I was sad to leave the island after my three week adventure into the southern region. I had only started to discover the vast differences of terrain and culture that exist across its land.

Along the coast from Tulear to Ankao, I was able to see al little of the life which revolves around fishing and the part tourism has played in the development of resorts along the beach front.

The villages of Manakara spread out along the canal des Pangalanes. The people live from fishing and use the canals to circumvent the capricious Indian Ocean.

I stopped at the hill top based town of Ambositra and the transport hub of Fianrantsoa. Travelling is slow, in local minibuses and full of adventures. It provides a magical snapshot into life on the island.

Antananarvo is steeped in history, revealed to me on visits to the Haute-Ville and at Ambohimanga. Here there is proud evidence of a rich and diverse history leading into the period of French rule in 1883 including the rise in nationalism in the post-war era.