Toamasina and the Northeast - Madagascar - page 514

MAROJEJY NATIONAL PARK ( 88 070 27; www.marojejy.com ) This stunningly
beautiful national parkwasestablished in1998anddesignated aUNESCOWorldHeritage
Site in 2007. You need to be reasonably fit - and able to tolerate the heat - to enjoy it fully,
but there are few other areas in Madagascar to compare to Marojejy for awesome splend-
our and the feeling of ultimate wilderness. Imposing mountains and craggy cliffs are sur-
rounded by lush rainforests full of wildlife. Having made a return visit in 2006 after being
disastrously lost there in 1976, I can echo Dylan Lossie who says: 'Marojejy is how I once
imagined Madagascar as a child, long before I first went there: exotic, rugged, isolated and
prehistorical!'Andthenthereisthewildlife.ThisisthebestplaceinMadagascartoseethe
silkysifaka,oneofthefiverarestprimates intheworld,andthehelmet vanga.Thepanther
chameleons are as I remember from 30 years ago - huge, and outrageously coloured - and
there are leaf-tailed geckos, frogs galore, huge millipedes, wonderful spiders... and lots of
leeches.
WARNING! Marojejy is a vulnerable area and cannot support large numbers of vis-
itors. There is just one path to the top of the mountain which is suffering from the booted
feet of tourists. The maximum number of beds is 17 (including guides and porters) so the
park cannot accept large groups. Because you will be expected to share a hut, a group of
three or four friends is ideal.
Organising your visit My two companions and I put our arrangements into the hands of
Eric Mathieu ( m 032 40 118 81; e [e-mail] ), a charming Frenchman living in
Andapa with his wife Flavienne. He did a great job organising the guides, cook, porters,
food and transport from Sambava. You can also just turn up at the visitor centre mid-way
betweenSambavaandAndapa.Onereaderwroteinespeciallytosingthepraisesof'Primo
the cook and his fantastic banana flambées'.
There are three 'camps' at different altitudes, each with its own distinctive flora and
fauna. Individually they comprise four comfortable bunk beds in wooden chalets with a
shared shower and flush toilet, and separate cooking/eating area. Marojejy requires ad-
vance planning. You will need proper hiking boots, and I found a hiking pole very useful.
Pack warm clothing for the nights and a bandana to mop your streaming face during the
very hot days. Don't forget a good headlight torch and binoculars. If you are travelling on
your own you would be safer to bring a tent or team up with other travellers.
The best times to visit are April to May and September to December when there's less
rain.
Visitor centre The staff here are helpful and the place is well set up for visitors. It sells a
series of excellent leaflets on the flora and fauna of the massif. Coming from Sambava it's
200m before Manantenina on the left side of the road.