There was still time after our return from our hike in the Small Tsingys. I decided to join some fellow travelers for a walk into Bekopaka village for a bit of an exploration. Calling it a town would probably be stretching things a little, but it certainly offered a glimpse of everyday life in this remote corner of Madagascar.

We wandered past the local school, churches, small shops and restaurants, watching the village go about its business. Nothing particularly spectacular, but sometimes these little detours offer a more interesting insight into a place than another organized sightseeing stop. Naturally, there was also time for a drink (in my case a whole 1.5l bottle of water) along the way before heading back to the hotel.

Here something special was waiting: a terrace facing the setting sun overlooking the surrounding jungle – and a show with the sky slowly changing colors above the seemingly endless greenery. One of those moments when you simply sit back and enjoy the view.

Our pre-dinner excursion followed – and turned out a bit underwhelming. We were heading out for a short walk in the vicinity of the village, hoping to spot some of the local nocturnal wildlife. Madagascar has plenty of interesting creatures that only come out after dark, so expectations were reasonably high.

Unfortunately, the experience turned out to be something of a camera-lens competition. Whenever a maki or chameleon was spotted, an ever-growing collection of camera lenses appeared around it, all desperately trying to get the perfect shot in the dark. At times, it was difficult to see what all that photography equipment was pointed at.

Three horses and a nice vegetarian lasagna later, things looked bright again – putting me into the right mood for the adventure to come tomorrow.