The far north, accessed via Diego Suarez, is home to some stunning national parks. Rainforest waterfalls, limestone tsingy and rich biodiversity create a destination perfect for any avid explorer!
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The far north-eastern tip of Madagascar offers some stunning national parks known for their scenic beauty and their wildlife. This is a place where jagged limestone spires meet hidden waterfalls and pristine landscpaes. Our Andasibe, Northern Madagascar & Nosy Be tour celebrates this region! This tour packages is a favourite for nature-lovers, walkers and those who want to be immerse themselves in the wildness of these unique Madagascan landcapes.
Antsiranana, formerly known as Diego Suarez, is Madagascar’s fifth largest town. Traditionally rated second in beauty after Rio de Janeiro, its imposing bay is encircled by hills. However, its conical ‘Pain de Sucre’ (sugar loaf) mountain lies in the middle of the bay! The town is colourful and compact with some great restaurants. Usually Diego Suarez acts as the starting point for a visit to the Amber Mountains and Ankarana. The surrounding countryside is quiet and picturesque with numerous baobab trees.
The Amber Mountain National Park lies about 45 minutes to the south. This montane rainforest has a comfortable climate; a cool and fresh respite from the coastal heat in Antsiranana! This beautiful park offers great walking with broad trails and brilliant birding with a number of celebrated waterfalls.
The dry, deciduous Ankarana Special Reserve lies 100 km south of Antsiranana (Diego Suarez). This offers a really spectacular and bizarre area of natural beauty along with some of the most rewarding hiking in Ankarana. It’s famous for the marvellously impressive limestone tsingy: razor sharp pinnacles which have been sculpted by erosion. Explore the park on foot to look for lemurs, chameleons and of course to view the tsingy. Underneath the Tsingy are miles of caves and rivers. Indeed, some of the largest caves have collapsed to form isolated pockets of river-fed forest with their own perfectly protected flora and fauna.
Wanting to add onto your tailor-made Madagascar tour including Nosy Be? Travel south from Ankarana through picturesque hilly countryside with vanilla and coffee plantations to the coastal fishing village of Ankify. From here you can take a breezy 40-minute boat ride to the island of Nosy Be (to end your adventure with a cocktail on the beach!). Â
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