Sambava, Madagascar 2023

I was in Madagascar for close to two weeks, photographing for a major vanilla buyer in the country, and in between the assignment, I experienced the country in ways that make me say that Madagascar will always be at heart.
Those evenings by the river and how the sun kissed it… Felt like nature was bragging.

The beautiful people, the stunning rivers and ocean, its incredible biodiversity and unique ecosystems, Madagascar is truly a paradise.

It’s home to a vast number of endemic species, many found nowhere else on Earth.

Interestingly, the Austronesian people who migrated from Southeast Asia settled in Madagascar before the Africans, since mainland Africa is much closer to it.

It’s hard to believe that after thousands of years, no Africans had settled there until some Bantu groups crossed the Mozambique Channel from East Africa around the ninth century AD. 

My favorite place was Sambava, north of Madagascar. It takes its name from the Malagasy term “Sahambavany,” which translates to “where rivers flow into the sea after meeting.

We had to walk and use motorbikes to most of the shooting destinations, as the area is not well connected with car transport. The season was rainy, and the main dirt roads had been rendered unusable.  Our walks were punctuated by beautiful encounters with the villagers, who were very hospitable and friendly.

Though vanilla stands as Sambava’s most famous export, coffee, cloves, bananas and coconuts also benefit from the area’s abundant rainfall and naturally humid climate.