Marojejy National Park

Marojejy:

Marojejy National Park is one of the most biodiverse and beautiful in Madagascar, but also one of the most difficult to travel to. An “advanced paradise”! The Malagasy words maro and jejy have various meanings, including “many stones” and “much rain”, but also “many animals” and “many ancestral spirits”.

Location:

Marojejy National Park is located in the northeast of Madagascar on the slopes of the sacred mountain range of the same name in the province of Sava. About 60 km to the east is the “vanilla capital” Sambava. The RN3b, which passes the park, reaches from there to Andapa in the west. The Marojejy National Park is difficult to reach due to its location and the lack of infrastructure. The only safe way is to fly from the capital Antananarivo to Sambava and then travel by car or bus by road to the park office. The land route from Ambilobe to the east via Vohémar on the northeast coast and then south towards Sambava has also been passable again since 2022.

Information about the National Park:

In 1948, Prof. Henri Humbert of the Natural History Museum in Paris, founder of the national park, visited this spot of earth and was so overwhelmed by the flora and fauna that he dedicated his book “Miracles of Nature” to Marojejy. Barely four years later, at his insistence, the area was placed under protection. Only scientists were allowed to visit. Since 1998, Marojejy has officially been considered a national park and is thus open to all travellers again. In 2007, it was declared a UNESCO World Nature Heritage Site.

The national park is about 600 km² in size. Its highest point is over 2100 m, making it one of the highest parks in Madagascar. From the deepest rainforest to the high mountain forest, there is everything the country has to offer in terms of climatic zones. Various hiking routes leave directly from the campground, the longest excursions can take several days. Many rivers and streams, waterfalls as well as steep differences in altitude make the tours through the park a fantastic experience, but also demand a lot from the nature lover. Marojejy is certainly not easy to walk!

The Tsimihety living around the park and some mafia structures now pose a massive threat to the entire national park. Similar to Masoala, slash-and-burn and illegal logging of precious woods such as rosewood and palisandre have been going on for years and are difficult to control.

Climate:

As in most areas of north-eastern Madagascar, the weather of Marojejy is dominated by a tropical, warm and humid climate. In summer, temperatures reach over 30°C almost daily, and in winter there can even be frost on the tops of the national park. In the forest itself, it is slightly cooler and it rains almost daily. The extremely high humidity makes park visitors tire quickly and makes every hike a challenge. A good physical condition is a prerequisite for a visit to Marojejy National Park.

Infrastructure:

There are only two small hut villages in the vicinity of the national park, which do not offer accommodation. The park office is located directly on the RN3b, where you pay entrance fees and organise cooks and guides. From here it is a 6 km walk to the park entrance. The path is not difficult but leads through a kind of savannah between rice fields, where it is extremely hot and walking is therefore very, very strenuous. Once you have reached the park entrance and the shady forest, it is still several kilometres to Camp Mantella (Camp 1) and several hours of extremely strenuous walking to Camp 2 (Camp Marojejya), which is much higher up.  The last kilometre of the ascent alone covers 450 metres in altitude.

The highest camp 3 (Camp Simpona) cannot be reached by most travellers in one day, although it is “only” a few kilometres to the camp below. However, the trails are narrow, steep and impassable, very slippery in the rain and sometimes even follow streams beds. Sometimes you even have to cross steep rock slabs secured with ropes. In combination with the climate, which is extreme for Europeans, every kilometre becomes a sporting feat and only with a tenacious will can you make it all the way to the top.  However, the breathtaking view and the campground in the middle of the rainforest compensate for every effort.

Caution: The official kilometre information on the signs on site is a good 20 years old and no longer up to date. Since every year new paths have to be found around fallen trees, the path from the park office to Camp Marojejya is currently almost 20 km (!) instead of the 11.9 km indicated (as of 2025).

The three camps are each equipped with covered cooking and eating areas, running water and basic sanitary facilities. There is no electricity. In 2022, Camp Mantella and Camp Marojejya were equipped with new communal huts with tin roofs and concrete foundations by Lemur Conservation Foundation. In Camp Mantella, all huts were renovated with concrete foundations, wooden huts and tin roofs as well as new bunk beds. Two of these cabins are already available at Camp Marojejy, the other cabins there are old models covered with lorry tarpaulins. Camp Simpona still has a few old huts covered with lorry tarpaulins and a wooden communal and cooking hut, which is now quite rickety. Both Camp Mantella and Camp Marojejya offer small tent areas as an alternative (tents have to be brought, there are none available on site).

Drinks, food and camping equipment must be brought from Sambava. Porters from the villages can be organised at the park office, who will transport any luggage up to the desired camp and back down again at breathtaking speed for a small fee.

Flora and Fauna:

Marojejy is Madagascar’s national park with the richest flora and fauna. Marojejy’s flora offers something for every taste, from jungle giants over 50 metres tall to delicate orchids: 275 different ferns, around 300 epiphytes and 50 palm species alone make the forest an unforgettable, enchanting place. The list of life forms found only here is extremely long, and by no means all plants and animals have been described yet.

Marojejy is the last remaining habitat of the extremely rare and critically endangered Silky Sifakas, called the “angels of the forest” because of their white, long fur – and another ten lemur species. The silky sifakas are among the 25 most endangered species worldwide. Finding them requires a full day of adventurous climbing across the forest, but an encounter with these last creatures of their kind is unforgettable.  The bizarre Aye-Aye can occasionally be spotted at night among the dense greenery. The bamboo lemurs (Hapalemur occidentalis) and other inhabitants of the forest are much easier to see and often come right up to the camps. White-fronted lemurs can also be observed quite closely during the walks.

Marojejy is a true paradise for reptile lovers and herpers. There are over 150 species of amphibians and reptiles here, including numerous species that have only just been described and even some that are still unknown. Mantella nigricans and Mantella laevigata can be found in large numbers around Camp Mantella. Smaller chameleons such as Calumma uetzi, Calumma marojezense and Brookesia griveaudi are native to the area around the camp. Those who make it further up to Camp Simpona can discover the fascinating Brookesia betschi chameleons with their long bone protrusions above their eyes and the pretty Calumma guillaumeti. There are also several species of tiny chameleons in Marojejy, all of which are among the smallest on earth: Brookesia karchei and Brookesia tedi, only described in 2019. If you search the foliage on the ground for a long time in a specific, very small area, you may even catch a glimpse of the colourful Brookesia vadoni, covered with many skin appendages – a real rarity.

The national park is home to a wide variety of snakes, including the fairly common Parastenophis betsileanus and the extremely rare but beautiful Liophidium pattoni. The rare day gecko Phelsuma masohoala lives at the park entrance of Marojejy, while further up, Phelsuma guttata and Phelsuma dorsivittata are regular visitors to bamboo trunks and hut roofs.

Marojejy is also a mecca for leaf-tailed geckos. Not only the giant among leaf-tailed geckos, Uroplatus giganteus, has its home here. Further up the mountain live the species Uroplatus fangorn, Uroplatus finaritra and Uroplatus fivehy, which were only described in 2019 and 2020. In the wild ginger directly at the waterfall near Camp Marojejya, on the other hand, you can find the perfectly camouflaged Uroplatus lineatus.

The Marojejy rainforest is also home to the helmet vanga (Euryceros prevostii), which is a challenge for any bird photographer. It is both the symbol and mascot of the national park. Blue couas are numerous here, but a whole range of vangas can also be spotted in Marojejy. A total of 120 bird species populate Marojejy, creating a unique and beautiful backdrop for excursions.

Marojejy is a unique, fantastic paradise with an extreme biodiversity that cannot be found anywhere else in Madagascar.