Andasibe
Rainforest at 800 to 1,260 metres, some 150 kilometres east of Antananarivo, where the indri, the largest of Madagascar’s lemurs, can be found in the reserve of Analamazaotra.
- Arrival
- Ivato International · TNR
- To the park
- About 3 hours from Antananarivo by road
- Private jets
- Jet A-1 and customs at TNR
- Best time
- April to October
The city
In earshot of the indri.
Andasibe-Mantadia became a national park in 1989 and covers 155 square kilometres of forest between 800 and 1,260 metres. It comes in two parts. The Analamazaotra Special Reserve, the old Périnet, known locally as Andasibe, starts a short walk from Antsapanana on the RN 2, where the park headquarters stands. Mantadia lies farther off and needs a vehicle. Eleven species of lemur live in the two.
The forest takes about 1,700 millimetres of rain a year, spread over some 210 days. April to October is the drier half and the roads are easier; July and August are the busiest months, while September and October are when you may see baby lemurs.
- Analamazaotra Special Reserve The best-known home of the indri, a short walk from the main road and the park headquarters.
- Mantadia The second half of the park, beyond walking distance of the road, so a vehicle is needed.
- Lemur Island at Vakona A canoe ride across to lemurs rescued from captivity and used to people, at a lodge a kilometre from the park.
Arriving
Ivato, then three hours east.
Ivato International, outside Antananarivo, is about a hundred kilometres west of the park in a straight line. By road it is some 150 kilometres on the paved RN 2, roughly three hours.
- Mauritius 1 h 40
- Seychelles 2 h 40
- Nairobi 3 h 20
- Bangkok 9 h 05 long-range jet
- Frankfurt 11 h 25 long-range jet
When to go
April to October.
The figures are for Antananarivo, higher up and drier than the forest, which takes some 1,700 millimetres a year. In the capital the rain drops to between fourteen and twenty-seven millimetres a month from May to September, with afternoons around twenty degrees, and passes 250 millimetres from December to February.
- 26° J 279
- 26° F 260
- 25° M 201
- 25° A 61
- 23° M 27
- 20° J 14
- 20° J 19
- 20° A 20
- 23° S 15
- 25° O 69
- 26° N 171
- 26° D 310
Elsewhere in Madagascar
More reasons to come.
- Antananarivo The capital on its hills, and the royal hill of Ambohimanga nearby.
- Nosy Be The island of ylang-ylang, with smaller islands all around it.
- Île Sainte-Marie Humpback whales from July to September, and a pirate cemetery.
- Morondava The Avenue of the Baobabs at sunset.
- Tsingy de Bemaraha A forest of limestone needles, listed by UNESCO.
Flying to Andasibe?
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