# Paradise Lost - Madagascar



## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

I want to share some pics of one of the most fascinating continents: *MADAGASCAR*. 

Yes, continent - after the split-off of Africa and later India it developed its own world of flora and fauna - unique in the world but fragile! The biggest part of the forest has been distroyed, several bigger lemur species extinct because of this loss of habitat and errosion and locust plagues are a serious problem this poor country has to deal with. 

Go and visit this paradise before it is lost definitly - you will not regret it and be welcomed by some of the nicest and friendliest people in the world!

Travelling from the capital Tana by Taxi Brousse (24 things broken in 12 hours - including twice a tire and in the night the light) we arrived in a small fishing village on Lac Alouatra as some of the first white people. The only other European (in white pullover on the lower left pic) was making a primatology research there for years. His name is Thomas - thus we were all Thomas for the inhabitants (even the ladies) 








PS: the street fair is in the city with the nice name Ambatonbrazaka 

Sifaka and Catta - the main two lemur species in the south of the country near Fort Dauphin. Although you can see cattas in all zoos in the world - in their original homeland they are endangered from extinction as all the other species and reduced to some national parks.









Driving through the North - Antsiranana area to visit the National parks of Montagne d'Ambre and Ankarana. Watch your dinner - The coronatus lemurs are little thieves! Unfortunatly in all these nights no Ayeaye or Fossa wanted to cross our way... 









More Tsingi pictures in Ankarana and a market square in Antsiranana


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

Wow, thanks so much for the little tour, Madagascar, because of it's poverty, is one of the most underrated country out there.

fascinating nature, of the most diverse population in the world.

I'd sure like to visit


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

If you are from Paris, fly Madagascar Airlines - they are as good as Air France, are cheap and NEVER had an accident! Why? - They offered a buffalo on the inauguration flight  True!

Take some tickets in a combi-pack to travel the country. There is only one train line and for many days you don't want to sit in the taxi brousses even though it's an experience. BTW: everyone still speaks français, so no problem for communication. Dangerous is only the capital, the rest of the country is very safe and you rather get invited for dinner than cheated even though people indeed are poor.


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## empersouf (Mar 19, 2004)

^^
Wooow, never expected that. I sure will go to Madagascar one time. Try my french and I hope they speak english too.
You shot such nice pictures, the beaches(with that boat), the nature, those monkeys!!!
I really need to visit this beautifull country.


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

Thanks  With English you would have problems... Unfortunatly I don't have anymore Lemur pics than these. But we shot a lot (some we made posters and were published, but that's why I don't have them anymore )

There is one tourist resort island called Nasi Be or the like in the North West. I avoided it for they said it's really the only touristic place with all the negative effects as prostitution, child abuses etc  Maybe not Pataya, but for Madagascar not a too good place...


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

Oh and by the way, as I mentioned, Madagascar is an extremaly diverse country, but what is the biggest ethnicity in the country?


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## Baianóide (Aug 9, 2005)

Cool, and the people looks very hospitality, I like it. I will go there a day.


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

The people are a "mix" of expecially arabs, indians, Europeans and Africans. Since 400 years the country always has been used as a base for sailing and trading nations - and pirates


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## Tubeman (Sep 12, 2002)

Kuesel said:


> The people are a "mix" of expecially arabs, indians, Europeans and Africans. Since 400 years the country always has been used as a base for sailing and trading nations - and pirates


You forgot the Malagasy, who originated in Indonesia. They are one of the biggest ethnic groups. I have always found it mind-boggling that the biggest ethnic group on this island just off Africa originated many thousands of miles away, apparently genetic research shows on the island of Borneo.

Most people are mixed though.

Its the sort of place I'd be fascinated to go to, but the Other Half loves his creature comforts too much


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

But the Malagasy are like the Brazilian Indios - ethnically mixed in the meantime with Arabic and French blood. That's why you call nowadays the whole pop "Malgache". But it is indeed very interesting that you feel much more like in Indonesia than in the close Mozambique


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## ♣628.finst (Jul 29, 2005)

Paradise--- Isn't Madagascar a very common destination for tourists worldwide? I afraid it is not really a paradise now, with poverty from your pics.

