The island’s most beguiling and unusual region is its semi-arid South, much of which is comprised of the ‘spiny desert’, a harsh land of thorny octopus trees interspersed with an assortment of bloated, drought-resistant plants such as Octopus and Finger trees (Didieraceae). The people of this region – particularly the Antandroy and Mahafaly – are known for their elaborate and colourfully painted tombs, of which fine examples can be seen either along the RN7 near Sakaraha or in the Ifotaka spiny bush area.