Madagascar
The first Europeans to set foot on the majestic lands of Madagascar returned home with tall tales of baboons two meters in height and carnivorous trees with an appetite for human flesh. Today, the legendary Madagascar continues to inspire stories of seemingly surreal wildlife and vegetation. But, be warned, in every legend there remains a backbone of truth.
Nearly 165 million years ago, Madagascar broke from the continent and found its home as the world’s fourth largest island just off the shores of Africa. The country’s resulting solitude spawned the distinct evolution of numerous species found nowhere else on Earth. Today, Madagascar reigns as a naturalist’s wonderland, teeming with such rarities as jumping rats, hissing cockroaches, moths the size of dinner plates and chameleons the size of matchsticks. While Madagascar’s wild wonders put even the Amazon to shame, the curio of fascinations extends far past those of animal form alone.
Among the people of Madagascar, find a wealth of intriguing ceremonies and superstitions. From elaborate rites of honor to a complex web of taboos, sacred waterfalls to mystical spirit caves, the people of Madagascar are as dynamic as the landscape they call home.
