Ankarana

Am I really the only one who’s ever heard of Ankarana? The Ankarana Plateau is a mountain range composed of razor-sharp limestone pinnacles in northern Madagascar. The mountain range encompasses something like a 15-mile long area and, due to erosion, a system of caves and underground rivers runs through the underlying rock. I heard about it on NOVA a while back. Enclosed back the mountain range is an area full of dense forests and plants and animals found nowhere else in Madagascar, including a species of blind shrimp and the world’s only species of cave-dwelling crocodiles. Because the mountain range itself is so inaccessible, the only way into Ankarana is through the caves. Ankarana is one of the remotest places on earth and is devoid of touristy resorts. The really aren’t even any towns in Ankarana, only a number of locals. Their folklore is full of stories about the cave-dwelling crocodiles. It’s such an awesome place; I can’t believe no one else wants to go there.