Tsimanampetsotsa National Park

Tsimanampetsotsa is built around a shallow alkaline lake some twenty kilometres long that holds greater flamingos in numbers, sitting below a limestone escarpment riddled with caves and sinkholes, with spiny forest of octopus trees and baobabs covering the plateau above. The name means the lake without dolphins. In the caves are blind fish adapted to permanent darkness, and on the plateau are ring-tailed lemurs, Verreaux's sifakas, radiated tortoises and a banyan-like fig that has become the park's emblem. It is one of the driest places in Madagascar, with rainfall under half a metre a year, and the vegetation is accordingly bizarre. The park is a component of the Andrefana Dry Forests World Heritage property. Access is by rough track and there is no accommodation inside.

History

The area, at the western escarpment of the limestone Mahafaly Plateau, was first protected in 1927 for its endemic plants and animals and became a national park in 1966. In the 1930s Henri Perrier de la Bâthie found subfossil remains here of many species, among them giant tortoises and crocodiles, and in 1998 Lake Tsimanampetsotsa, after which the park is named, was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance (Wikipedia, Tsimanampetsotsa National Park).

Highlights

• Flamingos on the soda lake - flocks on shallow alkaline water.
• Spiny forest - octopus trees, baobabs and thorn scrub on the plateau.
• Caves and sinkholes - limestone hollows with blind cave fish.
• Ring-tails and sifakas - lemurs in an unusually arid habitat.

When to go

April to November for the track and for bearable heat. Flamingo numbers depend on water level and can be low in dry years, so it is worth asking before committing to the drive. Early morning is the only comfortable time to walk.

What to expect

The drive is three to four hours each way on a bad track. Heat is severe and there is no shade on the plateau. Accommodation is camping or simple lodges outside the park. Water must be carried. Flamingos are often distant and a telescope helps.

Nearby

Anakao lies north along the coast; Cap Sainte Marie is far to the southeast.

Key facts