Places to See and Stay: Eastern Madagascar - Madagascar

Andasibe is the best park for the indri, the largest lemur. Nocturnal walks are excellent for viewing mouse lemurs and the greater dwarf lemur. All exploring is done on foot on the trails that weave through the forest and vary in length from one hour to four or five. Walks are particularly rewarding in the early morning when the indri calls echo through the air. Mantadia National Park, 20 kilometers north of Andasibe, is for the true wildlife enthusiast. Towering trees have buttress roots, there are vines, orchids and ferns and at higher altitudes luxuriant growth of mosses and lichens. The best time to see orchids in bloom is between September and November. Masoala National Park is abundant with tall Palissandre trees, vines, wild ginger plants, ferns and orchids. Walking in the forest you see hundreds of frogs, including the large tomato frog. Chameleons are easily found and commonly seen are the panther chameleon, hooded chameleon and several species of stump-tailed chameleon. Access to the park is by boat from Maroantsetra, do be prepared as this can be a very rough and wet crossing. The small island of Nosy Mangabe is located in Antongil Bay and is only accessible by small boat. The island has a rich history of trading and piracy; on the west side of the island are rock carvings by Dutch sailors from the 16th century.

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