After we got in the 4WDs, we still had a few hours’ on the road and one hour on the ferry boat before arrival to our goal for that day; Belo Sur Tsiribihina, a small town where we spent a night before our arrival to Tsingy.  Belo Sur Tsiribihina, a small town lost in the marshes and mangroves of the Tsiribihina delta is halfway between Morondava and parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha. Like in Miandrivazo, there is nothing much to do in this town, but it is a good place to rest before or after coming from Tsingy. A good place for dinner is the Mad Zebu restaurant that feels a little bit out of place as haute cuisine restaurant in a dusty town in the middle of nowhere.

 Ferry on Tsiribihina river

Next morning we still had a few hours’ drive on a sandy road to arrive at the park. After we took a ferry one more time, this time to cross Manambolo River, we finally arrived at Bekopaka, a village next to Tsingy de Bemaraha NP. How we had a free afternoon, we decided to go to the pool in the hotel Orchidee du Bemaraha; 2km from our camp.  There is a 10 000 Ar (cca. 3 €) entrance for the pool for non-guests, but it was worth it. There is even a  wi fi ( after 5 pm) and quite good selection of food and drinks.

Next morning we were ready to explore Parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha. It is a Unesco World Heritage site, and its highlights are the jagged, limestone pinnacles that are known as tsingy. Fortunately, the impressive infrastructure that includes Via Ferrata, rope bridges and walkways was built. Wildlife in the park is also impressive, there are 11 species of lemur (most common are Decken’s sifaka and red-fronted brown lemur).  Beside lemurs, there are more than 100 bird species and around 45 species of reptiles and amphibians. At 152 000 ha, it is one of the Madagascar’s largest protected areas.

 Magpie robin                                                                                                                                                                          

We explored big (Le grand tsingy) and small (Le petit Tsingy) in one day, but usually it is done in two days.

Le petit tsingy: There are few circuits in this part. The easiest one is Tantely, 1-2 hours duration circuit passes through a labyrinth of limestones and two view points over the impressive pinnacles. There are some good chances to spot the Decken’s sifaka and red-fronted brown lemurs.

Le grand Tsingy: There are also few circuits in this part. To come to this part you need a car because it is 25 km from the camp ( but in a tour it is included). The most popular tour is Andamozavaky, a half-day trip within the park as it goes deep into the limestone forest. It includes lots of via ferrata and climbing, so be prepared 🙂 Even the hanging bridge looks scary, for me it was one of the easiest parts, just don’t look down 🙂 They give us all the needed material for climbing and our guide was really good, so even if you have fear of height, don’t miss this opportunity, it is really worth it 🙂 If you want even more adventure, take a whole day Broadway circuit. To change a scenery, there is also an opportunity to take a pirogue up the Manambolo river and visit a cave.

The Park is only opened during the dry season from April to November since it is inaccessible during the rainy season (mid-end November to mid-end May). The Grand Tsingy are only accessible between June and the beginning of November.

 The bridge

Sources: Brad Travel Guide: Madagascar 2013, Lonely Planet Travel: Madagascar 2016, Travel Madagascar