Isalo began early for us at the national park office in Ranohira (🎟️ 65,000 MGA, tax 5,000 MGA), where we were assigned a mandatory guide for our 3-hour hike. This expense felt steep (160,000 MGA), especially since even a short visit requires paying for a full day. Established in 1962...
In the morning, we went on a short three-hour hike in Ranomafana National Park (🎟️ 55,000 MGA, guide: 90,000 MGA, tax: 5,000 MGA), a 41,600-hectare protected tropical rainforest in southeastern Madagascar. The park’s geography is defined by steep, mountainous terrain ranging from 600 to...
We got our first dose of the day’s scams right at the entrance to Montagne d’Ambre National Park (Amber Mountain). Staff tried to charge us for a full-day visit, even though we had clearly agreed with our local guide on a short 3-hour hike (🎟️ 55,000 MGA, guide 80,000 MGA, car...
Ankarana National Park, located in northern Madagascar, is a striking and rugged reserve renowned for its sharp limestone tsingy pinnacles, vast underground cave systems, and remarkable biodiversity. Covering 18,225 hectares, it encompasses dry forests and deep canyons that are home to 11...
Ankarafantsika National Park (136,513 ha), established in 2002 near Mahajanga, is a premier biodiversity hotspot that protects one of Madagascar’s last remaining dense dry deciduous forests (🎟️ 55,000 MGA, guide 50,000 MGA). Located between the Betsiboka and Mahajamba rivers, the park...
Around lunchtime, we drove for 1 hour to Mantadia National Park (guide: 60,000 MGA), located within Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Mantadia is less visited than nearby reserves, making it perfect for those seeking solitude and untouched nature. The hike to the waterfalls is more...
Early in the morning, we drove to the park office to buy our tickets to visit Analamazaotra Special Reserve (🎟️45,000 MGA, guide 50,000 MGA, city tax 5,000 MGA), a highly accessible, 874-hectare rainforest in eastern Madagascar, located 140 km from Antananarivo. Part of the larger...
Today, it was again a bit difficult to find a safari car, but we made a deal with a local guide for 150 USD, including a very high car entrance fee (5,000 KES) for a full-day trip to Ol Pejeta Conservancy (🎟️110 USD). It is supposed to be a 90,000-acre non-profit wildlife conservancy...
The evening before the visit, we did our research and spent two hours finding a reliable local tour operator in Nyeri. After some negotiation, we agreed on a safari van for 120 USD for a day in Aberdare National Park (🎟️70 USD). It is a diverse highland park in Kenya known for its...
Awash National Park is located in central Ethiopia, situated in the Great Rift Valley between the Oromia and Afar regions, approximately 225 km from Addis Ababa. Geographically, it is characterised by a semi-arid climate, grasslands, savannas, and shrubs, with altitudes ranging from 712...