Africa

With its warm climate all year round, its almost endemic flora and fauna, its incredible landscapes and its adorable population, the island of Madagascar is what we call a paradise on earth. Lying in the Indian Ocean, this big island of Madagascar, also known as the red earth island, is a place of hundreds of discoveries, a location of relaxation and travel. My name is Nicolas Raherinjatovo, and I am proud and happy to introduce you to Madagascar: the island of a thousand facets. I am passionate about travel and this passion drove me to study tourism. Let’s discover this beautiful island and all its incredible places.

Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot, with a dizzying array of plant and animal species found nowhere else on the planet. Its distinct ecosystems evolved in isolation for millions of years, resulting in a high level of endemism and ecological distinctiveness. Unfortunately, human activities such as deforestation, hunting, and the illegal wildlife trade endanger these ecosystems and their inhabitants. Climate change and natural disasters such as cyclones and droughts also pose significant threats to Madagascar’s endangered species’ survival.

Madagascar’s ecosystems must be protected not only to preserve its unique biodiversity but also to maintain important ecological and economic benefits. For example, the island’s forests play an important role in regulating local and regional climates, with deforestation leading to higher temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and more frequent natural disasters like cyclones and floods.

Climate change is one of the most serious environmental issues of our time, wreaking havoc on ecosystems and communities all over the world. Global average temperatures have already risen by about 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and are expected to rise by another 1.5 °C to 2 °C by the end of this century if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate.

Madagascar, a unique island nation off Africa’s east coast, is one region of the world that is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Recipe for the famous Ravitoto of Madagascar
The most famous dish on the big island is Ravitoto (crushed cassava leaves), which is eaten with rice by almost all Malagasy.

Nicolas Madagascar expert – Natura travel

Ravitoto is a high-fat dish in which the amount of oil and the quality of the meat are crucial. This dish is typically served with pork meat or Henakisoa in Malagasy, but if you do not eat pork, other meats such as beef or chicken can be substituted.

According to some historians, in the recipe for Ravitoto and Henakisoa (pork), only garlic and especially oil are used, rather than ginger or shallots.

The Malagasy New Year (literally translated into Malagasy as Taom-baovao Malagasy) is a national and popular holiday that has been resurgent since the early 1990s.

Nicolas Madagascar expert

Traditionally, January 1 marks the beginning of a new year. This day marks the first day of the Gregorian and Julian calendars and is widely celebrated as a holiday across the globe, including Madagascar. It is worth noting, however, that Madagascar had its own New Year’s celebration known as “Alahamady Be” or “Taom-baovao Malagasy” prior to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar during French colonisation. Unfortunately, this one-of-a-kind celebration has faded into obscurity over time.

Angano or Tales are kinds of stories that are drawn from oral traditions, facts that have happened in society or imagined stories that are used to remove pain and loathing. They “travel” the imagination as well as the mind and are especially dedicated to children. There are many kinds of tales that can tell things that make you sad, other kinds that make you happy and others that scare etc.

Nicolas Madagascar expert

THE ANGANO IN MADAGASCAR
When we ask the elderly today about the Angano, there is one thing in common in the answers: the Malagasy tale is a story, a shared story to “give lessons” to contemporaries about an increasingly distant and more and more fabulous past; yet, in the 1950s,

Circumcision in Madagascar: an essential custom
IThis tradition is compulsory for young boys in Madagascar. After being circumcised, the boy is considered a man. It is forbidden to bury an uncircumcised in the family tomb of certain Malagasy ethnic groups and the uncircumcised may not have a chance to find a wife. Circumcision is and remains a tradition rooted in Malagasy culture, but it is becoming more and more modern with new technology.

Nicolas Madagascar expert
Winter in Madagascar is often a time of celebration, and it even becomes a tradition: Famadihana (exhumation of the dead), Fisemana (a purification ceremony specific to the Antakarana ethnic group)

ndulging your taste buds while discovering a new destination is a trend that has been developing in recent years. Gastronomy is an integral part of the culture and heritage of a country. Travelling means discovering new landscapes but also new cultures. Since gastronomy is a culture, traveling also means tempting the taste buds with dishes that were previously unknown to us.

According to the famous chef René Redzepi:

People will travel anywhere for good food – it’s crazy.

The Zebu (Bos taurus indicus) is a bovid better known under the name of humpback ox and called by the local Malagasy population “Omby”. It is a domestic bovid descended from an Indian subspecies of the aurochs. The word zebu comes from the Tibetan “Zeba” etymologically meaning “bump”.

This animal, who was imported from Africa during the first millennium of our era, occupies an essential place in Malagasy culture. Its domestication makes it, for centuries, one of the pillars of the island economy and social order.

As a young boy in Madagascar, having a zebu was no different from a child from another country having a dog especially in the countryside.

The Baobab is an emblematic tree of Madagascar, characterizing the landscape of the south and west of the island. This majestic tree is impressive when seen in real life with its huge, smooth-barked trunk and dizzying height. There are six species recorded in the world and eight of them are endemic to Madagascar. This large tree can reach up to 30 meters in height, with its very particular appearance. The trunk can measure up to 9 meters in diameter and 30 meters in circumference

Nicolas Madagascar expert
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BAOBABS OF MADAGASCAR?
Baobab leaves are unique because they only appear for a short period of time. Indeed, baobabs get rid of their leaves during the dry season to avoid water decrease and these flowers are just wonderful.