Blogs from Toliara, Madagascar, Africa

We have hit the beach. I write this at the Shangri-la Hotel in Ambatomila on Madagascar's South Western coast. There is a reef that follows the coast about a kilometre offshore which calms the biggest breakers. We got to the coast at Morondava and the next day we drove 4 hours down to Belo sur Mer. The track has now turned to sand. We have another 4x4 (I hesitate to say new as all cars are second hand imports from France, Dubai, Korea etc) and another driver, Ando, who seems equally as skillful as Jacko. Outside the town are vast salt flats where they still harvest salt from evaporated pools using Zebu carts for transport. The only cars we see are the odd 4x4 taking Western tourists on the same route as us. In Belo sur ... read more

Tuesday 6 March – Isolo National Park The weather was magnificent, with clear blue sky other than a couple of white fluffy clouds, as we left at 7.45am to pick up our guide and cook in the town (Ranohira). On the main intersection of the town was a bright red and yellow pub which was the colour of the Three Horses Beer company, a regular site in these villages. From time to time we saw staggering men on roads who had obviously had a bit too much THB or home-made rum. Our guide had very good English as he explained to whilst driving out to the entrance of the Park that when local Bara tribes people die they place their bodies in a temporary grave for 3 years. After that time the bones are cleaned and ... read more

Geo: -20.29, 44.27what's good for motorbiking, it's bad for the charisma of a place...a paved road...Travelling for many, many years...I have learned that a paved road leading to a town will change their personalities away from strangers forever...What did I see here?...The road has been paved all the way to Morondava...To bad, it was time to arrive and leave at the same time...Staying in Morondava for 2 nights to service my bike a bit as I will have one of the most difficult rides in front of me...Morondava simply upholds that statement I have made...The paved road has changed them to the bad forever...No reason to keep lingering...I got ready to leave...Leaving this time had it's difficulties...The raining season started and submerged certain areas I was intended to drive under deep mud...Well...it's Madagascar...an adventurous place is ... read more

Bruno, the tatted up Marseillais instructor, guided me to the edge, and then with a gentle push we began a slow descent along the Technicolor wall of corals, vibrant fish darting in and out of the crevices and waving sea fans. My nose skimmed inches above the bright textures.And all I could think: “Why have I never done this before?!” Twenty minutes later, as we gradually ascended, the strange underwater world I had been nose-to-nose with began to slip away and the shimmer of the sun on the ocean surface began to come into view. I lost all sense of up and down for a moment. I also had no sense of how deep we had plunged. When we broke the surface, the instructor pointed at me and said: “Seize mètres!” “Seize mètres?” Really? 16 meters? ... read more