Madagascar

Your Madagascar adventure begins at the Ankarafantsika National Park, home to eight lemur species and the last refuge of several lemur and bird species. It is the only place where the golden-brown mouse lemur occurs. During our day hikes, Coquerel’s sifaka are a common sight, as well as mongoose and brown lemurs and the rhinoceros chameleon. At night, it is possible to see the Milne-Edwards’ sportive lemur, mongoose lemur, western woolly lemur, grey mouse lemur, and fat-tailed dwarf lemur. However, the star attraction is the endangered Madagascar fish-eagle, now down to about 100 pairs.

This park also has a good selection of reptiles and endemic frogs, including Nile crocodile, collared iguanid lizard, Oustalets’s giant chameleon, long-nosed chameleon, leaf-tailed geckos, spiny-tailed iguanas, the extremely rare Madagascan big-headed turtle. Other wildlife that can be seen includes the Antsouhy tomato frog, Madagascar bullfrog, Mascarene ridged frog, western bright-eyed frog, yellow striped reed frog, and tri-colored reed frog. Ankarafantsika is also an area where the enigmatic leaf-nosed snake has been found.

We have sunrise and sunset chances to photograph the amazing Avenue of the Baobabs. Afterward, we will continue to the Kirindy private reserve. In Kirindy you will have the chance to see seven species of lemurs, including the fat-tailed lemur and the tiny pygmy mouse lemur, believed to be the world’s smallest primate. Kirindy is the best place to see and photograph the giant jumping rat, and the fossa (Madagascar’s only predator). In this private reserve you can also witness various spiny tenrecs, birds, and reptiles aplenty.

Adasibe is our next home. We will take an evening walk in the forest to look for frogs, chameleons, moths, leaf-tailed geckos, mouse lemurs, and other nocturnal animals in the forest.

Another base of operations is Palmarium, where we can see the black-and-white ruffed lemur, black lemur, crowned lemur, hybrid of brown and crowned lemurs, and Coquerel’s sifaka, to name a few. After lunch at our hotel, we will go to the beach to photograph frogs and the local flora. After an early dinner, we will take a boat to the peninsula for a nocturnal excursion to find the aye-aye lemurs.

Our last stop on this adventure is Berenty. This reserve is home to five species of lemurs, flying foxes (a type of large fruit bat), and 96 bird species. Berenty is famous for its lemurs because of the ease with which they may be seen here in the wild. Red-fronted brown lemurs occur in large numbers during the day, and both white-footed sportive and grey mouse lemurs are regularly encountered on night walks. The favorites are the ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux’s sifakas. Immediately behind our cabins, a system of trails provides easy access to the abundance of lemurs, birds, and a resident colony of Madagascar fruit bats or flying foxes. Be on the lookout for the numerous giant couas, as well as any species that you may have missed so far. Before dinner each night, enjoy walks within the spiny forest, where you may spot nocturnal species such as the grey mouse lemur, the white-footed sportive lemur, chameleons, and birds.