I think countries which is the closest to tropical paradise is probably Brazil and the Guyanas--- never been to any of them but the dense forest is largely undisturbed. (Though large-scale deforestation taking place, the forest is so HUGE that is larger than Western Europe)


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

But the title is Paradise LOST! I am aware of the problems - especially the ecological ones. The indri for example is the only big lemur that is not extinct, but only survives in a very small national park in the eastern center of the island. There were much more specias but deforestation took its toll. And there is the povertry coming in: 

Madagascar has been a neglected French colony til the mid 60s. Afterwards one of the main trade partners was... Israel! But all just wanted woods (I think 75% of the forests are gone in the meantime), vanilla (not of great value for the people there but the main exportation good) and sisal, as well as since a few years gems. The latter is a huge social, ecological and high crime problem but is concentrated on the mountains in the south west. 

I tell you, sometimes you could cry driving through the totally eroded landscapes - it's just DEAD! And because of the laterit soil there is no hope and possibility to reforestate again  Unfortunatly Madagascar - a theoretically unique continent full of endemic species - is death-bound and all because of colonialism and exploitation in the wake of globalization! The people never will have a chance to industrialize or develop the country furthermore - there are just no interested international investors, infrastructure is nonexistent in lots of places and thus the only fate of the country is that it tries to survive without a chance of economical growth or development 

Classical: I went there with primatologists. The malgasse universities and national parks are flooded with french scientists and on the other hand in France are a lot of malgasse researchers. But it's all about the "research" per se. Down there nearly no one really profits. This "original Thomas" was a single field worker on the lake and discovered and tried to protect a lemur species that only lives in Alouatra. As long as there was fish and a good harvest the locals helped him and really learned how to deal with their environment. Then came a 2 years dry season and hunger became a serious problem - result: the people started to hunt and eat these lemurs. 

Povertry and the fight for survival is always stronger than sustainable development and planning the future. Thus the paradise is definitly lost if there is no miracle happening in the near future...


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## João Paulo (May 19, 2005)

THANKS FOR SHARING PICTURES OF A COUNTRY NOT VERY COMMON ON THIS FORUM.
PERSONALLY THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SEEEING PICTURES OF THIS COUNTRY.


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## earthJoker (Dec 15, 2004)

I really want to visit Ankarana, I once saw a documatation of it, I think its one of the most exiting places to go.


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

It's impressive... you drive half a day through the steppes and suddenly there is a huge karst wall blocking you - and like in the book the Lost World by Connan Doyle you expect some dinosaurs behind :lol: - It's not but there are caves you can cross through and even find some bones of extinct species. The climing is also worthwhile. The lake on the pic is from up there... The coronatus lemurs just jump as ibex on these very sharp stones (take some good boots!).

This picture shows more of the Tsingys but it's not from my but on the John Cleese page. Maybe you read the articles about the "new" Avahi lemur species that was named after the Python. I missed him personally in Madagascar by only a few months. But it was some of my friends who discovered the species and gave him the name for we were big Python fans and JC was doing a lot for making lemurs popular around the world and helped thus and personally to raise the protection funds


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## Tubeman (Sep 12, 2002)

Kuesel said:


> But the Malagasy are like the Brazilian Indios - ethnically mixed in the meantime with Arabic and French blood. That's why you call nowadays the whole pop "Malgache". But it is indeed very interesting that you feel much more like in Indonesia than in the close Mozambique


From Wikipedia, quite interesting (regarding the Malagasy language)...

*Malagasy (in French also: Malgache) is the westernmost member of the Austronesian language family, spoken on Madagascar, where it is an official language. The name Malagasy is also used to refer to the indigenous people of Madagascar, who make up some 36 tribes and are of mixed Indonesian and African descent.

