25 Beautiful Photos from my trip to Northern Madagascar
Madagascar is a large island country in the Indian Ocean located 250 miles from the east coast of the African mainland. It separated from the rest of the continent several million years ago, meaning that plant and animal species have evolved in relative isolation. This has helped create the unique biodiversity central to Madagascar’s fame.
With so few tourists visiting the country each year (less than 500,000), Madagascar is often considered a distant and magical destination teeming with wildlife. However, there is far more to Madagascar than its biodiversity and the animated film! From arid landscapes, deserted beaches, and exotic rainforests, to its colonial heritage, mining, and poverty.
Though no photos of Madagascar will ever truly capture the full breadth of character and beauty of this country, I’ve given it my best shot!
These 25 photos from my trip to Madagascar should give you a taste of the diversity and rawness of this unique country.
So please enjoy some of the photos from my trip.
(All taken with Canon EOS 1300D).
1. Malagasy markets
Markets on the outskirts of the capital, Antananarivo (or Tana as it’s frequently referred to).
Most markets sell a variety of products, from snacks and fruit to things aimed at tourists such as artwork, ceramics, clothing, and toys. It’s also common to find stalls that sell knock-off fake brands such as Neke (Nike) or Adidsa (Adidas)!
2. The vibrant Katsaoka River outside Antananarivo
Madagascar is known for its brightly coloured rivers. The reason for their rusty red colour is due to a large amount of sediment in the water.
This sediment comes from the iron-rich red soils which contain minerals similar to clay – hence the familiar orange colour!
3. Coquerel’s Sifaka of Madagascar
Lemurs are found across Madagascar, with over 100 different species. The Coquerel’s Sifaka (pictured) is native to northwest Madagascar.
4. Madagascar’s Chameleons
The Oustalet’s chameleon is one of the largest species of chameleon in the world, growing up to 68.5cm (27 inches) in length! Endemic to Madagascar, this chameleon can be found in a variety of different habitats across the country.
I stumbled across many in the dry forests of the north.
5. Madagascar’s Agricultural Land
The vast majority of Madagascar’s land is used for agriculture. This means that many forests and hillsides have been cleared for farming.
Over 80% of Madagascar’s natural areas have been damaged already. Agriculture, mining, and unsustainable forest management are the driving force behind the increasing rate of deforestation in Madagascar.
6. Ring-tailed Lemurs
Ring-tailed lemurs are probably the most recognisable lemur species due to King Julien, one of the main characters in the film, Madagascar. Because of this, they are sometimes referred to as “King Julien” lemurs.
7. Stunning Coastlines in Mahajanga
The port city of Mahajanga on the north coast of Madagascar is lined with beautiful sandy beaches. Mahajanga is one of the larger cities in the north, attracting some tourism to the area.
8. Zebu
Zebu are closely related to cattle and can be recognised by the large fatty hump behind their head.
They are primarily used for work in Madagascar due to their strength but are also eaten or used for milk production.
9. Dry Season in Madagascar
During Madagascar’s dry season (May-October) many of the rivers run dry. As a result, river beds transform into sandy beaches and wildlife must adapt to the new conditions.
10. Hery leading the way
Our guide, Hery, walked us out of the dry forest and back towards our camp.
The people of Madagascar are some of the friendliest and most welcoming in the world.
11. Camouflaged Creatures
Madagascar is home to an array of species unique to the island. This gecko has some of the best camouflage around!
12. Wildlife at night
Photo of a day gecko… at night!
Day geckos (Phelsuma madagascariensis) are one of the most common reptile species on the island.
13. Madagascar’s Creepy Crawlies
A spider deep in its web.
Fun fact: there are no species on the island of Madagascar that are venomous to humans. There is one venomous snake species, however, it’s only strong enough to kill small rodents.
14. Sunset over Mariarano
Watching the sun go down over the dry forest and silhouette against the palm trees.
15. Abandoned boat in Antafiameva
16. Mangrove forests
Nile crocodiles can be found in the freshwater areas of Madagascar. They are an invasive species having migrated over from the mainland.
We went out on small boats to explore the mangroves and see if we could spot any crocs.
17. The Malagasy Flag
Malagasy flag blowing in the wind on Independence Day.
Madagascar’s Independence Day is on 26th June and celebrates the day that Madagascar became independent of France in 1960.
18. Independence Day
Independence Day in Madagascar is celebrated differently throughout the country. In the Boeny region, many local villages come together for an evening of dancing, music, and… bare-knuckle fighting.
Men of all ages (even children as young as 5) come together to find willing partners for brief fights. They spar until either there is an obvious winner or the referee intervenes.
19. Village celebrations on Independence Day
20. Deserted beaches of Mahamavo
The stunning coastline of the Mahamavo region overlooks the Mozambique Channel. This beach was located just off the small towns of Marosakoa and Ankomany near Mariarano.
21. More lemurs!
The lemurs around our campsite were very inquisitive. They weren’t afraid to swing from tree to tree right above us. Nor were they afraid to wake me up early in the morning…
22. Rural Villages
In much of Madagascar, villages can be isolated and far removed from other parts of the country, particularly in rural areas. Infrastructure such as transport and networks aren’t well developed meaning that people have limited contact with other communities.
With a population of around 24 million, villages and communes further from larger cities can be as small as a few hundred people. In the area that we stayed in, there was one primary school but no secondary education.
23. Dark Skies
Due to the lack of infrastructure in Madagascar, you can see dark skies in many locations. Pictured here is the Milky Way, shot a 30-second walk away from our campsite.
Even while flying into Antananarivo airport in the dark, I could see very few lights from the plane’s window.
24. Mouse Lemur Conservation
The cutest animal on the island.
Okay, I may be biased here, but Mouse lemurs are definitely up there!
These noctural lemurs are pretty hard to come by as they are listed as an endangered species and are also the smallest primates.
I took this photo whilst completing ecological research looking at edge effects on populations of mouse lemur. In other words, how deforestation and the splitting up of habitats affect the populations of the species.
25. A Cloudy Day in Matsedroy
I hope you have enjoyed these images of Madagascar, and that they have given you a taste of what to expect if you ever visit. Though I was there for almost two months, there is still so much more to see!
Before you go
Thank you for looking at my favourite photos of Madagascar and I hope it inspires you to visit this incredible country! If guides, itineraries and travel content like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more.
If you are new to Matt’s Next Steps, check out the About Me page to find out a bit more about who I am, my travel adventures, and why I wanted to become a travel writer.
Please comment below and let me know your thoughts and experiences, or if there is anything else you want information on.
Happy travelling!
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