马达加斯加玩乐指南

Madagascar split from the African mainland long ago, and most of its wildlife, including lemurs and chameleons, lives nowhere else. Antananarivo, the capital, sits among terraced rice fields in the central highlands, a hilly city of steep lanes, markets and the hilltop Rova palace compound.

On the west coast near Morondava, the Avenue of the Baobabs is a dirt road lined with giant trees that glow at sunset. Nosy Be, a warm island off the north-west coast, has beaches, ylang-ylang farms and boat trips to smaller islands. Ambalavao, in the southern highlands, makes paper by hand and has a lemur reserve at Anja, and Isalo National Park, further south, holds sandstone canyons.

Romazava, a broth of zebu beef and leafy greens, and zebu with rice are everyday dishes, and vanilla, cloves and chocolate come from the northern and eastern coasts. The dry season runs from May to October, and cyclones can strike the east coast from January to March.