The Namorona River
Rocks and falls.
Smiley.toerist — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Smiley.toerist — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Brian Gratwicke from DC, USA — CC BY 2.0 · Charles J. Sharp — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Frank Vassen from Brussels, Belgium — CC BY 2.0
Ranomafana National Park lies in south-eastern Madagascar, established in 1991 as the country's fourth national park. It protects more than 41,600 hectares of tropical rainforest at elevations of 800 to 1,200 m. It is part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana on the UNESCO list and among the best places in the world to see animals that live only in Madagascar. It was created after the primatologist Patricia Wright rediscovered the greater bamboo lemur and discovered the golden bamboo lemur. Next to the park is the Centre ValBio research station, set up by Stony Brook University in 2003. The station continues to study the forest, so the area joins tourism and science in one place. You walk with a guide on rising trails, slippery at times, among bamboo and tall trees, looking for sifakas and bamboo lemurs. At night colourful chameleons, frogs and leaf-tailed geckos appear, among the strangest things you will see. The Namorona River runs along the edge with its rocks and falls, clearly visible from the road. Never touch the animals or use a flash on them. It is about 40 km in a straight line from Fianarantsoa. Bring a rain jacket, firm shoes and a light layer, as the forest stays damp. The best season runs from September to November, when young lemurs are about.
Rocks and falls.
Chameleons and leaf-tailed geckos.
Home of rare lemurs.
Haute Matsiatra and Vatovavy regions, south-eastern Madagascar
The trails climb and are slippery at times, so you need reasonable fitness and firm shoes.
Yes, it is the best chance to see chameleons and leaf-tailed geckos.