The hook
An accessible eastern rainforest where the eerie, whale-like song of the indri, the largest living lemur, echoes through the trees at dawn, and a guided walk brings you face to face with creatures found only on this island.
01Why it's worth it
Madagascar's lemurs, primates found nowhere else on earth, are the reason many people come, and the rainforests around Andasibe are one of the easiest and most rewarding places to meet them, a few hours from the capital. The star is the indri, the largest of all lemurs, a striking black-and-white animal that lives in family groups and greets the morning with an extraordinary, far-carrying wail that is one of the strangest and most beautiful sounds in nature; hearing it echo through the misty forest is unforgettable. Guided day and night walks in the parks here turn up several other lemur species, plus a wealth of chameleons, colourful frogs, and endemic birds, showcasing the island's astonishing biodiversity, where the vast majority of species exist only here. The forest is lush, the guiding excellent, and the access relatively easy compared with Madagascar's remote west and south, making it the ideal introduction to the island's unique wildlife.
02How to experience it
Take guided day and night walks in the Andasibe and Mantadia reserves to see indri and other lemurs, chameleons, and frogs; a good local guide is essential and greatly improves sightings. Be there at dawn to hear the indri call. It is an easy first wildlife stop from the capital, Antananarivo.