Our original plan was to drive from Manambato to Mahambo to catch the next-morning boat to St Marie Island with El Condor, but unfortunately, the weather turned bad. We were informed that the first boats might go again after Easter. We got that bad news in the middle of nowhere, some...
The Palmarium Reserve (Akanin’ny Nofy) offers one of the most reliable opportunities in Madagascar to see the elusive, nocturnal Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). We took a boat trip (🎟️50,000 MGA) organised by Palmarium Hotel to a dedicated Aye-aye island, where these rare...
We took a boat for around 20 minutes to reach Andranokoditra, a quiet, authentic lakeside village along the Pangalanes Canal, where life moves to the rhythm of the water. Wooden pirogues line the shore, and local fishermen head out daily using traditional techniques passed down through...
Palmarium Reserve (Akanin’ny nofy) is a 50-hectare private nature reserve on a peninsula along Madagascar’s Pangalanes Canal, renowned for its habituated lemurs, including the rare Aye-Aye, and 100,000 palm trees. Located on Lake Ampitabe, it offers close-up wildlife...
To our surprise, the access road to Manambato was closed. After some calls, we found out a car that could wait on the other side of the road block and would drive us to Orania Lodge, from where the boat usually goes to Palmarium Reserve. So that was the extra cost of 70,000 MGA and a...
Our journey from Andasibe to Manambato via Brickaville was a memorable drive through Madagascar’s lush eastern landscapes. Covering roughly 170 km, the trip took us about 6 hours, depending on road conditions and stops along the way. The road winds through dense rainforest, small...
Once a quiet forest village shaped by colonial-era railway development, Andasibe gradually grew as travellers and researchers were drawn to the surrounding rainforests of Madagascar. Over time, its proximity to protected areas such as Andasibe-Mantadia National Park made it one of the...
For a more intimate and interactive wildlife encounter, the Vakona Forest Lodge Reserve offers a unique complement to the wilder parks of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Located near Analamazaotra Special Reserve, this private reserve is especially popular for its “lemur...
Around lunchtime, we drove for 1 hour to Mantadia National Park (guide: 60,000 MGA), located within Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Mantadia is less visited than nearby reserves, making it perfect for those seeking solitude and untouched nature. The hike to the waterfalls is more...
Early in the morning, we drove to the park office to buy our tickets to visit Analamazaotra Special Reserve (🎟️45,000 MGA, guide 50,000 MGA, city tax 5,000 MGA), a highly accessible, 874-hectare rainforest in eastern Madagascar, located 140 km from Antananarivo. Part of the larger...