Fragrances that beguile and heal

Madagascar is known in many places for its numerous Spices and others Luxury goods known, which were shipped from here to many distant countries of the world.

In particular Cloves and Vanilla, but also Coffee and Cocoa were at the top of the list of exported goods for years and enjoyed great popularity abroad. At that time, Madagascar experienced true heydays in this respect, which can still be seen today in some cities.

Also the port city located on the east coast Manakara and its surroundings was until a few years ago an important station for the so-called "Colonial Goods" on the way out into the world.

In Manakara ends the train line that connects the highlands and the fertile east coast. Numerous Raw materials and Food used to be loaded onto large ships from there and sent out into the world.

These times are long gone, however, and Manakara itself today leads a rather economically insignificant existence. A train ride to Manakara can still be undertaken today, however, and in this way can be golden times of the former colony back.

Falling demand from traditional luxury goods of the island

The delicious Robusta coffeewhich could provide the island of Madagascar with continuous income for many years, can nowadays only be sold in significantly smaller quantities on the world market.

The competition from Vietnam, from where coffee can be offered at much lower prices, is too great. The popular cloves have a Three-year cycleso that a good harvest can be harvested and sold only once every three years.

While vanilla still plays a major role in Madagascar's economy and is still considered a best vanilla in the world, but will be due to the strong Competition from artificial flavors are now also in demand on the world market in ever smaller quantities.

But the classic colonial goods are not all that Madagascar has to offer in terms of luxury goods and especially in recent years a small highlight has been established in the area around Manakara, which for all sensual traveler is a real experience.

Essential oils - A feast for the senses

A good 20 kilometers south of Mankara is an approximately 31-hectare Organic plantation, on which different essential oils are produced.

Hidden and only in two places inconspicuously signposted, attention is drawn to this extraordinary plantation on the road to Vohipeno and Farafangana.

On the plantation are grown fragrant plants like Ravintsara, Niaouly, Cloves, Cinnamon as well as Ylang-Ylang pulled and then to breathtakingly fragrant essential oils further processed.

For visitors, Jean, the plantation manager, offers a two-hour guided tour of the Active ingredients as well as the Production process of the oils explained in detail.

Those who wish can rub the leaves of the plants between their own hands and experience the impressive power and Intensity of the essential oils with your own nose perceive.

Also the appraisal of the Distillery of the plantation is extremely interesting. The machines that extract the valuable oils from the plant fibers have been specially designed.

An experience that no traveler to Manakara, or even to Madagascar East Coast should not be missed.