Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mikalo(BuffetdelaGare)
(15bungalows) 5683208;
m
0331181785.Until1993
thiswastheonlyplacetostayinAndasibe&itslistofdistinguishedguestsincludesPrince
Philip, Gerald Durrell & David Attenborough. Now with newly built dbl/twin bungalows
(very comfy with fireplace) & chalets. Splendid but slightly pricey restaurant. €€€
Orchidée
(8 rooms) 56 832 05;
e
hotelorchideeandasibe@yahoo.fr
.
In Andasibe vil-
lage, good value sgl, dbl & trpl rooms with hot water. €€-€€€
ChezSteph
OnthesouthsideofRN2betweentheturningsforEulophiella&Andasibe,
this is a recommended small restaurant. Glorious
poulet au coco
!
Park Snack
Conveniently located eatery at the entrance to the national park.
Camping
There are tent shelters (5,000Ar/tent) at Mitsinjo (where you can also hire two-
man tents) and at the entrance to the national park. Camping is permitted on the lawn at
Feon'ny Ala as well.
PERMITS AND GUIDES
The Andasibe guides are among the best in Madagascar and
an example to the rest of the country for knowledge, enthusiasm and an awareness of what
tourists want. All the guides know where to find indri and other lemurs, but particularly
recommended for birds are Maurice, Luc, Florent, Julien and Patrice; Patrice is also know-
ledgeableaboutplants,asisSimon;reptileandfrogspecialistsareJacquesandDonna.Cir-
cuits range from two hours (15,000Ar for the guide) to five hours (35,000Ar). In addition,
for the national park you must also buy a permit at the park office (prices on
Click Here
)
,
and guides expect a tip. Andasibe and Mantadia are open from 06.00 to 16.00.
At Mitsinjo your guide and permit are included in the same ticket price. There is a short
trailthattakesabouttwohours(30,000Ar)andalongeroneoffourhoursorso(40,000Ar).
Night walks (highly recommended) cost 15,000Ar for up to 90 minutes, or 20,000Ar for
longer.
VISITOR CENTRE
The visitor centre at the national park office is terrific. It offers ex-
cellent explanations of animal behaviour and the whole ecology of this montane rainforest,
as well as some nice souvenirs (and a surprisingly splendid toilet!)
ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK (PÉRINET)
This 810ha reserve protects the largest of
the lemurs (
Indri indri
). Standing about a metre high, with a barely visible tail, black-and-
white markings and a surprised teddy-bear face, the indri looks more like a gone-wrong
panda than a lemur. The long back legs are immensely powerful, and an indri can propel
itself 10m, executing a turn in mid-air, to hug a new tree and gaze down benevolently at its
observers. And you
will
be an observer: everyone now sees indris here, and most also hear
them. For it is the voice that makes this lemur extra special: whilst other lemurs grunt or
swear,theindrisings.Itisaneerie,wailingsound-acrossbetweenwhalesongandasiren
