Story and Photography by: Bill Weir for CNN
(Above) Madagascar’s famed baobab trees are just one of the rare plant and animal species that are native to the island.
(CNN) — It is an island of fabulous beasts and unforgettable vistas.
A place where lemurs howl like car alarms and chameleons the size of your forearm mimic the movement of leaves in the breeze.
The alleys of fat baobab trees and canyons of jagged karst look straight out of the mind of Salvador Dali. The beaches and reefs that rim this island the size of Texas are among the most beautiful in the world. And an exotic mix of African and Asian bloodlines, flavored by French colonization, create a one-of-a-kind culture.
“Groups like Association Mitsinjo in the lemur forest of Andasibe try to teach a new generation of Malagasy kids that ecotourism is sustainable while slash-and-burn farming is not.”
With all this, Madagascar should be a perennial “it” destination — luring backpackers and five-star glampers to explore “The Eighth Continent.”
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