Andasibe

A rainforest reserve in the east, where the song of the Indri echoes through the forest at dawn, and night walks reveal chameleons and mouse lemurs.

Andasibe lies in the Alaotra-Mangoro region of eastern Madagascar, about 140 km east of the capital Antananarivo, at an elevation of about 900–1,000 m. It is the nearest and most popular rainforest destination to the capital. At its core is Andasibe-Mantadia National Park: the southern section, Analamazaotra, is famous for its families of Indri, the largest lemurs, whose "songs" ring through the valley at dawn, while the northern Mantadia forest is wilder and sees fewer visitors. Outside the national park, community reserves such as Mitsinjo and VOI MMA offer close-up lemur viewing and night walks to look for chameleons, mouse lemurs and frogs; Vakona Lemur Island is good for close-up photos. The climate is damp and rainy all year; September to December is relatively dry and lemurs are active, while January to March is the rainy season and may be affected by cyclones. Getting there: it is about 3–4 hours by car from the capital along National Road 2, with possible stops at the Peyrieras Reptile Reserve and Moramanga on the way; shared minibuses (taxi-brousse) are cheap but slow, and most visitors charter a car and hire the driver as a guide as well. Plan 2–3 nights, with at least one daytime hike and one night walk. National park entry fees and guide fees are paid separately, and a licensed guide is required. The rainforest is slippery and has leeches, so bring a waterproof jacket, long trousers and a headlamp; nights are cool, so bring a light jacket.

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