With information technologies & internet developing like anything, many unseen unheard locations are virtually' getting uncovered. Still the planet Earth encompasses countless hidden gems of locations within its sphere. Whatever may be the advances in technologies, Mother Nature continues to prove that it is the ultimate artist. Time and again Nature amazes us with innumerable varieties of natural phenomena. Such a kind of natural wonder is Tsingy', the limestone forest.
This is not a movie-set or an ancient lost city. but a spectacular stone forest a wonderland in the island nation of Madagascar in the African continent.
The Bemaraha National Park', a nature reserve located near the western coast of Madagascar, houses this 700 square meters big region of exceptional topography.
In Malagasy local language, the term Tsingy' means something that cannot be walked on bare foot, or to be precise, should be walked on tiptoes! Rightly so, as the top of these highland limestone peaks (most of them standing about 70 meters tall) are bare and razor sharp no room for normal walks... but highly enjoyable for avid adventurers.
Tingly limestone forest's roofing is rough & tough nevertheless; but at its lesser heights and unexplored bottom portion, resides some of the strangest species of insects, reptiles ..
.. and lemurs' (Madagascar's unique animals), supplemented with some vegetation. All together, a totally different kind of world!
Around the world, stone forest is a very rare geographical wonder. Other than Madagascar's Tingly, just a few exists such as Russia's Lena Pillars Nature Park' and China's Shilin stone forest' both known for their crude beauty. However, Tingly closely outscores its contemporaries in terms of its vastness and the plentiful tall & slender peaks.
Tourism could potentially be important in this region, although access is currently forbidden by law, other than for scientific purposes. There are, therefore, no facilities within the reserve (and the nearest hotels are in Maintirano, 150 km by road from the edge of the reserve). Visitation is restricted to occasional visits to the pinnacle region to the south or to the forests in the north, and guides based at Antsalova and Bekopaka lead overnight trips to them.
