National Parks & reserves

Berenty: The name of the reserve means ‘many eels’, alluding to the once abundant fishing grounds of the Mandrare River. Berenty is one of the most visited protected areas in Madagascar. Location: The Berenty reserve is located 82 kilometres west of the coastal town of Tolagnaro (French: Fort Dauphin) in the far south of Madagascar. From Tolagnaro, Berenty can be …

Angavokely and Angavobe: The names Angavokely and Angavobe mean “few bats” and “many bats”. The names refer to the caves of the protected area where the harmless fluttering animals live. Location: The park of Angavokely and Angavobe is located only 36 km east of the capital Antananarivo. With a car and driver, it takes about one to two hours to …

Can I visit a national park alone on my own? A visit to a national park together with a “local forest guide” is obligatory everywhere in Madagascar – with one exception: Lokobe on Nosy Be. The local guides have completed a two-year training and are licensed by Madagascar National Parks (MNP). They earn their living sustainably with ecotourism, which is …

Amber Mountain: The name comes from the flowers of certain trees that cover the mountain and shine amber from afar. Location: The Amber Mountain  National Park is located in northwestern Madagascar in the Diana region. The nearest major city is Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) on the coast, about 30 km away. From the capital Antananarivo, the park is located about 1000 …

Saha Maintosanala: The word “Saha” means a park, and Maintsoanala means “green forest”. The protected area is simply called the “Park of the green forest”. Location: The reserve is located only 65 km from Antananarivo near the small town of Mandraka in the Analamanga region. The journey on the winding roads of the eastern highlands takes about two hours by …

Ankarafantsika: The word itself means “spiny mountains” and alludes to the famous gorge of the park. Ankarafanstika is also called “the Kingdom of Birds“. Location: Ankarafantsika National Park is located in northwestern Madagascar in the Ambato Boeny region. It is located 420 km north of Antananarivo and 115 km west of the port city of Mahajanga. The RN4 connects both …

Vohimana: Vohimana in the hilly highlands of eastern Madagascar is a small reserve that may be a little adventurous to reach by foot. Location: Vohimana is located about 155 km east of capital Antananarivo, in Alaotra-Mangoro region. Thus it is only 25 km far from much visited national park Andasibe-Mantadia. You can easily do day trips from there to Vohimana. …

Maromizaha: Actually this protected area consists of two forest areas, Maromizaha and Vohidrazana. The latter means as much as “mountain of the ancestors”. In contrast, the Malagasy words maro and mizaha can have two different meanings. It may be “the place where many people do research” but also “the forest which is exploited by many people”. Location: Maromizaha is located …

Anjozorobe-Angavo: The name Annjozorobe probably comes from the Madagascan “zozoro”, a certain kind of reed of the area. Legend has it that they were used as hiding places by the “menalamba”, who fought under the French colonial power for the liberation of Madagascar. Location: The protected area of Anjozorobe-Angavo is located 90 km northeast of the capital Antananarivo in the …

Antsokay: The name means as much as “lime” and points to the typical loam and lime containing soil of the area. Around Arboretum, people make bricks from this kind of soil. Location: The Arboretum Antsokay is located in southwestern Madagascar in the region of Atsimo-Andrefana. It is only 12 kilometers away from one of the largest cities of the south, …