Parks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_parks_of_Madagascar

Lemurs Park (one or two visits, 1.5 hour tours) 22 km southwest of Antananarivo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemurs'_Park A small botanical garden and reserve. Most of its nine lemur species are free-ranging within the park. Offering guided tours. Visitors can arrange transportation between downtown Antananarivo and Lemurs' Park on a private park shuttle. Most of the park's lemurs were confiscated pets, entrusted to the park by the Ministry of Water and Forests. The lemurs are rehabilitated and bred for reintroduction into the wild. Lemurs' Park also has a vivarium which houses chameleons, radiated tortoises, iguanas and other lizards. Featured daily feeding times occur every two hours between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. There are nine species, seven of which are active during the day (diurnal) and two are active at night (nocturnal). http://www.lemurspark.com/ http://www.lemurspark.com/lemurs-park/presentation-lemurs-park.html 30.000 / person for a one and a half hour guided tour. Open 09:00 until 17:00, Last entry 16:00. Any day closed? https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g293809-d2208995-Reviews-Lemurs_Park- Antananarivo_Antananarivo_Province.html Number 1 attraction in the capital. "Of all the places we went in to find lemurs. Lemur park was the best. We took a stroll through the park with a guide .Everything was beautiful scenery and environment for the lemurs was perfect and so many different varieties of lemurs to be seen.they were all around us and it was easy to stand and watch them playing and behaving in their natural environment.the guide was excellent in telling us the difference between each type and there habits.i wouldn't have missed this opportunity."

"The lemurs jump on the trees and come up close to you. They don't have nails and they are not scared of humans." http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/116579/Antananarivo-Day-2-Lemurs-Park-5

Bradt 2007 Edition, Page 177-178: Entry 10.000 including guide. Closed on Mondays! Visit during feeding times, 4 each day. The park is on RN1 road. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park & Parc Mitsinjo (day tour + night walk)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andasibe-Mantadia_National_Park

The park's two component parts are Mantadia National Park and Analamazoatra Reserve, which is best known for its population of Madagascar's largest lemur, the indri.

This is one of the easiest parks in Madagascar to visit from the capital city, Antananarivo, with a 3-hour drive east on a paved road. While Analamazaotra (Andasibe) and park headquarters are short walks from Antsapanana on the RN 2, special transport must be arranged or hired from local hotels to reach Mantadia. Hikes ranging from 1–6 hours are typically available in both parts of the park. A local guide is required for visitors entering either part of the park.

The Analamazaotra (or Périnet) Special Reserve (ASR), known locally as Andasibe after the nearby village, was once part of the larger Mantadia National Park which also included Maromizaha Classified Forest to the southeast and Anosibe an’ala to the south. However logging and deforestation for farming has resulted in these parks now being isolated. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g316106-d318007-Reviews- Andasibe_Mantadia_National_Park_Reserve_of_Perinet-Andasibe_Toamasina_Province.html

We also went for a night hike just outside the park and saw tons of chameleons, dwarf lemurs, and avahi. http://www.travelmadagascar.org/PARKS/Andasibe-Mantadia-National-Park.html

Lonely Planet 2008 Edition, Page 192-194: One of the most popular attractions. Two areas, Analamazaotra and Mantadia. There are also several small private reserves near Andasibe. Beautiful primary forest with lakes. The main attraction is the indri, the largest lemur. It is easiest to access Analamazaotra. 6 am to 4 pm plus night visits by arrangement. 25.000 for one day and 37.000 for two days. Don't hire guides who approach you in Andasibe as they may not actually have authorization to enter the park. A list of official approved guides is displayed at the reception, with details of their skills and qualifications. A fixed guide fee for up to three people is shown on a board outside. Most travelers stay in or near the very charming village of Andasibe. 11+7 chameleon species.

The entrance to d'Analamazaotra is 2 km along a sealed road from Andasibe. Because the reserve is small, most of it can be covered in short walks. The best time for seeing and hearing indris is early in the morning from 7am to 11am. There are three organized walking trails. First cost 4.000 and takes two hours, the second cost 8000 and takes 2-4 hours, the third cost 12.000 and covers first and second and a little more.

Night walks take place along the road on the perimeter of the reserve and cost 8000. You will probably see chameleons and mouse/dwarf lemurs.

Parc Mitsinjo (day tour + night walk) Visit also the nearby private Parc Mitsinjo. There you can also do nightwalks inside the park. https://associationmitsinjo.wordpress.com/ https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g316106-d3447953-Reviews-The_Mitsinjo_Reserve- Andasibe_Toamasina_Province.html

"I can't recommend Mitsinjo highly enough. The guides are fantastic and much more reasonably priced then the Andasibe National Park. This is also a completely community run reserve so you can physically see where your money is going. They run a womens heath center, amphibian breeding center and are currently building an environmental education center just to name a few.