Malagasy shares 90% of its basic vocabulary with Maanyan, a language from the region of the Barito River in southern Borneo. This is a result of the fact that the island was first settled from about 1,500 to 2,000 years ago by Indonesians, probably mostly from Borneo. Later, the original Indonesian settlers mixed with East Africans and Arabs, amongst others.*

I just find it staggering that supposedly primitive tribespeople from Borneo managed to cross the vast Indian Ocean in significant enough numbers to settle Madagascar 2,000 years ago.

Another snippet:

*Madagascar's population is predominantly of mixed Asian and African origin, though those who are visibly Asian in appearance and culture are the minority, found in the highland regions. Recent research suggests that the island was uninhabited until Malay seafarers arrived between about 2,000 to 1,500 years ago. Recent DNA research shows that the Malagasy are approximately of half Malay and half East African stock, although some Arab, Indian and European influence is present along the coast. The Malagasy language shares some 90% of its basic vocabulary with the Maanyan language from the region of the Barito River in southern Borneo.

Subsequent migrations from both the Pacific and Africa further consolidated this original mixture, and 36 separate tribal groups emerged. Asian features are most predominant in the central highlands people, the Merina (3 million) and the Betsileo (2 million); the coastal people (called côtiers) are of more clearly African origin.*


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## Victoria (Feb 23, 2005)

Very interesting- definietly a beautiful place, thanks for sharing.


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

Tubeman: thanks for the info - thus detailed I really didn't know it. But it's really interesting how 2000 years ago not only Phenecians were world wide sailors and traders. Thor Heyerdahl thus also proved the Polynesian settlements in South America.

The biggest research on Lemurs (for the ones that love these fluffies) is done by Duke University (unfortunatly they think they have the copyright on all lemur works and it's difficult to deal with them, but they are really big): http://primatecenter.duke.edu/animals/ 


These are the ones my ex-girlfriend studied for her phd work:


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Sunset in the Baobab Avenue by Zé Eduardo..., on Flickr


postcard from madagascar by ahofen, on Flickr


On the road along the RN7 - Madagascar by rackyross, on Flickr









http://www.flickr.com/photos/giulifff/2911782264/


women in Madagascar by Zé Eduardo..., on Flickr


Madagascar - before Sunrise... by My Planet Experience, on Flickr


Kids fishing on a rize field, Highland, Madagascar Island, Africa by Batistini 2,5 million views, on Flickr


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## italiano_pellicano (Feb 22, 2010)

really amazing


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## QroGtoMex (May 12, 2008)

Hopefully I'll be able to visit before Madagascar degrades further


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Rush hour on N7 - Madagascar by My Planet Experience, on Flickr


IMG_8279 by bwongwongwong, on Flickr


*** by bwongwongwong, on Flickr


Tetezana niarahana niampita. from RABOUSSA ( Malagasy rapper ) by bwongwongwong, on Flickr


madagascar 1144 by marzenaprejbisz, on Flickr


madagascar 1111 by marzenaprejbisz, on Flickr


madagascar 645 by marzenaprejbisz, on Flickr


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

beautiful and lovely images from Madagascar...:cheers:


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

long paturage by l_tortue, on Flickr


dans la brousse by l_tortue, on Flickr


place de bemikonji by l_tortue, on Flickr


visite des rizières by l_tortue, on Flickr


architecture malgache by l_tortue, on Flickr


route au milieu de rien by l_tortue, on Flickr


les hommes ne sont pas comme des poules by l_tortue, on Flickr


jardin des amours by l_tortue, on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

mamoudzou vu du haut by l_tortue, on Flickr


départ de petite terre by l_tortue, on Flickr


diego ville by l_tortue, on Flickr


bazarre de diego by l_tortue, on Flickr


lagon by l_tortue, on Flickr


3baies by l_tortue, on Flickr


pelouse en bord de mer by l_tortue, on Flickr


sable blanc by l_tortue, on Flickr


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## [email protected] (Jan 17, 2004)

Madagascar is definitely on my must-visit list for the next couple of years.

