Amazing Ancient Forests Around the World Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Ancient Forest

Amazing Ancient Forests Around the World: Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

By Matt Bell and Jessie Beck

Getting back to nature can be like going back in time—especially in the world’s most ancient wooded areas, some of which are home to the oldest life forms on Earth. Often in far-fl ung corners of the globe, travelers can easily plan an entire trip of one or two weeks around visiting these natural wonders.

With many of us looking more toward destinations fi lled with nature as we venture back out into the world of travel, now is as good a time as any to daydream about hiking through these incredible landscapes. So get your hiking boots ready, and consider a visit to one of these ancient forests around the world.

Madagascar

Hundreds of years ago, the ancient trees that line the Avenue of the Baobabs were part of a tropical forest dense with Adansonia grandidieri, a strikingly beautiful tree endemic to Madagascar. After years of deforestation, only around 20 of

Photo by Monika Hrdinova/Shutterstoc

the species—commonly known as baobabs— still stand tall along the famous dirt road. In their peculiar shape and unique “upside-down” stature, these majestic trees are particularly imposing at dawn and dusk.

How to visit

The Avenue of the Baobabs is just a quick taxi ride from Morondava, a low-slung, easy-paced city on the west coast of Madagascar. The easiest way to get here is with a quick fl ight from the capital, Antananarivo (Tana, for short).

For a more adventurous journey, hop on a twoweek tour with Espace Mada and make your way there overland, canoeing down the Tsiribihina River, making a detour to the otherworldly rock formations of Tsingy de Bemaraha, and riding in 4x4s over the rough roads of rural Madagascar.

www.afar.com/magazine/ancient-forests-aroundthe-world

2021 Stay List: Best New Sustainable Hotels | Africa

From the Editors of AFAR

HABITAS Photo by Kleinjan Groenewald

Meet the World’s (Africa’s) Most Sustainable New Hotels

As travelers start moving around the world again after our long pause, this year’s Stay List focuses on what matters most for our collective path forward: sustainability. These 14 hotels (3 based in Africa) set the standard for what the most environmentally conscious, socially responsible, and community-centered hotels can be in 2021. These properties minimize their impact on the planet, connect travelers to their destinations in mutually beneficial ways, and exemplify an intentional, inclusive approach to hospitality. They’re also, quite simply, incredible retreats that offer their guests sublime experiences. Read on for the world’s most exceptional new and renovated hotels committed to making travel a force for good. — Jennifer Flowers

Habitas Namibia

Habitas, a sustainability-centered company, opened its latest property in January in sandswept Namibia. In keeping with the company’s mission, Habitas Namibia was built with modular structures to reduce waste of resources, offsetting its modest footprint by funding reforestation projects. The 15 solar-powered, canvas-walled tents are set on a private, 120,000-acre wildlife reserve that was once a hunting area, and the hotel is staffed by locals through a partnership with the nonprofit group Saira Hospitality. While the resident white

rhinos, giraffes, and hippos are a thrill to encounter, the retreat puts a heavy emphasis on cultural programming, offering medicinal plant workshops, drum circles, and a pop-up bush braai dinner experience.

Sussurro Mozambique

The owners of Sussurro, a new lodge set along a turquoise lagoon in southern Mozambique, pulled out all the stops to ensure that the hotel treads as lightly on its habitat as possible. The six bungalows, inspired by the regional architecture, were built using primarily natural and local materials. About 90 percent of the resort’s energy is renewable, thanks in large part to solar power. Meals in the dining room use ingredients from neighboring fishing and farming operations. Travelers spend their days scuba diving, exploring the water on a traditional dhow, or journeying inland for a safari in the wildlife-filled Gorongosa National Park.

Kruger Shalati South Africa

SUSSURRO Photo from Sussurro

The most innovative way to stay in South Africa’s Kruger National Park offers a rare look at the social history of the country’s famous wilderness. Kruger Shalati hovers 50 feet above the Sabie River on a retired train track that carried Kruger’s earliest visitors into the park about a century ago. Developed by Motsamayi Tourism Group, which describes itself as South Africa’s oldest Black-empowered tourism group, Kruger Shalati offers 31 guest rooms (some fashioned out of refurbished train carriages) where travelers can look down at waters filled with crocs, hippos, and elephants. www.afar.com/ magazine/2021-stay-listKRUGER SHALATI from Kruger Shalati sustainable-hotels