Eastern Madagascar

Eastern Madagascar covers an extremely diverse range of landscapes and climates. The hilly and forested north is home to a great variety of lemur species, best seen in the Parc National d’Andasibe Mantadia, three hours east of Antananarivo. At the coast, the Canal des Pangalanes is an absolute must-do for the more adventurous traveller. The bustling waterway provides a livelihood for numerous fisherman, whose traps you will pass through on your way up the canal which terminates at Tamatave, one of Madagascar’s largest sea ports.

A short flight north of here will bring you to Ile St Marie, an idyllic, palm-fringed atoll. It seems like time has stood still here, with most of the island’s roads unmade, but it does give the visitor a fantastic insight into Madagascan life as it’s really lived. There’s also the opportunity for whale watching from July to November.