Tsingy de Bemaraha: Madagascar’s Stone Forest

Of all the beautiful rock formations in the world – and there are thousands of them that will literally blow your mind – Tsingy de Bemaraha in Madagascar has to rank as the most odd, and breathtakingly bizarre of them all.

Many people call this awe-inspiring rock formation a forest of rock. And that is really what it looks like from either a birds eye view or from within the depths of this amazing rock formation.

The Origins of Tsingy de Bemaraha

One look at the towering limestone pillars that make up the rock forest known as Tsingy de Bemaraha is enough to make you wonder just how these stone giants came to be. And the back story is really quite impressive.

For millions of years, caves covered the surface of this location. Towering rock formations grew from the ground up – as they do in many caves.

But at some point in time the ceiling of the caves collapsed; leaving acres of the pillars jutting from the ground.

Over the centuries forest greenery grew up in, around and on the pillars; making Tsingy de Bemaraha even more of a sight to behold.

In the native language of Madagascar, Tsingy means “the place where no one can walk barefoot,” alluding to the jagged spikes and treacherous surroundings of this truly unique location.

Visiting Tsingy de Bemaraha

As you can imagine, seeing Tsingy de Bemaraha for yourself is something quite astonishing. However, the park that houses Tsingy de Bemaraha isn't a place where you simply wander out for a bit of sightseeing on your own.

Due to the often dangerous terrain that makes up Tsingy de Bemaraha, you do need to have a park guide leading you through every step of your journey. There are even areas where you'll need to be harnessed for safety.

But nearly every visitor says that the safety precautions were well worth the effort, when the payoff was getting to visit this amazing rock formation deep in the heart of Madagascar.

One-of-a-Kind Rock Formation

If seeing the most amazing sights in the world, and nature's amazing rock formations are your cup of tea, a trip to Madagascar to see Tsingy de Bemaraha firsthand should definitely be a part of your bucket list.