Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
double rooms share facilities, while the seven newer bungalows each sleep up to four and
have en-suite bathrooms (cold water only).
MorebasicMalagasy-runaccommodationmaybefoundatAndranofasika,4kmtowards
Tana. You can arrange a transfer with the park minibus.
There are good facilities for
camping
at the park entrance: 11 sheltered tent pitches
withnicecommunalshowers,toilets,kitchenanddiningarea.Thepitchesthemselveshave
power sockets and lights and cost 6,000Ar per night. Double/triple tents may be rented for
15,000/25,000Ar (price includes the pitch).
A simple restaurant provides breakfast from 3,000Ar and meals from 10,000Ar.
PERMITS AND GUIDES
Permits are available at the park office (see
Click Here
for
prices). There are 15 guides, 11 of whom speak English. They cost from 15,000Ar per cir-
cuit; maximum six people per guide.
VISITORS' CENTRE
The visitors' information centre and souvenir shop are worth see-
ing, with good information on the local customs, including the
tromba
(trance) ceremony.
One such ceremony takes place on New Year's Day at Lake Ravelobe.
There are several
fady
in the area, mostly pertaining to the lake (women must not wash
in the lake during menstruation and nothing can be washed - or sacrificed - at the lake on
a Saturday). There is also a
fady
against eating pork.
FLORA AND FAUNA
This is typical dry, deciduous forest with sparse understorey and
lots of lianas. In the dry winter season many of the trees have shed their leaves, but in
the wet months the forest is a sea of bright greens. Conspicuous is the tree with menacing
spines,
Huracrepitans
,whichisactuallynotanativespecies-itwasintroducedfromCen-
tral America. There are 130 bird species (with highlights like the Van Dam's vanga, Mad-
agascar fish eagle and white breasted mesite), eight easily seen lemur species and reptiles
galore.
Wildlife-viewinginAnkarafantsikastartsassoonasyouarrive.Rightbesidetheparking
area is a tree that Coquerel's sifakas use as a dormitory. They are extremely handsome
animals with the usual silky white fur but with chestnut-brown arms and thighs. On your
walksyoumayalsoseemongooselemurs,westernwoollylemursandsportivelemurs;and
this is the only place where you might see the golden-brown mouse lemur,
Microcebus
ravelobensis
.