In regards to wildlife - we found too many species of chameleons to list, madagascar tree boas, indri, leaf tailed geckos, woolly lemurs, mouse lemurs and many beautiful frog species at night. This isn't a complete list.

If you spend time in Mitsinjo I see no reason why you would have to visit Andasibe National Park.

The guides at Mitsinjo can organise day trips to other reserves further away if you have specific species you want to find as well. We mainly used Christian Meiko as our guide and he was fantastic."

"We went twice to walk in Mitsinjo as the National Park seemed to have much larger groups of tourists and we had a guide to ourselves."

"We have previously visited Andasibe (twice) and much preferred Mitsinjo. Why? Firstly it is quieter and feels less touristy (for those with mobility issues, I should add the ground is also a little more up and down than in Andasibe). Secondly, it is run by a local community association who are doing tremendous work to re-plant rainforest corridors, to safeguard amphibians, and to support endemic orchids.

And thirdly, the wildlife! Like a previous reviewer we also had the chance to share in feeding an Indri: one of the guides has become habituated with some of the family groups, and when he gathered a selection of choice leaves one of the young adults came down to our level. It was a magical experience for all of us, particularly as we had just stood under this family group as they 'sang'. Once the leaves were finished, the indri was off again with a languid 10 metre bound - astonishing."

"We were stunned that this reserve isn't higher up on others' lists. Yes, it is small, but it also is uncrowded, well maintained and allows for the unique experience of feeding wild Indri Indri. We wish we had gone twice."

"Not as spectacular as some of the other reserves, and the forest is less dense, but if you get your guide to talk to one of the park's guides you can feed the Indri Indri. They're wild (they don't live in captivity) but a few of them can be coaxed down to take some leaves from you and it's an incredible experience."

Ranomafana National Park (day tour + night walk)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranomafana_National_Park Over 120 species of frogs. The park office is at the entrance in the village of Ambodiamontana, at 6,5 km from Ranomafana. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g298271-d4225662-Reviews-Ranomafana_National_Park- Fianarantsoa_Fianarantsoa_Province.html

"A great place for endangered lemurs. We were able to see both greater and golden bamboo lemurs within a couple of hours. Its a shame they don't let people access the national park at night, even with a guide. Although walking along the main road at night can be very successf"

"The night walk with Emile was even more fantastic. I was absolutely delighted to watch rufous mouse lemurs eat and chase each other, and to see an array of chameleons: blue-legged chameleon, Malagasy side-striped chameleon, short-nosed chameleon, and O'Shaughnessy chameleon." http://www.travelmadagascar.org/PARKS/Ranomafana-National-Park.html

Lonely Planet 2008 Edition, Page 103-105: Cloud forest. The scenery is spectacular. One of the most popular parks with fabulous forest walks with lemur spotting. Entrance at the tiny village Ambodia-montana, 7 km west of Ranomafana. 25.000 per person. Taking a guide is compulsory. Two hours cost 15.000 during the day and 20.000 after dark. On a typical day's walk you are likely to see red-bellied lemurs, diademed sifakas and red-fronted lemurs. Night visit to the park involve a trip to a clearing where bait is set to attract wolly mouse and sportive lemurs, as well as the striped civet. The forest abound with geckos, chameleons and frogs. Getting to and from the park by taxi-brousse is now organized and easy. About 20 taxis-brousses heading west to Fianarantsoa stop between 7:30 and noon. The buses will stop in Ranomafana village if you ask.

Anja Reserve (3-4 hours)

http://anjareserve.angelfire.com/ https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1468138-d2369029-Reviews-Anja_Reserve- Ambalavao_Fianarantsoa_Province.html

"A walk of three hours or so through dry forest, with a bit of clambering up and down big rocks. Wear trainers for this. Great views of Ring-tailed Lemurs, which are used to people so you get quite close, but not tame - still wild. The views from the rocks were great and we also saw lizards, chameleons and snakes - indeed we saw three snake species here - the best on all our trip! Included two Madagascar Ground Boas around 2 metres long!"

"Being September, the babies had just recently been born, making this one of the best places for photography of our trip." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anja_Community_Reserve The Anja Community Reserve is a woodland area and freshwater lake, situated at the base a large cliff. Much of the reserve is dominated by fallen rocks and boulders and there are two small caves providing habitat for bats and owls.

Anja Reserve is home to about 300 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) as well as three species of lizards.

