Exploring the Island Continent – Travel Photography in Madagascar

DAY 1 – ALL GUESTS ARRIVE IN ANTANANARIVO (INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT)
Arrival in Tana in the afternoon, transfer to your hotel. Briefing and meet the team. Early night at Gassy Country House B&B.

DAY 2 – TANA TO MORONDOVA (INTERNAL FLIGHT)
A very early breakfast and then we make our way back to the airport to fly down to Morondova. This is a short flight which brings us to the coastal town made famous by its access to the Allee de Baobab.

The short flight means we get some rest time before setting out to the fabled Allee de Baobab (Baobab Alley) which is about half an hour’s drive from Morondova. We shoot the alley until dark before heading back to Morondova and the fabulous Chez Alain restaurant.

DAY 3 – ALLEE DE BAOBAB TO BELO SUR MER
One of the best times to see the famous alley of baobabs is in the pre-dawn light, long before villagers wake up and tourists arrive. For this reason we set out early to the baobabs in order to photograph these incredible giants under the night sky and a panoply of stars.

After our morning shoot we head back to Morondova for a quick breakfast before setting out to Belo de Sur. Belo is small village, but what attracts us to the area are the vast flat salt plains that stretch around the small village. Here we are able to shoot in the late afternoon as light plays out across the flat white expanse, or wander out to where the shore meets the shallow estuary system that feeds the salt flats. Coupled to this is of course the opportunity to photograph artisanal salt workers as they harvest the salt from the flats.

DAY 4 – BELO TO MOROMBE
This is really a long travel day, but thankfully an interesting one. The sandy road between Belo and Manja can be extremely treacherous in some places and the drivers will have to select the most appropriate track depending on how high the rivers are. Most of the rivers have to be forded as there is very little infrastructure between Morondova and Tulear in the south.
After the rainy season fords might have moved, thus it might take some time to find the right track. After 6 hours on a bumpy road we reach Bevoay where we cross the Mangoky River by ferry. After this the river and vegetation changes to thorny bush and baobabs and the road becomes the main road again (although you wouldn’t believe it). We spend the night at Chez Katia, A beautiful series of bungalows set directly against the ocean. It makes for a much needed finish to a long day of driving.

DAY 5 – MOROMBE TO ANDAVADOAKA
Thanks to the previous day’s drive, this is a relatively short trip to Andavadoaka. Here we are really in Africa with its bush landscape. We reach Andavadoaka on the coast in the early afternoon, allowing for some down time, or time to go over images. In the late afternoon we set out to photograph a stand of incredible Fony Baobabs. The next few nights will be spent at the wonderful Laguna Blu Hotel with it’s phenomenal location along a shoreline of carved limestone features.

DAY 6 – ANDAVADOAKA
After several days of traveling the first morning shoot is entirely voluntary, although once photographers see the view outside their cabins they are likely to grab tripods and hurtle down to the shore.

Our location is chosen for the diversity of photo-shoots available within a relatively small area. We spend the time at Laguna Blu between photographing the local fishing village, the coastline, stands of baobabs and nearby ponds (when there is water in them) as well as the iconic spiny desert. Thanks to the time spent here, we also have the opportunity for some really interesting star trail and milky way photo sessions. To top it all off, our hosts at Laguna Blu offer an absolutely extraordinary dining experience to their guests.

DAY 7 – ANDAVADOAKA
As with the previous day, we have the opportunity to explore, photograph various aspects of the area as well take part in Photoshop, Lightroom and critique sessions of images that have already been shot.

DAY 8 – ANDAVADOAKA TO IFATY
After an early morning shoot we set out to an area north of Toliara. Todays track is relatively short but the segment near Befandefa is dreaded by all drivers : 30 km of soft sand. If you stop you’re stuck, if you change gears you stop and are stuck. But the scenery is worth it: mangroves, mudflats, salt pans, dunes, the blue lagoon, and fishermen villages.

We have chosen the rest spot for access to the incredible black mangroves that litter the sides of an enormous brackish water estuary system. Late afternoon and the following morning can be used to photograph these magnificent plants against azure like water and alabaster white sands.

DAY 9 – IFATY TO ISALO
After an early morning shoot of mangroves followed by breakfast, we set out for Isalo. The goal is to reach Isalo around lunchtime so that we are able to explore the picturesque rocks around our accommodation. This is in order to catch the last light of day as it lights up the rock features against a pink and purple sky.

On the way to Isalo we also have the opportunity to stop from time to time to photograph the yellow grass plains as well as yet another species of baobab that can be found growing in the forests east of Toliara (depending on light and our travel time of course).

Along the way we also start to see a change in the villages and the people as we move into the Mahafaly and Antandroy territories. We’ll see many tombs of these tribes as we pass. We cross the national park of Zombitse, a transition zone between the dry south and the land of Isalo, a formation of continental sandstone rocks.

