My Adventure Tour of the Manambolo River in Madagascar
Natural Reserve of Tsingy de Bemaraha
Since it was declared by UNESCO World Heritage, the reserve, in the past practically inaccessible, is becoming one of the favourite destinations of tourist itineraries.
Tsingy de Bemeraha, one of the largest protected areas of Madagascar, covers 152,000 hectares to the west of the country and includes a huge forest of pinnacles sandstone which houses an incredible variety of animal species.
The reserve is essentially composed of two parks, the Tsingy Petit and the Grand Tsingy. Until today were identified 53 species of birds, eight reptiles and six of lemurs.
The escorted tours provide at times a spectacular journey by canoe along the River Manambolo. In southern Petit Tsingy is the splendid Gola of Manambolo full of waterfalls, lemurs and magnificent virgin forests.
It is virtually impossible to reach the reserve under its own during the rainy season. In the dry season you can take a taxi-brousse from Belo-sur-Tsiribihina direct Bekopaka, 80 km away.
The taxi continues until the road does not become unworkable, then you'll have to get off and walk or take a wagon pulled by Zebù and cross some rivers.
Bekopaka is within walking distance from the reserve. During the tourist season there are sporadic air links between Morondava and Belo also is running a regular service of taxi-brousse. Bokopaka is located 600 km west of Tana.
The Manambolo runs north of Tsiribihina; also plays its course through the savannah of Menabe and spectacular gorges covered with lush greenery.
The navigation, some day, is possible only by canoe because of lack of depth of the river, which rarely reaches 1 meter. At the end of navigation at Bekopaka, you can visit, inter alia, the famous Tsingy of Bemaraha, and then go off-road up to Morondava.
A single travel, certainly for the most sports, in direct contact with nature untouched and wild.
Read more:
Here the Adventure Travel Organization, has a great list of pictures and resources about the Manabolo river and Madagascar
Wikipedia has a rich page about general info about Madagascar
Here the official tourism board of Madagascar
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