Our first stop of the day was a local school, where we handed over the school supplies, before classes were due to begin. We had bought school supplies the previous day, and this was our chance to hand them over. A small contribution, hopefully useful – even without a photocopier.

The rest of the day was dedicated to Ranomafana National Park. We arrived at the park entrance at 8 am, along with plenty of other tourists, and set off on a walk through the rainforest, trying to catch a glimpse of the local wildlife in their natural habitat.

Initially, the various tourist groups were reasonably well spread out. But that changed as soon as someone spotted an animal. Suddenly, it felt as if the (photo) hunt was on, with groups converging on the poor creatures from all directions – often cutting straight through the forest rather than sticking to the trails.

Around 11 am, we reached a viewpoint with a great view across the jungle. Here we were offered the option of extending the walk into a proper hike, continuing from the national park all the way back to our hotel in Ranomafana. While some headed back to the bus for the drive to the hotel, I (along with some others) opted for the hike of about 6 km.

This second part was different. Animal sightings were limited, but the trail offered some lovely views, including stretches along the river and, towards the end, a glimpse of Ranomafana itself and its thermal baths – to me, the most enjoyable part of the day.