Today was a travelling day - after a leisurely breakfast we sat and relaxed - I wrote emails that would go once I was back in the wifi of the Lantana hotel in Antananarivo. We were collected at 1130 for the short drive to the airport - indeed it didn't take us the hour planned and we arrived about 1215 and were first in the check in queue. As we got out of the car a rather elderly but wirey gent, with a porter tabard on, descended on us and insisted on carrying J...

As the park was so close we didn't have to leave until 8am - so at 7am we had a leisurely breakfast on the balcony taking in the views and eating home made cinnamon buns and fruit. We were collected a few minutes early and set off towards the park - at the bottom of the hotel drive we turned immediately right to go up to the national park -we noticed a lot of men gathered - they were waiting for today's supply of 'khat' this is a legal intoxicant which is chewe...

Even in the early morning the heat was building in Ankarana (west) - but we were off today on the next leg of our journey so we left Iharana bush camp just after breakfast and headed towards our next stop Montaigne de Ambre and its cooler climes. The first part of the trip took us through previously unseen countryside and further insights into the Malagassy way of life. After reaching the Ankarana Park entrance,in the east, we were back on the same old potholed ...

At 0730, after breakfast, we left the lodge for the east entrance of the park our intention was to meet the driver at the other end of the trail have a picnic lunch and then visit a cave before going to our next lodge, Iharana bush camp, for one night. At 0730 it was already getting warm but a nice breeze and the forest gave us good shade - the forest with all the wildlife is really a narrow strip bounded by areas of Tsingy (jagged limestone) - in the west it i...

We woke before the 4am alarm and got ourselves ready for our 5am journey to the airport......we were given a breakfast pack - freshly cooked rolls and pastries - butter and jam but no knife - I improvised - what else are fingers and wet wipes for! The journey only took 20-25 minutes as there was hardly any traffic on the roads. I jumped out at the international terminal so I could restock our money supplies from the ATM there while John went straight to the domes...