Archive for the ‘Madagascar’ Category

Best of 2013 – By the Seat of My Skirt

Best of 2013 – By the Seat of My Skirt

This post is late, but I enjoyed reliving 2013 putting together the “Best Of” list!   BEST ADVENTURE: Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro   BEST CHALLENGE/ACHIEVEMENT: Summiting Kilimanjaro – 19,340 feet!   BEST HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Stäfa, Switzerland   COOLEST CREATURE: The Lemur   BEST FIRST IMPRESSION: Naxos, Greece   BEST DAY HIKE: There is a great hiking trail Glarus, Switzerland that […]

Kitespot Review: Sakalava Bay – Kiteboarding in Madagascar

Kitespot Review: Sakalava Bay – Kiteboarding in Madagascar

The Varatraza blew fiercely across Sakalava Bay. I dug my toes into the white sandy beach, watching Tom kite between the stone islands. He was clearly overpowered on his 6 meter kite, the wind gusting from 35-40 knots. I had attempted to go out earlier, but the strong wind proved too powerful for little ole […]

A gem of a kitespot … Emerald Sea, Madagascar

A gem of a kitespot … Emerald Sea, Madagascar

Photo of the week: Kitesurfing in the gorgeous clear waters of the Emerald Sea (Mer d’Emeraude) in Madagascar. Located in the far north of the island near Diego Suarez, the Emerald Sea is a gem of a kite spot! To see more photos from kitesurfing in northern Madagacar CLICK HERE!

Lemur LOVE

Lemur LOVE

I fell in love with a monkey at a very young age and have been obsessed with monkeys ever since. We first met at the county fair, she was wearing a red and white gingham dress and matching bonnet. I was wearing pigtails and Velcro sneakers. I squealed in delight as she pinched a penny […]

Three Bays Hike Madagascar

Three Bays Hike Madagascar

Located in the far north of the island of Madagascar are the “Three Bays” … beautiful turquoise water lined with long white beaches. Pigeons’ Bay,  Duns’Bay, and Sakalava Bay can be accessed by foot and there is much natural beauty of the land and sea to be experienced along the seaside trail. The walk from […]

Avenue of the Baobabs

Avenue of the Baobabs

Photos of the Week: The Avenue of the Baobabs is a group of ancient baobab trees that line the dirt road between Morondava and Belo’i Tsiribihina in western Madagascar. Baobab trees, up to 800 years old, are known locally as renala (Malagasy for “mother of the forest”). The best time to stroll down this avenue is at […]

Exploring a Stone Forest – Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park Madagascar

Exploring a Stone Forest – Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park Madagascar

Tsingy is the Malagasy word for “walking on tiptoes.” And tiptoe we did, ever so carefully while exploring the spiky labrinth of limestone pillars characteristic to the national park appropriately named Tsingy de Bemaraha. The fortress of pinnacles makes it difficult to penetrate the reserve located in Western Madagascar.  We were equipped with a guide, headlamps, and […]

Malagasy greetings

Malagasy greetings

Photo of the week: Malagasy boys wave hello to the strange white people canoeing down the Tsiribihina River in Western Madagascar.

Madagascar no plan no problem – canoeing down the Tsiribihina River

Madagascar no plan no problem – canoeing down the Tsiribihina River

I didn’t realize at the time, with a single phone call, our fated path on the island would begin to unfold. A voice laced in French confirmed, “Yes madam we have one room available, I will send a driver to fetch you.” Having landed in Madagascar without a plan or a place to stay, I […]

Tsiribihina River Madagascar

Tsiribihina River Madagascar

Photo of the week: Canoeing down the Tsiribihina River in Western Madagascar

I will not sell out my travel

I will not sell out my travel

“What do you do in travel?” she asked me. She, a woman who founded a company that develops products that help measure your social media impact. Me, an adventure traveler who could not care the least bit about measuring my social media impact. While many of the “travel people” who mingled about the event are […]

Cool Chameleon

Cool Chameleon

Photo of the week: A cool chameleon takes a ride in my canoe as we paddle down the Tsiribihina River in Western Madagascar.