Places to See and Stay: Northern Madagascar - Madagascar

Joffreville is a village situated about 4km from the entrance to Amber Mountain National Park. There are two hotels, a scattering of very small local shops and a large old church. It is a nice place to wander about and see something of village life with small stalls selling fruit, little bars with wooden benches and chickens and ducks scattering the roads. Amber Mountain National Park is situated in the far north of Madagascar, 40km south of Diego. The park is rewarding for walkers with a large number of trails through the forest. On foot you have the chance to discover all the smaller wildlife such as the leaf-mimic chameleons, tree boas, leaf-tailed geckos, butterflies and pill millipedes which curl up into perfect balls. There are seven lemur species in the park and hikers usually see at least one, if not two of the diurnal species including the crowned lemur and Sanford’s brown lemur. Ankarana, located three hours south west of Diego Suarez, is one of the best places in Madagascar to see the famous limestone tsingy. The limestone massif rises up from the forest, and though a few tiny succulent plants cling to the rocks, the tsingy is largely bare and spiky limestone. A few pathways wind through the rocks, and hiking is challenging, but rewarding with some spectacular views out over the reserve.

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