tel: (+261) 34 49 207 03 - (+261) 34 49 203 08
Andasibe
Andasibe is probably one of the most touristy towns in Madagascar. Thousands of visitors come here every year to admire the eastern forests and spot the Indri Indri, the largest lemur species. October is the month with the highest numbers of visitors, so if you are planning a visit in this month, book your room well in advance! This is also one of the most rainy regions in Madagascar, so be ready for getting wet. The tropical vegetation is present everywhere and if you visit this place during the rainy season, it will rain almost constantly. The bus station, post office and two churches, constitute the core of this small town, surrounded by wooden houses.
All the visitors within a mile of the park can hear the peculiar call of the indri very early in the morning until noon and again in the late afternoon. Indris (called Babakoto in Malagay) are the largest living lemurs at all reaching up to 1 meter. Andasibe is the best place to observe the Indris given that there are a couple of families habituated to humans. It lives in small groups and cannot survive in captivity. There are several legends trying to explain its origins since it is considered a sacred animal in the whole Madagascar. Nowadays it is endangered due to deforestation and agricultural activities next to the reserves.
Apart from the Indri, another 13 lemur species inhabit these forests, such as woody lemur, grey bamboo lemur, diademed sifaka, brown lemur, red mouse-lemur, red-bellied lemur, black and white ruffed lemur and even aye-aye.
Indri
Diademed sifaka
Grey bamboo lemur
Diademed sifaka
Crowned sifaka
Black-and-white ruffed lemur
Coquerel's sifaka
Brown lemurs
Mongoose lemur
Mouse lemurs
Red-ruffed lemur
Ring-tailed lemur
Ring-tailed lemur
Ring-tailed lemur
Red bamboo