the trees. Cicadas was our first guess, but the sound was much louder and more penetrating. Imagine the sound of a fighter jet taking off. Suddenly, we noticed small children throwing stones at these “jets” and then collecting them in plastic bottles. When we tried to find out why, they showed it to us. Without a second thought, one of the children threw a still-howling insect called Pinjy into his mouth and ate it. They say it’s good for grilling too.

Island paradise

Our next trip with a local guide took us to the local island of Nosy Iranja, with its famous sand barrier that is completely submerged by the ocean at high tide. This was a real paradise. After a 40-minute boat ride directly from the hotel, we arrived at a nature reserve where sea turtles and palm crabs live. Through the local village, we came to a lookout tower, which gave us a view of all the surrounding islets. This was followed by a delicious lunch at the beach bar, where we tasted fresh seafood and local rum. After lunch, we went snorkelling and discovered sea turtles and coral reefs.

Nosy Antsoha – island of lemurs

Straight from the island of Nossa Iranja, about 20 minutes by boat, we anchored at a small island that was home to all sorts of lemurs.

Their fearlessness surprised us. All you had to do was hold a banana in your hand, and suddenly they were all around us – on our shoulders, our arms, and around our neck.

Fun fact: If you saw the animated film Madagascar, you’ll be surprised by this interesting mistake. It is not a king who rules over a pack of lemurs, but a queen.

A trip to mainland Madagascar

Our last trip from our island of Nosy Be was to mainland Madagascar, which included a new visa check at the port, from which we embarked on a boat ride of about 50 minutes to the port of Port Ankify.

From there, we headed to the plantation, where we could buy fresh vanilla and see how cocoa beans and spices are processed. After that, we went to the Sambirano River, which won us over with its power and usefulness to the local people. Not only do people bathe, wash cars, and do laundry in this river, but it is also their source of drinking water and food.

What can we conclude with? Madagascar is full of contrasts. But that’s precisely what makes life what it is – juicy and authentic. The colours, smells, places, people… Each visit to “other worlds” awakens within us a greater connection with our humanity. And meeting the people and life in Madagascar has surely awakened the core of humanity in us.