The ring-tailed lemurs are used to visitors, so it is possible to approach to within a few meters for photos. However, feeding them, which was once permitted, is now prohibited.

Lonely Planet 2008 Edition, Page 110: About 7 km from Ambalavoa. Semi-tame colony of ring-tailed lemurs and some Betsileo tombs. Great lemur close-ups. Guides are mandatory and cost 10.000 per person for two hours. If you have chartered a vehicle, most include a stop here on their RN7 (Route de Sud, page 19) itinerary.

Parc National de l'Andringitra

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1468138-d3620699-Reviews-Parc_National_de_l_Andringitra- Ambalavao_Fianarantsoa_Province.html Beautiful views but almost no animals. Maybe not worth visiting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andringitra_National_Park http://www.travelmadagascar.org/PARKS/Andringitra-National-Park.html Isalo National Park (day tour)

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1062008-d576144-Reviews-Isalo_National_Park- Isalo_Toliara_Province.html#review_437451273

"Indeed, Isalo National Park is absolutely, uniquely, incredibly beautiful, with its eroded rocks looking like architectural masterpieces. In Isalo, everything you see delights your eye, the views, rocks, canyons, streams, waterfalls, plants, and, of course, wildlife. I enjoyed watching all three species of diurnal lemurs inhabiting Isalo, ring-tailed lemurs, Verreaux's sifaka, and red- fronted brown lemurs. The family of red-fronted brown lemurs (mama, papa and two babies) was particularly interesting to watch. They were playing, eating, trying to steal my lunch, and finally settling for the night."

"We did a 4h long hiking trip, as everybody in the group was fit and eager, much more so than the guide. He led us on the shortest possible route and stopped us from doing the detours we had agreed on before. When we arrived and complained about this, since you pay the guide for the whole day, we were informed that the guide gets to decide. He had just brought us to the start of the trail and walked off, leaving us to our own. So, if you are here and want to see more than the most basic tour, make sure you get a firm commitment before you start out. Also be aware that there is two guide offices, on both sides of the road. One has people, one detailed information on the routes. Make sure to see them both before agreeing to anything. We saw the majority of Madagascars parks in our weeks here, this one was the most frustrating experience, because the guide really did not want to guide us, it was pricey, and in comparison to other sights in the country, it was merely average."

"Some of the hike is in direct sun, so bring a hat and a lot of water."

"We did the long circuit - piscine naturelle to piscine bleue and piscine noire and it was spectacular. About 12 km in total but we swam at each pool to cool off and refresh ourselves." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isalo_National_Park

The park is known for its wide variety of terrain, including sandstone formations, deep canyons, palm-lined oases, and grassland. This area has a tropical dry climate. http://www.travelmadagascar.org/PARKS/Isalo-National-Park.html

Lonely Planet 2008 Edition, Page 122-124: Eroded Jurrasic sandstone massif and grassland. Ringtail, brown and sifaka lemurs. One of the most popular national parks. 25.000 per person. Official guides are required and can be arranged at Angap. The guide cost range from 25.000 depending on the time and length. Not so many animals. Angap has a half day car circuit in the parc. The guide fee is 25.000 per car. Zombitse Vohibasia National Park (2-4 hours)

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g6033091-d6027814-Reviews- Zombitse_Vohibasia_National_Park-Sakaraha_Toliara_Province.html

"We loved our 2 hours in Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, and wish that we could have stayed longer. This is a small park with easy to manage trails"

"Dry forest reserve"

"A very nice place, easy hiking and lots to see. I would return to this reserve and spend more time on the trail. This was not a crowded touristy place like Andasibe or Isalo NP and It was in retrospect one of the nicer reserves/parks we visited in Madagascar."

"A couple of hours are enough to see lemurs, birds and insects along the path through the forest. There you can also see very old baobab trees."

"When you leave Isalo early, you will enough leave time to go through the longest trails (3 to 4 hours). Otherwise, one has to visit only the boarder. One need to bring lunch and water as there is no restaurant in the 50kms span around. Also, safety is to be watched. In brief, this is very good nature reserve and you might feel that more worth-it than Isalo, while talking about nature."

"Zarina is the only woman guide we encountered in Madagascar, and we found her delightful."

"Temperatures in November were hot, so best to arrive early, even if that means a very early morning to get there. Be sure to bring plenty of water, and also food. We found no food available for purchase. Restrooms are very basic; bring your own toilet paper and hand cleaner." http://www.travelmadagascar.org/PARKS/Zombitse-Vohibasia-National-Park.html

Recommended. Spend half a day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombitse-Vohibasia_National_Park

Gently undulating sandstone hills.

Lonely Planet 2008 Edition, Page 124: Not much written in the guide book.