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The Bemaraha National Park(lacally known as Tsingy), situated in the west of Madagascar,is home to an unusual type of “forest” made of otherworldly rocky spires. This 666 square kilometer region has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 because of its unique, breathtaking geography and preserved mangrove forests. From Morondava it took us 10 driving hours in a 4x4 vehicule , over punishing roads, to reach Bekopaka the door to the the strange mineral forest of Bemaraha's Tsingy. Tsingy de Bemaraha Nature Reserve comprises karstic landscapes and limestone uplands cut into impressive 'tsingy' peaks and a 'forest' of limestone needles.

This geological formation, called karst, is the result of erosion, as acid rains have gradually dissolved the stone of the chalky plateau and carved out sharp ridges that can rise to heights of 30 m. The Tsingy rise up to 70 meters from the ground. At these heights, the tops are bare and razor sharp. At lesser heights, one gets to see vegetations with roots tens of meters below.

The formation of these unusual rocks actually began some 200 million years ago when layers of calcite accumulated at the bottom of a Jurassic lagoon, forming a thick limestone bed. Later tectonic activity elevated the limestone, and as sea level fell during the Pleistocene ice ages, even more of the limestone was exposed. Eventually, the ancient sediments were carved by monsoon rains, finally creating what we see today.