Culture and Discovery in Madagascar

Here, you will be in the far north of the country. Diego-Suarez is an old trading post at the crossroads of the Mozambique Channel and the Indian Ocean. This former colonial city opens onto one of the biggest bays in the world. By day, it is relaxed and sleepy, but it's a party city at night.

Here, you will be in the far north of the country. Diego-Suarez is an old trading post at the crossroads of the Mozambique Channel and the Indian Ocean. This former colonial city opens onto one of the biggest bays in the world. By day, it is relaxed and sleepy, but it's a party city at night.

Few travellers get to see this hill: behind the Montagne des Français, the little village of Ambilo - not to be confused with its big brother, Ambilobe ('be' means 'big' in Madagascan) – hides a little known treasure: the baobab hill.

Few travellers get to see this hill: behind the Montagne des Français, the little village of Ambilo - not to be confused with its big brother, Ambilobe ('be' means 'big' in Madagascan) – hides a little known treasure: the baobab hill.

When the trail opens again at the end of the rainy season, the driver heads off to reconnoitre the situation and mark out the trails freshly washed by the rains and the hooves of the herds of zebus. From Morondava to Toliara, there are nearly 700 km of invisible roads to be rebuilt by tyre tracks.

When the trail opens again at the end of the rainy season, the driver heads off to reconnoitre the situation and mark out the trails freshly washed by the rains and the hooves of the herds of zebus. From Morondava to Toliara, there are nearly 700 km of invisible roads to be rebuilt by tyre tracks.

The train attracts all generations of people who line the roadsides waving enthusiastically. The green locomotive gives off a writhing machine-like sound. Every yard travelled seems to be an accomplishment in logic: this train carcass, which was Swiss before being bought and nationalised by Madagascar, has a second life while stepping out into the rain forests of the east coast.

The train attracts all generations of people who line the roadsides waving enthusiastically. The green locomotive gives off a writhing machine-like sound. Every yard travelled seems to be an accomplishment in logic: this train carcass, which was Swiss before being bought and nationalised by Madagascar, has a second life while stepping out into the rain forests of the east coast.

It is estimated that 80% of Madagascar's original forest has disappeared. Every year Madagascar's forest area gets smaller - the victim of galloping deforestation due to certain agricultural practices and the illegal exploitation of wood.

It is estimated that 80% of Madagascar's original forest has disappeared. Every year Madagascar's forest area gets smaller - the victim of galloping deforestation due to certain agricultural practices and the illegal exploitation of wood.