However, due to the lack of even basic infrastructure in most parts of the country it is unfortunately quite challenging to get around even for experienced travellers.


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

great photos from Madagascar, I like the beach shots on # 25...kay:


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/valentina-d/7326452422/in/photostream/
La Rova 










http://www.flickr.com/photos/valentina-d/7326254574/in/photostream/
La Rova 









http://www.flickr.com/photos/valentina-d/7325971878/in/photostream/


Isalo by Gareth Codd Photography, on Flickr


Vezo Kids by pedrofp, on Flickr


Vezo Village II by pedrofp, on Flickr


Vezo People II by pedrofp, on Flickr


Andringitra by Gareth Codd Photography, on Flickr


Andringitra by Gareth Codd Photography, on Flickr


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## briker (Aug 21, 2008)

Sad to see such a beautiful country being destroyed by its own people. Surely Madagascar should not be this poor. Compare this country to Mauritius. Its leadership is hopeless.


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## italiano_pellicano (Feb 22, 2010)

wow amazing


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## ArtZ (Feb 17, 2006)

Excellent thread. Thanks for sharing the photos!kay::cheers:


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Madagascar - oct 11 - Baramahamay (22) by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


Nosy Komba by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


Madagascar - oct 11 - Baramahamay (29) by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


Port de Mahajunga by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


Non loin de Mahajunga by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


Marché de Mahajunga by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


Pique-Nique non loin d'Ambilobe by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


Parc d'Anakarafantsiaka by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


Ambilobe by Evaneos.com - Le voyage sur mesure en direct, on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Dunes and wild beach by Pierre-Yves Babelon, on Flickr


Untitled by Hôtel Madagascar, on Flickr


Untitled by Hôtel Madagascar, on Flickr


Untitled by Hôtel Madagascar, on Flickr


Untitled by Hôtel Madagascar, on Flickr


Untitled by Hôtel Madagascar, on Flickr


Untitled by Hôtel Madagascar, on Flickr


Untitled by Hôtel Madagascar, on Flickr


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

nice updates...


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

^^ Thanks!



Herd of Zeboe crossing the dry river bed of Fiherenana river by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Sailing pirogue by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


View in the direction of the Mozambique Channel by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Baobab tree by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Sifaka by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Pirogue in morning mist. by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Sunrise above Tsiribihina river by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Untitled by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Village with Baobab trees by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Sifaka by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


La Cascata Sullo Tsiribihina by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Bird of Prey by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Tsiribihina river landscape by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


Chameleon by Luc V. de Zeeuw, on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vittorioadriano/8016934452/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/vittorioadriano/8016949493/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/vittorioadriano/8016937923/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/vittorioadriano/8016942501/


The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga by Hannes Rada, on Flickr
The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga


It is a site of cultural and historical significance located approximately 24 kilometers to the east of the capital city of Antananarivo in Madagascar. The site consists of a walled historic village including residences and burial sites of several key members of the royalty of Imerina, the ethnic community that rose to power in the 19th century and united much of the island nation of Madagascar as a modern state under its administrative authority. The site, one of the twelve sacred hills of Imerina, is associated with strong feelings of national identity and has maintained its spiritual and sacred character both in ritual practice and the popular imagination for the past 500 years. It remains a place of worship to which pilgrims come from Madagascar and elsewhere. The compound was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2001.


Lac de Vontovorona  #CUR #ESPA #Antananarivo #Madagascar #souvenirs by sahaza, on Flickr


View from Tana's Upper City by Hannes Rada, on Flickr


View from the Upper City of Tana by Hannes Rada, on Flickr


Stamp Seller in Tana by Hannes Rada, on Flickr


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

IMG_2086 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_2117 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_2115 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_2071 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_1926 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_1916 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_1847 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_2039 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_2032 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

stunning images from Madagascar...:cheers:


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

^^Thanks!



IMG_2027 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_2005 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_2007 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_1979 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_1975 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_1974 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_1970 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


IMG_1950 by Marc Heurtaut, on Flickr


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