Andasibe-Mantadia: Listen for the Indri

Meeting the indri

The indri is the largest living lemur and one of the few that cannot survive in captivity. Its call carries over a kilometre through the forest and sounds closer to a whale than a primate. It has no tail to speak of, moves by leaping vertically between trunks, and is found wild only in this corner of eastern Madagascar. Morning is the time: enter at 06:30 with a local guide and follow the sound.

Analamazaotra vs Mantadia

Park	Highlights	Effort
Analamazaotra (Perinet)	Indri, diademed sifaka, easy trails	Easy, half day to full day
Mantadia	Primary forest, waterfalls, larger trails	Moderate, full day, 4x4 access
Palmarium Reserve	Night walks: mouse lemurs, chameleons, frogs	Easy, 1-2 hours after dark

Night walks and amphibians

Madagascar has around 300 frog species and most are active after rain. Night walks around Andasibe regularly produce mouse lemurs, dwarf chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos and dozens of frogs. Bring a red-light torch and insect repellent; the forest is wet year-round.

Getting there & fees

• From Antananarivo: 140 km on a good tarred road, roughly three hours by car.
• Tours: most visitors come as a two-day stopover at the start or end of an RN7 trip.
• Permits: park entry is paid per person per day; guides are compulsory and hired at the gate.
• Best months: September to December, and April to June. July and August are cold and misty, January to March very wet.

Where to stay

Lodges sit along the road between the village and the reserve, from simple forest camps to comfortable hotels with wooden bungalows. Two nights gives you an afternoon arrival, a dawn indri walk and an evening night walk. See our accommodation guide for prices.