Insight Guides Madagascar

Madagascar is like nowhere else on earth. It is fascinating not only zoologically and botanically, but culturally, linguistically, historically and geologically.

This vast island is the fourth largest in the world and also the oldest, which partly explains why it has evolved into an incredible hotspot for biodiversity, with a truly unique flora and fauna that is more than 80% endemic to the island, and with new species being described virtually on a daily basis.

Madagascar is also the only place where you can see wild lemurs. Almost a quarter of the worlds 450-or-so primates exist only here. You can visit tropical rainforest and seek out its incredible flora and fauna; explore otherworldly eroded limestone spires, most famously at Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park - Madagascar''s most striking landscape; discover the beach-fringed islands around Nosy Be with their fabulous scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, whale-watching and fishing opportunities; and make the most of a host of adventuring and sporting possibilities, including surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, rock climbing, tree climbing, caving, river trips, mountain biking, distance running, quad biking, trekking and hiking.

Also covered are the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ambohimanga; the renowned Avenue des Baobabs, one of the country''s most photographed scenes, and information on the best birdwatching spots: Madagascar has almost 300 avian species, with a high proportion of endemics, including five whole endemic families.