The Avenue of the Baobabs

A Picture Postcard Image

“Alley of the Baobabs or the “Avenue of the Baobabs” is en route to Morondava. This is one of Madagascar’s picture postcard images. Baobabs (Grandidier’s baobabs) are usually solitary trees, standing tall and proud in the midst of empty spaces. Yet in Baobab Alley, they cluster together forming an avenue of columns that border the dirty road. The Baobabs are tall trees with massive trunks, crooked branches and furry fruit. Baobabs have adapted to the dry and hostile environment. The secret of the baobab’s success in surviving in harsh environments and the reason for its massive trunk is that it has little wood fibre but a large water storage capacity. Each tree can hold up to 300 litres of water, enabling it to live through long periods without rain. The life-cycle of these unique natural oddities is as impressive as their bulk – most live over 500 years.

The best time for photography is in the twilight hours.