Madagascar, Bradt Travel Guide (14th ed. Jun. 26)

The world's oldest - and fourth-largest - island, Madagascar is fascinating not only zoologically and botanically, but culturally, linguistically, historically and geologically too. Evolution has transformed the country into an unparalleled hotspot for biodiversity, with four-fifths of its flora and fauna occurring nowhere else on the planet. More than a fifth of the world's 533-odd primate species exist only here, and Madagascar is the sole country to harbour wild lemurs. Offering itineraries to suit all interests and budgets, with Bradt's Madagascar you can visit tropical rainforests to seek out the country's remarkable animals and plants (including a thousand species of orchid); explore otherworldly eroded limestone spires, famously at Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park - Madagascar's most striking landscape; discover beach-fringed islands around Nosy Be with their fabulous scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking, whale-watching and fishing; and make the most of a host of adventuring and sporting possibilities, including surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, rock climbing, tree climbing, caving, river trips, mountain biking, distance running, quad biking and hiking. Bradt's Madagascar also features the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ambohimanga, the renowned Avenue des Baobabs (one of the country's most photographed scenes) and information on the best birdwatching spots: the so-called "eighth continent" hosts almost 300 avian species, with a high proportion of endemics, including six families wholly endemic to the country and surrounding islands.