You are collected by your guide and drive to the Eastern Rainforests and Andasibe. This scenic transfer takes approx 3-3Β½ hours on a good but winding road with picturesque scenery en route. Along the way there are lovely views of rice paddies and the unique red-bricked houses of the Merina people, the dominant culture in this region.
You have the rest of the day to explore the forests at your own leisure. From late August to March you may be able to join an optional night walk into the park to see the nocturnal lemur species and tenrecs amongst others.
Night Walk
If you travel in spring or summer (late August to March), pack a headtorch as you can join a night stroll to see nocturnal wildlife such as tenrecs (spiny hedgehog like creatures) with the PΓ©rinet guides. At night another world emerges in the forest, making night walks especially interesting. Nocturnal lemurs include the Eastern woolly lemur, Goodmanβs mouse lemur and the furry-eared dwarf lemur.
The next day, Day 3, you have the whole day to explore the rainforest with the Parkβs specialist guides.Β You set off early for a walking tour of the Mantadia National Park. Typically this is usually a morning tour of 4-5 hours but there are longer trails on offer.
This is much wilder than the Indri Special Reserve and has a mix of terrain, with some steeper trails, so itβs best if you are reasonably fit. (However there are also some shorter and easier trails on offer if you prefer.)
The forest is thicker and you are rewarded with varied wildlife sightings such as the diademed sifaka (the so-called dancing lemur), the black-and-white ruffed lemur, common brown lemur, red-bellied lemur and the grey bamboo lemur.
Birding in Mantadia is especially good with the likes of the rare Brown mesite, Pitta-like ground-roller, Brown emutail and the velvet asity all to be seen. (Your chances of good birding increases on the longer trails.)
