Things to see and do Fort-Dauphin – Taolagnaro

Founded in 1870 by Marchal Auguste, taken over by the French state in 1888, recovered by the Malagasy state in 1961, then finally by Aziz of Air Force Services in 1997, this park of 50 ha deserves a visit. You can see 6 species of lemurs, four of which are diurnal (the Sifaka verreauxi, the Lemur Catta, the Lemur Fulvus, and the Bamboo Hapalemur), 2 Nile crocodiles after the nursery, a dozen radiated turtles on the side of the bungalows, beautiful vanilla pods, and a superb alley of camellias (the second largest collection in the Indian Ocean), an albizia prized by primates, Brazilian cherry trees, mimosa pudicas, niaoulis, elephant ears, as well as a bamboo forest that will impress even the most hardened, with its huge specimens of giant bamboo (they grow 25 cm per day in January-February, the period of growth!)... A circuit makes it possible to gain a small cascade where it is good to picnic. We can make a small tour in dugout (about twenty minutes). A good day in the fresh air.The park provides 6 bungalows. Five of them (three double and two family) are located in the main structure, built in 1912, at the end of the magnificent central alley. The whole is rustic but rather comfortable, with private terrace and hammock. Not far from there, the dining area is dominated by a row of five hundred-year-old lychee trees. Nearby, a photo stop in front of the triangular palm tree with its three symmetrical branches: the tree is endemic to Fort-Dauphin.

The history of the reserve is that of the De Heaulme family, arriving from France in 1919. At that time, Henry and Alain were mining operators in mica mines and sisal producers in Fort Dauphin - a production continues today in an area of 5,000 hectares in Berenty, despite fierce competition from Sweden and Poland. It was in 1936 that they decided to invest in nature protection by creating the Berenty Reserve. Covering a surface of 1,000 hectares, the reserve attracts researchers from around the world from the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia to study the famous primates. In this way, we had once again known the famous American primatologist Allison Jolly. Everything is done to facilitate the observation of the lemurians. Three groups dominate the reserve: the makis (ringed) first. We can observe their very "human" attitude when they sit on their back train and put their "arms" on their "knees"; every morning, they expose themselves to the sun to warm up. The sifakas (white, tinted with brown) are incredible acrobats that jump to 6 m from tree tree in the thorny forest of the dry forest. They are mostly an extreme grace when they take a few steps of dance on the ground. The gidros (brown) are mostly very chatty and very curious. They descend from heights to meet the visitor who feigns to try their language. At night, you can, with a light lamp, go to search for nocturnal leds nestled in the hollow of the trunk (Lépilémur and microcedar). In the forest, giant bats (the famous frugivores), balls, spend all day sleeping the head at the top of the top trees. From time to time, this calm is disturbed by a quarrel of lovers between these amazing animals with acute cries. Birds, also abundant in the forest (there are no fewer than 102 species), are another observation subject. At the end of the southern winter, one of the most moving moments is the one where all the lipped females carry their newborn babies in their movements.

Finally, a museum invites the traveler to dive into the history of the local place and population.

Accommodation: Lodges and bungalows await you in the park, to take full advantage of the various circuits and wake up in the morning with a lemon on its terrace. An unforgettable experience. The newer lodges offer optimal comfort with lounge, air conditioning and refinement.

How to access it: transfers from/to Fort Dauphin or Lavanono (ideal for a break on the road) with Aloalo Tours, the agency's agency.

The road to achieve this is already a journey in itself. You cross beautiful fields of rice fields, you cross beautiful granite mountains on the left, and then you enter the heart of the villages. We admire parents working in the rice fields and the gentle pretty of their children around. For the rest, rice production in these artisanal farms is in the order of one and a half per hectare, compared with eight to ten tonnes in industrial production. This park of 40 hectares today houses the latest vestiges of primary forest forest throughout the region. There is a walk (with no difficulty) between water plans and typical lush vegetation: Trièdres palms, raffia palms, palms, elephant ears, orchids, tree ferns, bamboo, népenthès, carnivorous plants, beautiful goyaviers, eucalyptus and niaoulis… A perfect introduction to the fragile ecosystems with Saint-Louis peak. On the wildlife side, there are three diurnal lemurs species: the marron marron (fulvus collaris), maki (ruffed tif) with his black and white tail, and bamboo (hapalemur) and two nights (microcèbe and chirogale), a crocodiles farming of the Nile that will join Croc farm as soon as they reach 5 to 6 m, des turtles, the endemic green gecko of Fort Dauphin, and quantity of birds… And for amateurs: canoeing rides. A beautiful half day in green.

This fort, or rather its ruins, overlooks the Bay of Farodofay (beautiful panorama). The entrance gate dates back to 1643; even today, it is through here that the soldiers access Camp Flacourt. We take the opportunity to visit its museum which recalls the habits and customs and the history of the Antanosy people and its tumultuous relations with Europe. Through photos, maps, we have a good overview of the colonial history of the city. At the beginning of the visit, the remains of a fortress, erected by the governor of the city between 1768 and 1770 and restored in 1950.

40 km from Fort-Dauphin in the direction of Ambovombe (1h20 by road), this arboretum opened in 1971 has recently been rehabilitated. On 2.2 ha, no less than 360 plant species are discovered (60% of which are endemic to southern Madagascar). It is also a centre of botanical expertise. Interesting to get acquainted with the flora of southeastern Madagascar, the time of a nice walk (about 1h30), to meet the lemurs, not at all fierce. possibility of picnic on site.

Fort Dauphin exudes a peaceful, pleasant atmosphere, and is a great place to take a stroll. In the center, a pleasant stroll takes you along the Rue Circulaire and the Corniche, with a well-deserved break at Libanona beach. Rue Circulaire runs alongside the false Bay of Galions and Faux-Cap beach. Dolphins can sometimes be seen offshore. The locality is home to some fine examples of colonial architecture; one of the most beautiful is the Kaleta family's large white house, surrounded by greenery not far from the Hôtel Le Dauphin. Around the post office, the ochre buildings, colonnades and architectural testimonies of the past are worth a long stroll through the town. A visit to the fishermen's quarter (Ampotatra) is recommended. If you set off on foot towards the circular road overlooking Libanona beach, take time to explore the Indo-Pakistani community quarter. Rising out of the vegetation, the new mosque with its graceful domes bears witness to the important role played by this community in the local economy.

The most beautiful and safest beach is Libanona, where the sunset is magnificent (climb up to the belvedere overlooking the beach on the left, at the Lavasoa bungalows). You can also go as far as Lokaro, where the sea is calmer. L'Anse Monseigneur and the site of the old port: here you can observe fishermen and rocky flats (you can snorkel to see corals, black sea urchins, moray eels and jumping gobies).

Along the roads and tracks that drive north, east or west, there will be a lot of funeral monuments. The oldest are recognizable with the sacred statues of carved wood. The most recent are surmounted by stone obelisks. Elsewhere, we will find levées and accumulations of zébus skulls. Here, too, the dead are not forgotten.

These funeral works have only a role as a mausoleum (the tombs are elsewhere). However, it is necessary to visit these monuments accompanied by Malagasy friends: the villagers are very suspicious. Every year, sacred statues are sawn in hundreds and disappear… these flights would be due not to tourists, but to dealers in antiquities of the world art market.

A recognized official guide that knows the fauna and flora well.