20 August 2025
Today we have a hike through Isalo National Park with its stunning landscapes formed during the Jurassic period. The unique flora and fauna here have evolved over time to thrive in this rugged environment. With park ranger Josepha we hike to the top of sandstone formations then down to an oasis; from there we trek along the valley and then down into a wooded canyon.
Although it is still quite cool when we reach the starting point, we soon warm up as we climb for the first 20 mins. Here we reach an area with tombs of the Bara people – in natural caves. Our guide Josepha showed us examples of temporary tombs (one full, one empty) and points out a permanent tomb higher up in the crack of a cliff. Temporary tombs are used for 2-5 years before a ceremony to coat the bones with zebu fat to preserve them, wrap them in silk and then reinter the body, complete with a ceremony including sacrificing zebu. Children under 6 (when boys are circumcised and girls have their ears pierced) cannot be buried in the ancestral tombs; they are ‘returned to the water’ – buried near streams.
Then we walked along a flat plateau on the tops, with lots of tapia trees, false baobab or Pachypodium plants coming into flower (also depicted on a bank note), aloe, kalanchoe. We saw termite mounds on ground and also in trees. Out at a lookout point we can look at site that others have described as like the Grand Canyon (it’s not) and the Bungle Bungles in Australia. It is very impressive. We then start to go down and see an oasis – perfect for a dip. Then we have an hour and a half walk along the valley floor – and by this point it is reaching 30C. It is hard going simply because of the heat. About half way the landscape changes as we drop into a green valley.
We see a spiny-tail lizard, a little scorpion, a chameleon and several very impressive (and difficult to spot) stick insects.
Finished up at a campsite where a local family run a roaring trade by setting up tables with table cloths and crockery and serving a delicious lunch of salad, barbeque skewers of zebu, chicken and veg, followed by fresh fruit. All served with a side helping of ring-tail lemurs jumping all around and parading past us, tails up, on their way up from the river.
After lunch we head back to the van, having turned down the opportunity of another 1.5 hour hike to a steeper canyon and pools. We see a family of Verox Sifaka in the trees along the path.
We have also been learning more Malagasy along the way: Andao means ‘let’s go’; Moramora means slowly slowly. There is quite a custom of using words twice to change the meaning slightly e.g. Tara means good but Tara Tara means ‘so so’.
We get back to the lodge around 3.00 for a restful afternoon, but it seemed to disappear with having a shower, returning laundry that wasn’t ours and trying to locate what was (and getting a bonus item!), washing our clothes from the hike and sorting a few photos.
We had the opportunity to go to a ‘famous’ site where there is a ‘window’ that you can photograph the sunset through. After being told that there would be hundreds of people there we decided against it. Instead we asked if there was a place near the hotel we could watch the sunset. We were told to meet at 4.45 because sunset was 5.15 (we knew it wasn’t that the day before). Anyway we climbed up to a viewpoint to enjoy the last of the sun along with trying some of the local Rum arrangé (infused with fruits and spices) – we had vanilla and jujube, and ginger, along with some snacks. There was lots of colour as the sun went down but disappointingly little afterwards.
Dinner again in the restaurant, along with ordering a picnic lunch for tomorrow and settling our bills.
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