Safari to Masoala

a diversity of forest, marine and cultural activities

Set on the coastline some 450 km to the northeast of the capital Antananarivo, Masoala is a large peninsula which contains the best preserved area of tropical forest in the country.

The forest covers an impressive 2300 square kilometres, fringed by beautiful tropical beaches and surrounded by rich coral lagoons.

A vast range of endemic species includes white-fronted brown and woolly lemurs, as well as elusive aye-ayes.

The area has a great range of activities, with the usual forest hikes being supplemented by kayaking, snorkelling and whale-watching.

Thanks to the presence of the one excellent lodge and its reasonably easy access by air, the Masoala area tends to feature in a good proportion of trips. This is a cool outpost.

The usual stay duration is 3-4 nights.

Seasonality

The best time to visit Masoala is generally considered to be Sep-Nov, which is the latter part of the dry season.

We would probably add December into the mix, since the wildlife viewing usually continues to be strong then.

The area experiences a tropical rainforest climate, which is to say that it’s reliably hot, humid and rainy. In fact the area can experience in excess of 5000 mm (200″) of rain in a year, which is a lot.

The temperatures are relatively constant year round, with peak daytime temperatures around 28C/82F and nighttime temperatures a potentially uncomfortable 20C/68F. The relative humidity is around 85% year round, which doesn’t help.

The Sep-Nov period represents the ‘dry’ season, although with an average of 125mm/5′ of rain per month, this would be considered rainy in most locations. The rain also tends to fall during the day. However temperatures tend to be slightly lower and the prevailing conditions are very much sunny.

The Dec-Apr period represents the main rainy season, with an average rainfall of around 400mm/16″ of rain per month, which is a lot. You can expect heavy and potentially continuous downpours every other day, but with plenty of sunny weather in between. For much of this season the rain tends to fall at night, leaving the days clear. Temperatures can soar Jan-Apr in particular.

The Jun-Aug period can get very windy out at sea, making the crossing from Masaola much more challenging and potentially hampering snorkelling, canoeing and whale-watching activities.

Getting there

The only practicable way to get to Masoala is to fly from the capital Antananarivo to the town of Maroantsetra on the northwest coast, from where it is a (potentially arduous) motorboat transfer of around two hours across Antongil Bay to the forest.

Where to stay

Although there are other lodges in the Maroantsetra area, by far the most alluring option is Masoala Forest Lodge, which is located right out on the peninsular, within the main land and marine conservation areas.

accessed by light aircraft from the capital