Route Nationale 7 winds through central and southern Madagascar, starting at Antananarivo and ending on the south-west coast at Tulear. Each town and village beside the road has its own character, from Betsileo country in the high plateau, through the wild Bara farmlands, and on to tiny Vezo fishing villages on the coast. Starting in Tana and heading south, to the east lies the lush rainforest belt, including Ranomafana National Park, with rolling tree-covered hills, tumbling waterfalls, and lemurs, chameleons and geckos galore! Closer to the southern tip, the landscape becomes increasingly dramatic, more open and wild, as the climate becomes more arid. Isalo National Park can be seen for miles away, with stunning rock formations, limpid tropical pools, and deciduous woodland where lemurs and sifakas frolic amongst the branches. At the southernmost tip of the road lies the spiny desert, with succulent aloes, twisted octopus plants and spiky cacti.
In this region
Antananarivo is the capital of Madagascar. It is located in Antananarivo Province, and is most commonly known by its colloquial short-hand form Tana. It is situated in...
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Antsirabe is a small spa town roughly half way between Antananarivo and Ranomafana. Signs of its colonial past can still be seen today in the town’s wide boulevards,...
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Isalo’s golden sandstone cliffs can be seen rising out of the plains from many miles away. The national park is home to some of Madagascar’s most stunning scenery, and is...
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Ranomafana National Park is part of the lush chain of rainforest that runs down Madagascar’s east coast. The steep hills are covered in thick vegetation, occasionally...
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