If you’re looking for a breath-taking getaway, look no further than Madagascar. With enough natural attractions to make you want to visit twice, this island is packed with waterfalls, national parks, hiking sites, and water-based adventures.

Stroll through mesmerising avenues with the tallest and largest trees you’ve seen and taken a dip in the quaintest waterfall you’ll ever get to witness. Madagascar is an island made for a nature lover, and the place will make you fall in love with the small luxuries that life has to offer.

Tsingy Rouge

Madagascar has numerous natural sites, but one remarkable experience is the Tsingy. Looking like nature carved it, the Tsingy Rouge has peaks that resemble rows of knives. Hiking here is a new kind of adventure, and travellers must use rope, bridges, ladders and other tools to get around. Tsingy also has caves down below and you can take a boat ride down the Tsiribihina River for the full experience.

Isalo National Park

If you’re a nature fanatic, the Isalo National Park is the place for you. Start at the Canyon des Singes. You can hike through the forest and find yourself in the habitat of ring-tailed lemurs. After that, you can take a break at Piscine Naturelle and witness a natural stone cave overlooking a crystal-clear waterfall. Cool down after an exhausting hike by relaxing by the surreal waterfall. If you want some quiet, the Namaza Circuit is for you. This canyon has luxuriant vegetation, a waterfall and even a vast pool where you can swim to your heart’s content.

Avenue of the Baobabs

A walking tour may seem unimpressive but the baobab trees make it much more exciting. These trees are as tall as 98 feet and live up to 1,000 years. They are famous not only because of their size but also because of how useful they are. You can tap out water from them, eat their fruits, and even live in them. Strolling through this avenue filled with these massive trees is a surreal experience.

Marche Artisanale de La Digue

Enjoy the culture of Madagascar in this craft market. La Digue Craft market is the go-to place to find souvenirs for your family and friends back home. The market has stalls that sell handcrafted baskets, leather goods, embroidery and textiles. The charm of the market includes an assortment of sellers along the street, selling goods as vibrant as beads and masks and as creative as recycled household items. Enjoy the street life of Madagascar here.

Les Trois Baies

Madagascar is known for its spectacular set of bays. Here, you can go hiking from one bay to the other and view a historic lighthouse as well as soak in the natural beauty that Les Trois Baies boasts. In the warmer seasons, it is highly recommended to go swimming and snorkelling in the pristine turquoise seas. The area is also known for kite surfing, and many tourists opt for courses in the unique adventure sport.

Ambohimanga Hill

Known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ambohimanga Hill has a rich history. It was known as both a burial site and a summer palace. You enter the site through massive ancient gates. Take a stroll through the site with a tour guide, and you’ll explore two palaces, a sacrificial ox pit, four royal tombs, and two sacred basins.

Cuisine

Madagascar’s cuisine is mostly influenced by its French colonisers but it also has influences from different parts of the world. The cuisine borrows its palate from the different migrants who have settled in the island at one point. These influences have added to the cooking of the Malagasy, who have developed their style as well. The people of Madagascar are fond of their rice and tend to serve their dishes with rice. This is perhaps the most significant difference between the French and the Malagasy people.

A typical meal in Madagascar is served like this. A base of rice accompanies a sauce, which the people of Madagascar call laoka. The laoka is usually made like a curry, either a vegetable or a meat-based sauce with rich spices and herbs. The national dish of Madagascar has its variation in each home that it is made. It is called Romazava, a one-pot dish that is served with rice. The meat in the dish—beef, pork or chicken—is cut into cubes and cooked with vegetables and seasoned well. Madagascar has a variety of street food as well. You can munch on coconut slices and toffee-coated peanut. When walking through the streets of Madagascar, you may also see vendors selling the infamous koba, a snack made by grinding banana, peanuts and rice, and wrapping this paste in a banana leaf; it is served as slices.

After turning into a tourist hub, Madagascar has imbibed many touristic trends. From cheap Chinese restaurants to pizzerias, the island serves everyday food to appeal to tourists as well. But we recommend you skip this and opt for the coastal specialty, seafood. One such experience is the smalona, a stuffed eel filled with flavour.

Madagascar also has a vibrant drinking scene. The island’s love for rice translates to beverages as well, and you can order Ranovola to taste Madagascar’s speciality drink. Ranovala is burnt rice water and has a rather odd taste. Madagascar also has its table wine called the Malagasy wine, and the Rhum arrangé is also a frequently ordered drink. The Rhum arrangé is a homemade rum flavoured with fruit or spices, depending on the brewer.The cuisine in Madagascar is distinct and a taste to acquire. The many dishes that the people of Madagascar have cooked up are a treat for the stomach. If you aren’t the adventurous eater, the cuisine still makes for a great experience.