Stone forest in Madagascar

The Tsingy du Bemaraha Nature Reserve is located on the west coast of Madagascar and is famous for its amazing stone forest. The area of the reserve is 666 square kilometers and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The landscapes here are simply mesmerizing - giant cliffs, and preserved mangrove forests, as well as many other wonders.

(Total 22 photos)

1. The reserve is a plateau consisting of a stone forest of sharp karst spiers, formed in the process of erosion of softer limestone rocks.

2. The stone pillars of Qingzhi rise to a height of up to 70 meters; their tops are not covered with any vegetation and are sharp as a razor.

3. At lower altitudes, one can only see the roots of especially tenacious shrubs and plants.

4. A whole forest of karst peaks up to 50 meters high serves as a safe habitat for unique in nature, white lemurs.

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6. The word "tsinzhi" in the local Malagasy dialect is a description of the karst badlands of Madagascar. It is translated into English as "a place where you can not go barefoot."

7. In the lower reaches of this plexus of forest canyons and karst caves, a huge variety of flora and fauna rages, with many rare animals and plants, many of which live only in Madagascar

8. In 1990, this unique place was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and on the island of Tsingy de Bemaraha it became a national reserve back in 1927.

9. A picturesque canyon and the Manambolo River flowing through it adjoin the plateau. Rare and endangered species of birds and lemurs have found their refuge in the mangroves growing on the pristine shores of the lake and the river flowing into it.

10. The Tsingy de Bemaraha Nature Reserve covers an area of 152,000 hectares and is the largest protected area in Madagascar.

11. The age of this unusual place created by nature is about a million years.

12. Some parts of the nature reserve were open to tourists only in 1998, and some are closed to this day.

13. Tourists can admire the unusual beauty of the Stone Forest by climbing the peaks with climbing equipment, or from observation platforms. There are no other options.

14. Locals say that throughout the vast territory of the reserve there is not a single flat piece of land.

15. This landscape is inaccessible only to humans, but it helps rare species of plants and animals survive, especially lemurs, which live here in large numbers.

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