Madagascar Cat-Eyed Snake

We continued on our itinerary to the fishing village of Anakao on the south-west coast of the island. Ifaty is a particularly poor area of Madagascar and consequently the roads aren't what you'd call in the western world 'roads' more dirt-tracks over rock and sand. As such, the ride was quite an adventure even if my body didn't thank me for it by the end! The only way to travel to Anakao is by boat, which we caught from the port of Toliara. Once boarded, we were fascinated to discover that the boat was actually a local taxi service; delivering food, drink, locals and tourists to various hotels, as well as delivering a huge 12 volt battery!

While the wind had picked up by the afternoon and made the sea rough, we took a boat to the neighbouring island of Nosy Ve to see the Red Billed Tropicbirds. Nosy Ve is the only island in Madagascar where these birds nest, so if you want to see them you have to make the effort to go. The rough boat ride was well worth it, as the birds are beautiful. The adolescent teenagers had gorgeous black and white feathers, quite unlike the parent bird. The adults are either brilliant white or with a hint of pink in their plumage and with an enormously long red tail, as well as their namesake bright red bill. The new born chicks resembled balls of white fluff, like snowballs.