Avenue of the Baobabs
Avenue of the Baobabs
Avenue of the Baobabs (RT 8, Morondava 619) – these unique trees, baobabs known locally as renala (Malagasy for “mother of the forest”), are up to 2,800 years old, and are lined up along a dirt road between the seaside town of Morondava and Belon’I Tsiribihina in the Menabe region of western Madagascar. This is one of the country’s prime eco-tourist destinations, and was granted temporary protected status in 2007 by the country’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. Admission free.
Note: despite this site being a popular eco-tourist destination, there is no organized tourism involved with administering this area (no visitor center or entry fees). First-time visitors are advised to sign up for an organized tour group (due to the difficulties foreigners will likely encounter trying to travel on their own by car from the capital to the west coast, where these trees are).