Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PARC NATIONAL DE MASOALA
Best time to visit
August (for whales) to January
Key highlight
Seeing humpback whales and red-ruffed lemurs in the same day
Wildlife
Gold dust gecko, fork-marked lemurs, helmeted vanga shrike, serpent
eagle, dugong
Habitats
Low, middle and highland rainforest, mangrove, littoral forest, reefs
and rivers
Gateway towns
Maroantsetra, Antalaha
Transport options
Boat or walk in
Things you should know
Bring a raincoat. The sea can be rough in the after-
noon.
Park Fees & Guides
The main park headquarters is located at the MNP office in Maroantsetra. The guides here
are well organised and many speak English. Treks can also be arranged at the MNP of-
fice in Antalaha or in Ambodirafia, near Cap Est, although the staff and guides there don't
speak English.
Permits cost Ar20,000 for three days. Guides are mandatory in both terrestrial and mar-
ineparks.Experienced guides(withwildlife knowledge)areAr35,000perday.Trailguides
are Ar15,000 per day, porters Ar10,000 to Ar15,000 per day. There is an additional fee of
Ar30,000 if the boat has to wait overnight.
ACTIVITIES
This is a hiker's paradise. If you are staying in the ecolodges on the west coast, there are
many short trails that you can take. There are also three main long-distance trails for ser-
ious trekkers. The
Maroantsetra to Antalaha direct trip
(three to five days, Ar150,000)
passes through rice paddies and gentler terrain. It is the easiest but also the dullest. For
forest lovers, the
Maroantsetra to Cap Est route
(five to eight days, Ar240,000) is more
interesting, but also more challenging, with river crossings. Most nights are spent in vil-
lages, where it is customary to pay a few thousand ariary per person to the village chief.
Carry a tent, however, as some villages are too small to offer accommodation. Finally, one
can walk the entire rim of the peninsula, from
Maroantsetra to Cap Masoala to Cap Est
.
This long journey can be cut to two weeks or so by taking a boat from Maroantsetra to Cap
Masoala (Ar390,000).
