Must-see attractions in Western Madagascar

One of Madagascar's most recognisable images, this small stretch of the RN8 between Morondava and Belo-sur-Tsiribihina is flanked on both sides by…

If you visit one place in western Madagascar, make it Parc National Bemaraha. A Unesco World Heritage Site, its highlights are the jagged, limestone…

Dramatic Cirque Rouge is one of western Madagascar’s most famous sights. This amphitheatre of eroded rock is tinted in a rainbow hue of colours, including…

This reserve, 60km northeast of Morondava, covers about 12,500 hectares and is a protected area that's popular with scientists and travellers for its…

This isolated park is home to that peculiarly Malagasy landform, the tsingy, a dense forest of jagged rocky pinnacles interwoven with deep canyons filled…

This series of subterranean rooms and galleries, some of them the size of buildings, are among Madagascar's most impressive. Stretching over 5km, and…

Ankarafantsika (130,026 hectares) is the last strand of dry western deciduous forest in Madagascar. Its excellent wildlife viewing and hiking…

At the T-junction with Ave de France, there is an enormous baobab tree (circumference, 21m!) thought to be well over 700 years old. It is considered fady …

Not to be confused with the Réserve Forestière de Kirindy, the deliciously remote 72,200-hectare Parc National de Kirindy-Mitea, which surrounds Belo-sur…

The Mahavy-Kinkony Wetland Complex incorporates a diverse and fragile ecosystem consisting of marine bays, river, delta and 22 lakes, including Madagascar…

Best known as the home of the critically endangered ploughshare tortoise, this remote park has dense dry, bamboo and mangrove forests, sand dunes and…

Majunga is all about the Corniche, the palm-lined promenade bordering the sea made up of Blvd Poincarré and Blvd Marcoz. In the evening residents come…

Providing inspiration for many a Malagasy wood sculptor, these two A grandidieri baobabs have twisted themselves into a perfect embrace, earning them the…

About 8km southwest of Katsepy, Katsepy’s Lighthouse has sweeping views of Bombetoka Bay and Mozambique Channel. It’s a hot, two-hour walk to get here…

Guides ships in from Pointe de Sable. It's an icon of Majunga's coastal skyline.