Developed by Madagascar Classic Collection, a high-end provider of fully-escorted tours, Namoroka Tsingy Camp lies below the city of Majunga in the island’s tropical northwest and well augments MCC’s Mandrare Camp in the temperate far south of the island.
Its name comes from the adjoining National Park, and tsingy (place where you walk on tiptoe) is the distinctive karst limestone formation of Madagascar that covers large areas with a surface weathered into sharp ridges and extensive caves and tunnels running many kilometres underneath that people and wildlife have utilized for centuries.
This is a brand new luxury camp in a whole new area for visitors to Madagascar – previously, it was too hard to access, and there was nowhere to stay. It combines many of the renowned natural features of the country: lemurs, baobabs, chameleons and tsingy, but camp guests have it all to themselves.
After a dusty drive, we arrived at the camp to a very warm welcome with fresh cocktails and iced towels as we stepped out of the vehicle and our bags were whisked away. Over dinner, our guide, Ernest, outlines the planned activities throughout our stay with a high level of expertise, and the chef and bartender are pre-informed of our preferences. It’s both professional and friendly.
On Safari
Apart from a wildlife walk from the camp that’s great for a night walk, excursions consist of a 4WD drive to the start of walking trails of varying lengths and degrees of difficulty. There are enough activities to fill a week, but much can be accomplished in a three or, ideally, four-night stay. For all excursions, we have our own guide, a park ranger and a driver who stays with the vehicle. As there are distinctly diurnal and nocturnal lemurs, both day and night walks are essential.
The tsingy is a two-part experience, too: an overview of hectares of razor-sharp limestone is one aspect, while being guided into the caves underneath, equipped with helmets and headlamps, you find century-old artefacts, pure white stalactites, ancient paintings, microbats, and even the fossil tusk of a long-extinct pygmy hippo to add to the feeling of discovery. A picnic by the crystal clear and surprisingly turquoise Mandevy spring with lemurs in the branches above is wonderful. Groves of ancient baobabs emerging above the tsingy are atmospheric, too.
And there are unexpected wildlife encounters, from a Oustalet’s giant chameleon on a branch by the trail to a large long-eared owl watching us on a daylight walk.
Lodge experience
The nine-tent camp is set among a tsingy outcrop that forms natural rock walls for the dining area and bar. The well-spaced tents are on platforms and all have decks overlooking the sunset behind baobabs. The expansive stone bathrooms have high thatched roofs, excellent fittings, and indoor and outdoor showers. The four-poster king-sized beds have mosquito nets and very comfortable mattresses and bedding. The Wi-Fi at the bar is Starlink and excellent; the camp is completely self-contained with unlimited hot water and electricity.
The dining experience
Whether it’s a barbecue cooked in front of you or meals prepared in the kitchen, the cuisine at Namoroka is very good and caters to your individual tastes and needs. Likewise, Frances the bartender of many years experience with MCC appears able to assess your needs before you do. In the benign climate, outdoor dining under the stars is rather evocative and magical. Reassuringly, breakfast is full English breakfast plus local tropical fruits and juices.
Overall experience
I visited Namoroka Tsingy Camp the first week of opening and the level of professional hospitality was very impressive. Madagascar Classic Collection caters for experienced travellers who love African safaris and want the same level of luxury and expertise as they have found there but who want Madagascar’s completely different wildlife and nature experience. This all-inclusive camp and the escorting to and from are not budget but they’re perfect for travellers looking for the most comprehensive Madagascar experience provided in the most comfortable way.
How to book
For more information, please contact your favourite travel agency, or for advice, contact Herbie Rosenberg at Africareps, who represents Madagascar Classic Collection for Australia and New Zealand –herbie@africareps.com. Further information can also be sourced on the Madagascar Classic Collection website https://www.madaclassic.com/.
For more on Namoroka Tsingy Camp visit www.madaclassic.com.
For more on Madagascar, check out the Focus on Madagascar feature.
All images are credited to David McGonigal. The writer travelled as a guest of Madagascar Classic Collection. This review is his opinion.
About the Author
David McGonigal has been reporting his extensive travels around the world for decades including seven years riding a motorcycle around the world twice, 20 years apart. From flying a MiG21 in Slovakia, rafting the Zambesi and interviewing the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala he has sought the exotic. Africa has been his long held passion: from 4WD in Namibia, gorillas in Rwanda to the best southern African game lodges.
