- Type: National Park
- Year of foundation: 2002
- Area: 135 thousand hectares
Madagascar is an island state famous for its unique natural data. There are many national parks on its territory, one of which will be discussed in this article.
general information
Ankarafantsika National Park (Ankarafantsika) is located in the north-western part of the island, about 115 km from Mahanzangi . The name of the reserve is literally translated as "mountain of thorns". The total area of the national park of Madagascar Ankarafatsik is 135 thousand hectares. His official status he received in 2002.
Ankarafatsika is a mixture of different types of forests with a lot of small lakes and rivers. Almost in the center of the park is the national road number 4. In the eastern part of the reserve, the Mahajamba River flows, in the western part - the Botswana River. The climate in Ankarafatsik is hot and conditionally divided into seasons. The period from April to November is considered a dry season, the average air temperature at this time is + 25 ... + 29 ° C. On the territory of the reserve there live representatives of the Sakalava tribe, the main occupation of which is agriculture.
Flora and fauna
The unique natural conditions of Madagascar contributed to the development and growth of a variety of plant species in the territory of the Ankarafatsik National Park. According to the latest data, there are over 800 plant species, most of which are not found anywhere in the world. A lot of representatives of the park flora have medicinal and other useful properties and are widely used in medicine (Cedrelopsis grevei) and carpentry.
The fauna of Ankarafatsik National Park can be spoken endlessly, but its main feature is that it is a home for most lemurs on the island. Only in recent years 8 new species of this family have been found here. In addition to these funny animals, the park has about 130 species of birds, many reptiles, most of which are endemic.
Excursions and itineraries
Many travel agencies of Madagascar offer tourists routes to the national park of Ankarafatsik, characterized by complexity and duration. The most popular excursions are:
- "Getting to know lemurs" is a walk that takes 3 hours. An easy path 2 km long, on which you will see such lemurs as: walnut sifak, mangoste, brown poppy;
- "Baobabs" - the journey begins from Lake Ravelobe, passes through the forest and ends at the huge baobabs. During the route (about 1.5 km) you will see a lot of birds and get acquainted with the plant world of the park;
- "Ravelobe" - traveling by boat on the lake, acquaintance with birds and reptiles. Travel time - 3 hours, distance - 5 km;
- Autotour - a car route length of 9 km. The path passes through the forest and takes 2.5 hours.
- For tourists wishing to spend the night in the park, there is a camping site where you can pick up a room or bungalow to your liking, and also use the services of a guide or a cook, rent a car .
To the tourist on a note
To travel in the park you remember only from the positive side, we advise you to pay attention to the following nuances:
- Acquaintance with the park and its inhabitants more will appeal to people who like walking and having good physical training.
- Pay special attention to the choice of shoes. In the park you have to walk a lot, and not on asphalt pavements, but along forest paths, so we advise you to take care of quality and comfortable shoes.
- Also, take care of sufficient fresh water supplies.
- If you are planning an overnight stay, standard equipment (tent, sleeping bags, rugs) would be a good addition to a flashlight and binoculars.
How to get there?
You can reach the Ankarafatsika National Park from the capital of Madagascar by car or by bus as part of the excursion groups. Approximate travel time is 8 hours.
If you value time, you can fly from the capital by plane to the city of Mahadzang , from which the road by car will take 2 hours.