In the late afternoon we will set out on foot to a viewpoint nestled amongst the famous rocks. Here we are met by the welcome site of a camp already set up for us. This exciting part of the trip allows us to photograph inside the park at sunset, through the night and dawn, in our personal tents with catering and baggage handled by Momo Adventure Guides.

DAY 10 – ISALO NATIONAL PARK
Isalo is known for its geological formation. Composed of eroded sandstone colored red/brown by iron minerals and green by lichens, this mountain massif offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. The rock seems to lie in waves of sandstone and quartz that light up in shades of orange, red and gold in the right lighting conditions. Thanks to our night under the stars we are perfectly positioned for a phenomenal dawn shoot amongst the rocks. Also a feature of Isalo is the fact that it is a sacred place for the Bara tribes who bury their dead in the grottos and caves of the cliffs.

After breakfast we make our way to visit a small forest for glimpses of lemurs and the elusive white sifaka. It’s then a short drive back to Isalo Rock Lodge, having earned some pampering time.

DAY 11 – ISALO – AMBALAVAO
For those who feel like an early morning shoot there is the option of a dawn shoot amongst the incredible rocks around our accommodation. After breakfast, we head on to Ihosy, which is the capital of the Bara tribes who are shepherds of the iconic Zebu cattle that are a signature of the island. We pass through the huge “plateaux de Horombe” with its very spacious savannah. This is an excellent spot to view the typical Bara villages with their triple story structures and red mud plastered sides. While travelling across the plain we are also likely to see large herds of Zebu.

We arrive in Ihosy, the land of Bara who are darker–skinned with African features if compared to the Merina. They are cattle-raiders and many activities during their life are associated with Zebu. The latter part of the drive is stunning as we climb into the mountainous interior of Madagascar. Along the way we will also pass the incredible “Bishop’s Hat” – a granite massif that rises like a Madagascan Ayre’s Rock from the grassland below.

DAY 12 – AMBALAVAO
Betsileo and the larger town of Ambalavao are nestled in a cradle of magnificent granite topped peaks. In the morning, as the sun heats the surface of the earth, the valleys are commonly shrouded in mist and fog that swirls around the base of the mountains. This can make for some extraordinary photographic opportunities.

Because of this, we have opted to spend three nights in Betsileo.

The days are divided between visiting Anja park, the zebu cattle market and traders market in Ambalavao and exploring the valley for landscape images.

Anja park is a community run sanctuary that lies snug against the base of one of the enormous granite peaks. It is one of the best places in Madagascar to see and photograph the ring-tailed lemur. Unlike other parts of the country the people in the valley consider it fady (taboo) to harm the lemurs. As a consequence the lemurs of Anja have no fear of humans and it is possible to get right up close to them for photography.

The nearby town of Ambalavao offers the unique opportunity to photograph the zebu market; a large open area that once a week plays host to hundreds of zebu and dozens of farmers who haggle and trade. Nearby is also the frenzy and bustle of the weekly market, which is a trove of photographic opportunities.

Naturally there are also the majestic mountains that surround the valley as well as the colourful mozaic of rice fields to keep the photographic eye busy, as well as time spent on Photoshop and Lightroom sessions.

DAY 13 – AMBALAVAO – ANTSIRABE
Today we leave the South behind us and enter The Highlands. In the town of Fianarantsoa, it is considered a must for photographers to visit the shop of Pierrot Men, Madagascar’s most famous photographer. Although he travels and exhibits all over the world, you might just be lucky and meet him.

It’s a fairly long drive as we twist along serpentine roads through the mountains towards Antsirabe.

Classic images of Madagascar can be created in the environment, particularly as we haven’t quite reached the bustle and business of Antananarivo (which comes with other consequences such as a world-weariness of camera toting tourists). Antsirabe still offers the quintessential Madagascan town without the trappings of the capital.

DAY 14 – ANTSIRABE – ANTANANARIVO
We set out in the early morning for a photowalk near Betafo Village, starting first at the mirror-like reflection of Tatamarina Lake. This fantastic experience allows the group to photograph the patchwork fields and villagers as they walk to market in the morning.

After returning from our photowalk and a late breakfast, we set off back to Antananarivo. Guests can depart in the evening but we strongly recommend waiting until Saturday to depart in case of delays on the road.

DAY 15 – ANTANANARIVO – DEPARTURE
Photographers can books flights to leave on the 24th May, or we can also help arrange a longer stay on the island. Shuttles are provided from Gassy Country House B&B, so departure times are flexible. Photographers can also opt to stay on a few days or do one of the city tours. Most photographers choose to fly out in the afternoon on one of the international flights to either Paris, Dubai, or Johannesburg.