If you come to Madagascar for the birding, a trip south is a must. The aptly named “Spiny Forest” at Ifaty is home to several birds found nowhere else in the world. While you’re in the area you may as well visit Nosy Ve, a small island a mile offshore from Anakao with a resident population of red-tailed tropicbirds and crab plovers.
Relaxing at the Bamboo Club, Ifaty
The Bamboo Club at Ifaty was one of the nicest places we have stayed. Our spacious bungalow sits nearly on the beach, the seafood is good and we are only minutes from the Spiny Forest and its famous baobob trees.
Sunset, Spiny Forest
Freddy and his family make up two-thirds of the birding guides in the park. His father was the first guide in the Spiny Forest. Despite his pedigree, Freddy ain’t no Eddie! He knows the birds and their habits but he hasn’t a clue how to deal with people. His English isn’t very good, nor is his French. He has neither binoculars nor local bird books. We’re not sure about his ethics, either. Maybe the only way to see some of the ground birds is to have your uncle and brother herd them to the clients. And maybe electronic recordings of bird calls are ethical. We liked the ends but not the means. To make matters worse, he was our guide over to Anakao and Nosy Ve, too.
