Day 025: This was a real day of exploration. Our day and a half to get here and upcoming return of the same length was mainly for what happened today.
We got right on the road at 7:00 in the morning. The turn off to the Kirindy National Forest and the Avenue of the Baobabs is not far from the town of Morondova. However, it was dirt.
In some ways, navigating the dirt road was easier than the pothole on the semi-tarred highways. I know the driver found it easier. This is a little after tourist season and it can be rainy. The road only had a few muddy areas though.
Once we arrived at the official headquarters we paid the fee of 50,000 Ariary each and an additional 50,000 for a guide. We had a delightful girl who took us to the forest trails in search of wildlife.
We were more than a hour and a half and as the pictures show, we were successful.
We had passed the baobabs on the way into the forest, but saved the stop on the return trip. Although some Internet influencers might suggest you come at sunset, it would be more for the convenience of getting there than the lighting.
I wondered whether the hype would be worth it. Afterall, we have seen hundreds of trees over the last couple of days. I'll admit the grandeur was real when amongst them. It was just the trees, Jay and me. The driver drove ahead a kilometer or so and waited in a parking spot. We got to experience the Avenue of the Baobabs as a personal, private experience.
We got back to the hotel in the afternoon completely satisfied with our day. Finally, we got to spend another night on the beach watching the sunset slowly over Africa to the west.
It was an mazing day!