Guide to Tsingy de Bemaraha

Tsingy de Bemaraha consists of one of the most iconic rock formations found in the world. Hiking here is an amazing experience you cannot miss in Madagascar. This will be one of the favorite national parks in the entire country. The hikes are different than in other parks, but that makes it so special. There are also some lemurs to be found during both daytime and nighttime. Here is an informative guide for extra information on this incredible region.

Price: Entrance fee is 55,000 ariary per person, and the cost of a compulsory guide depends on the hike.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: It is an 8-hour drive north from Morondava to the city of Bekopaka, which is the main village to sleep in when visiting this park.

How much time needed: 2 Days.

What to do

Small Tsingy

This is a nice area that is less popular than the Grand Tsingy. You have a good chance to walk here by yourself. The tsingy are "small" because they are 10-15 metres deep from top to bottom. The hike can be rough in the heat, but it is absolutely worth every effort. You start with a nice hike in the forest, then you will see the Tsingy, where you will be on top of the rocks, and then you will come back to the forest. Everywhere you go, you have the chance to find lemurs, especially in the forests. The walk on the rocks can be a bit tricky, and with vertigo, it can be a bit trickier. The hike will take around 3-4 hours.

Grand Tsingy

The Grand Tsingy is the most impressive part of the national park, and it is amazing. If you only have one day, this is the part you should visit. The Tsingy is over 20 metres deep and can be higher. This part is also pretty popular, so keep that in mind. You will go through a forest to the top of the tsingy, including 2 viewpoints and a hanging bridge to the bottom of the tsingy, and back through the forest. In this tsingy, you really have to climb, and certain equipment is provided by your guide. Vertigo can be an issue, but you will be locked to ropes when there are ricks, so you will be fine. The hike can be rough and will take between 4 and 6 hours.

Night hike

The nigh hikes are outside the park, so you can ask your guide to do this and pay him/her for it (probably around 30,000 ariary per person). During the hike, you can find several nocturnal animals, like mouse lemurs, chameleons, and boas. The hike will start around 6pm and will take around 1.5-2 hours. The hike is close to the village, and it is very easy to hike.

Canoe on Manambolo river

A canoe trip on the Manambolo River is lovely because you have great views, a small chance of seeing lemurs far away, and you will visit 2 caves. Birding is amazing and with some luck you can find nile crocodiles (as we did, see picture). This is great in combination with the Small Tsingy. You just started the canoe trip from the village of Bekopaka.

Which wildlife can I see?

Although the park is not mainly for wildlife, there are chances to see them. For lemurs, in the daytime you can find Decken's sifakas (see picture) and Rufous brown lemurs, and during the night you can find Peter's mouse lemurs, Beharama sportive lemurs, Bemaraha woolly lemurs, and fat-tailed dwarf lemurs. There are day geckos, nile crocodiles, and chameleons for reptiles, and there are many bird species. More rare species can be found, but you have to be lucky (also for some species mentioned).

Go early

Going early has 3 advantages in Tsingy de Bemaraha. The area is very hot throughout the year, and by going early, you will be in a (slightly) cooler part of the day, which makes the hike more pleasant. Besides, the morning is better for wildlife watching, as they turn out to be more active. The last one is mostly for the Grand Tsingy. When going early, you are probably the first or one of the first to do the hike, which makes it more quiet, and you don't have to wait for other people. In the tsingy it is almost impossible to get passed some, so when getting here early, there is a bigger chance of going at your own pace.

When to visit?

You can visit Tsingy from April to mid-November. When there is too much rain, the path from Morondava to Bekopaka is inaccessible. It can be at the beginning of November that you cannot get to the park. For the rest, it is a great park from April to November. In June and August, the temperature is also a bit more pleasant.

The way to Bekopaka

Bekopaka is an 8-hour drive from Morondava over a bad road. You have to pass 2 ferries: 1 close to Tsiribihina du Mer and 1 at Bekopaka. The first ferry costs 70,000 ariary one way, and the second ferry costs 20,000 ariary return. When you are unlucky, you can wait for a while to get on the ferry because it leaves when it is full (often 6 cars). On the first ferry, you have to drive with multiple vehicles for safety reasons.

Where to sleep?

There are not too many hotels in Bekopaka, but enough to have a stay here. I slept in the Grand Hotel, and it was very comfortable, with good food and a nice pool.

Tsingy de Bemaraha itinerary

You need a day to get to Bekopaka and a day to get back. I would recommend staying at least 3 nights here, as you have 2 full days in this gorgeous park. So the itinerary would look like:

Day 1: Arrival from Morondava
Day 2: Small Tsingy + Manambolo River + night walk
Day 3: Grand Tsingy
Day 4: Depart to Morondava

Vertigo

The hikes can take you to some higher places, and you may find some scary parts, but the photos may look scarier than real life. These are completely safe hikes, and I was nervous sometimes, but I felt never unsafe, and I would recommend this activity even when you have vertigo (which I have).

Final Thoughts

Tsingy de Bemaraha is a very impressive place to visit, and although it is far, this should be on your list when visiting Madagascar. It is the highlight of the western part of the country, so do not miss out on this iconic location.