Madagascar’s RN5 is infamous for being one of the worst roads in the world, and rain makes it even more punishing.
In this episode, we finish riding the stretch of road Jeremy Clarkson once called “the worst road in the world” and continue deeper along RN5, heading into towns that become increasingly difficult to reach.
This infamous road runs through the northeast of Madagascar, and right now we’re about 30 kilometres south of Mananara.
In three days, we’ll reach a town called Maroansetra – the point where the road quite literally ends. From there, we’ll cross Antongil Bay by boat, then follow narrow walking tracks up to Antalaha, where the road finally starts again.
Malagasy People
Even though we couldn’t communicate in Malagasy, the locals were incredibly welcoming.
On several occasions, we were invited to eat cassava root, a staple food here. It has a slightly sweet, nutty flavour and is often shared communally.
First Settlers & Genetics of Madagascar
One thing that completely blows my mind about Madagascar is its history.
The island was first settled by people from Asia, and only later by Africans. Just imagine getting into a boat in what’s now Indonesia or Malaysia over a thousand years ago, crossing the entire Indian Ocean, and ending up here.
Those early Asian seafarers brought crops like rice, yams, coconuts, bananas, and taro – all of which are still staples today.
As a result, Malagasy people are genetically mixed, with both South-East Asian and African ancestry. The balance often depends on where you are in the country. We met people who looked distinctly Indonesian, others who looked entirely East African, and occasionally people who could almost pass for South American.
The genetic diversity here is extraordinary.
The Grand Tour In Madagascar
On The Grand Tour “A Massive Hunt” (season 4, episode 2), they were only able to cover about 15 to 20 kilometres per day on this road, which makes sense when you consider how wildly unsuitable their cars were. Honestly, we weren’t much better off on bicycles. We were regularly being overtaken by people on foot.
This is technically a national highway, but it’s more brutal than you can possibly imagine – and in the rain, it’s on another level entirely.
In The Next Episode…
In the next episode, we reach the stretch of road we’re most worried about yet.
With more than a dozen river crossings and the deepest sand we’ve encountered so far, the big question is: how will it even be possible to get through?
