Camping in a Malagasy Rainforest

A week ago, I completed the most intense hike of my life. It rained without rest as I walked across 14 miles of mountainous, once forested land. This is the only way to reach our campsite in Mangevo, the southern region of Ranomafana National Park. I arrived in seven hours, drenched and covered in mud from crossing rivers and navigating rice paddy fields.

When my study abroad squad and I reached the forest of Mangevo, named for the town just outside it, we were met with eager leaches. Rain unearths terrestrial leeches from their underground habitats, and the blood they ingest is used for reproduction. These parasites persisted throughout our stay at Mangevo, but diminished as the forest floor dried.

Leeches move like inchworms, and they vary in size and species.

It takes a lot more than leeches to stop a group of lemur lovers from exploring the rainforest. Every day we would hike through trails, often chasing lemurs, who move by jumping from tree to tree. Unfortunately, the average human can’t perform that type of locomotion, so we stumbled through tangled vines, brush and roots on steep slopes.

We lived simply at camp, cleansed of internet access and surrounded by wildlife. Our shower was a waterfall and our toilet a hole in the ground, just like the good old days.

Showering in a waterfall was a major bucket list item for me. I’ve never felt so connected to nature, especially when my body connected with the rocks after I slipped. My fall only added to the experience.

During our downtime, I loved watching butterflies. There were patches of sunlight around the campsite that I called “butterfly havens,” but I spotted some other bug buddies soaking up the sun as well.

After sundown, we donned our headlamps to go on night hikes. We observed nocturnal primates and a variety of spiders, amphibians and reptiles. I also saw a bird and a snail on the last night of the trip. Hiking through the forest at night is peaceful, yet exhilarating. The rainforest really comes alive after dark. And they say the city never sleeps!

We began our hike home before sunrise on Saturday, and I did it in less than five hours this time. Every experience I have in the rainforest fuels my reverence for the biome. I look forward to visiting more ecosystems in Madagascar when we embark on our cross country trip in a couple days. This island has a knack for exceeding my expectations.