Arboretum d'Antsokay

The arboretum was started in 1980 by Hermann Petignat, a Swiss botanist who settled in the southwest, and it now holds around nine hundred plant species from the spiny forest of southern Madagascar, of which the great majority are endemic to the island and many are threatened in the wild. The collection is the quickest way to understand a vegetation type that is genuinely strange: didiereas like spiny columns, pachypodiums swollen into bottles, aloes, euphorbias and baobabs, most adapted to almost no rainfall. Guided walks explain the medicinal and practical uses of the plants, which is much of the interest. Chameleons, tortoises and birds live in the garden, and a small museum and restaurant sit at the entrance. It is the easiest introduction to the region for anyone not going deeper south.

What you actually see

• Spiny forest plants - didiereas, pachypodiums and aloes in one place.
• Endemic collection - some nine hundred species, mostly Malagasy.
• Medicinal plant walk - traditional uses explained on the tour.
• Resident wildlife - chameleons, tortoises and dry-country birds.

When to go

April to November for comfortable walking; the southwest is very hot and the garden has limited shade. Early morning is best. Flowering varies through the year and the guides will point out what is in season.

Honest expectations

It is a botanical garden, not wild forest, and quite small; two hours covers it. The heat is severe from mid-morning. Tours are guided and there is limited scope to wander alone. It works best as a primer before or instead of a trip into the spiny forest proper.

Nearby

Toliara lies northwest; Anakao is south along the coast.