Safari to Anjajavy

arguably our favourite beach location in Madagascar

Set 150 km northeast of the port of Mahajanga and 600 km north of the capital Antananarivo, the Anjajavy Reserve is a relatively small but very beautiful and diverse private conservation area.

The reserve is home to the upmarket Anjajavy Lodge, one of the finest and best-intentioned properties in the country, a real delight to visit.

The area offers an unusual broad range of activities, including hiking, caving, beach picnics, village visits, sailing and wind-surfing.

The natural diversity is enormous here, with highlights including huge baobab trees, elusive aye-ayes and fossas, various lemurs, the world’s largest chameleon and one of the world’s rarest birds.

The area is accessed by a private charter flight direct from the capital Antananarivo, which also makes this one of the easiest and most convenient places to get to, despite being so wonderfully remote.

Although the Anjajavy area is very far removed from anywhere else, it tends to feature in a relatively high proportion of trips because the lodge here is one of the best in the country and it offers such a wide range of classic experiences.

The usual stay duration is 3-7 nights.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit the Anjajavy area is generally considered to be during the May-Sep cool dry season.

The weather in this part of the world is relatively stable year round, with daytime temperatures typically reaching 32C/90F, which is fairly comfortable given the usual low humidities.

During the May-Sep dry season the nighttime temperatures can drop to a reasonably comfortable 18C/64F and there should be virtually no rainfall.

During the Dec-Mar hot rainy season the nighttime temperatures may struggle to get below 24C/75F, which can be quite uncomfortable given the higher humidities.

During the April and Oct-Nov periods you can expect intermediate conditions.

Another big seasonal factor is the fossa mating party, which usually occurs in November.

Getting there

The Anjajavy Reserve is accessed by private flights with Madagascar Trans Air, direct from the capital Antananarivo into the local airstrip, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in both directions.

Whilst it is possible to charter flights at other times and from other parts of Madagascar, the prices can become prohibitive, so the vast majority of visitors tend to stick to this schedule.

Where to stay

The only place to stay is the upmarket Anjajavy Lodge, which is at the centre of the reserve and at the heart of everything good that is happening around here.

conveniently connected by air to the capital