If you are looking for intact pristine rainforest, adventure and great wildlife viewing opportunities with whale watching and lemur tracking, then Masoala is the best park in all of Madagascar and is one of the highlights when you are traveling to SAVA.
Whether it is camping, or staying in the comfortable luxury of Masoala Forest Lodge (which we think is the best lodge – rainforest forest resort in Madagascar), Masoala is a wild place and a visit to this park is a true adventure, as it is still little explored. Most people take a flight from Antananarivo to Maroantsetra to visit Masoala. In Maroantsetra there are several hotels to stay and you can also visit Nosy Mangabe to see the aye aye lemurs. From there you can take a boat to one of the lodges in the park, of which we think Masoala Forest Lodge is the best lodge in Masoala.
Our favorite way to go to Masoala is the more adventurous route on the back of a motorbike, by mountain bike or on foot all the way from Antalaha, going south to Cap Masoala, from where you’ll take the boat to the forest. There is no decent road to get here by car and there are many rivers and mangroves which have to be conquered by small wooden ferries or narrow wooden bridges, which only allow (motor)bikes and pedestrians. The terrain is rough, but extremely beautiful and is a guaranteed adventure. Having Masoala as your destination will be truly rewarding after this adventure. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, you can easily spend a week here, exploring the forest, go look for animals, enjoy whale watching or kayaking in the ocean! In the Tampolo marine park you can go snorkeling.
Remember that you’re in a rainforest, so there’s a chance of rain every day! Although the period from September to December is usually drier. From the end of December to the beginning of May there is the cyclone season, so it’s advised not to come during this period. The most interesting period to travel to Masoala is from July to September when you can see humpback whales, which migrate from Antarctica to mate and give birth to their young at Antongil Bay.
The Masoala peninsula is home to the biggest lowland rainforest in all of Madagascar. The forest reaches to the coastline, making it a truly unique and beautiful place where you see the ocean and forest meeting each other. Of its 400.000 hectares, the peninsula has over 230.000 hectares of primary rainforest on the west and Masoala has the highest biodiversity of Madagascar. Besides the protected forest, there are also several marine parks. Even though the park has a protected status it is being threatened by illegal logging.
In the lower layer of the forest we find palm trees, tree ferns and orchids and the tallest trees reach up to 30 meters high. The park has many steep hills, covered with trees and small rivers throughout the whole park, these are fed by the abundant rains, occurring the whole year as there is no dry season.
Masoala is home to many unique and endemic species such as the red ruffed lemur, aye aye, mouse lemur, white fronted brown lemur, striped civet, falanouc, eastern ring-tailed mongoose, tenrecs and other mammals. Besides mammals there are 93 recorded birds at Masoala, including the rare Madagascar serpent eagle, red owl, red-breasted coua, helmet vanga and velvet asity. There’s also a wide variety of frogs and reptiles such as the tomato frog, leaf-tailed gecko, green-backed mantell, Boettger’s chameleon and more.
Our local travel agency offers trips to Masoala National Park the whole year, which can start from Antananarivo, Diego-Suarez, Antalaha, Sambava and Maroantsetra. They can be perfectly combined with other regions in Madagascar and you can contact us if you’re interested in a customized tour. Our most favorite tours are a visit to Masoala Forest Lodge, ranging from 3 nights to 10 nights, using a private charter from Antananarivo to Maroentsetra. But we also offer overland tours, coming from Antalaha, which are done by mountain bike or on foot. We work closely together with the local tourism department and have excellent wildlife experts in case you are interested in a lemur safari, birding or even a frog and reptile expedition in the forest of Masoala. It is also possible to kayak, especially between July and September is the best period, when thousands of humpback whales come to the coast of Masoala National Park. Don’t hesitate to contact our agency if you want to book a tour to Madagascar’s most adventurous and beautiful forest!
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