The rainforest
Tall trunks and climbers.
Frank Vassen — CC BY 2.0 · Claudia Rahary Soa — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mendel264 — CC0 · Frank Vassen from Brussels, Belgium — CC BY 2.0 · Mendel264 — CC0
Masoala National Park in north-eastern Madagascar is the largest of the island's protected areas. Created in 1997, it protects 2,300 square km of rainforest and 100 square km of marine park. It is part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana on the UNESCO list. Here forest meets the sea directly, so you walk among giant trees and then step out onto an empty beach. The Masoala Peninsula is exceptionally diverse thanks to its size and range of habitats, from tropical and coastal forest to flooded forest, marsh and mangrove. Three marine parks protect coral reefs and their rich life. It is among the wettest areas of Madagascar, with the driest part of the year running from September to December. You walk with a guide among tall trunks, climbing plants and streams running over green rocks, looking for red ruffed lemurs and other rare species. In the right season you can see humpback whales in Antongil Bay, or snorkel at the reefs. You stay in simple wooden huts near the beach. Leave no rubbish, as the place is remote and fragile. It is about 47 km in a straight line from Maroantsetra and can be reached only by boat, in about three hours. Trips often stop in the cyclone season from January to March, so plan ahead, and bring a waterproof bag.
Tall trunks and climbers.
In Antongil Bay.
Where forest meets sea.
Masoala Peninsula, north-eastern Madagascar
By boat, about three hours from Maroantsetra, as there is no road.
September to December is the driest, and avoid the cyclone season.