Southern Madagascar

The contrast between the North and the South is tremendous.The far southeast is difficult to access by road meaning you have to fly.  This is an area where the Mandrare River is the lifeline for many of the Malagasy tribes. Its spectacular forests include the ‘gallery’ forest and the eerie ‘spiny’ forest which are home to ‘King Julian’ i.e. the ring-tailed lemur as well as Verraux’s sifaka lemur and various other nocturnal species. Beach-life in the South: North of here, on the coast at Manafiafy the landscape changes once again; coastal rainforest and mangroves can be combined with visits to traditional fishing villages and seasonal whale watching.In the south west, the stunning Parc National d’Isalo is one of Madagascar’s most visited and most beautiful national parks where, after a morning trekking up and over canyons, a dip in one of the natural rock pools is a welcome reward.