Cirque Rouge is a small landscape of eroded red, pink, and ochre earth north of Mahajanga. Wind and rain have cut the soft sediments into ridges and gullies, creating a miniature badlands that photographs best in late afternoon.
It is close enough to visit by taxi, but it is worth taking a local guide or driver who knows the tracks. Bring water, shoes that can handle dusty slopes, and a little patience; the place is compact, but the colours shift as the light changes.