Know Before You Go
Whether you're traveling to this biodiversity hotspot or just want to learn more about Madagascar, peruse this array of helpful resources. Our wildlife guides, packing tips and safari stories will inspire wonder of the island's rare endemic species, from lemurs and chameleons to towering baobabs.
Travel Tips
Why Go to Madagascar?
Discover why Madagascar is a top wildlife destination. Explore rainforests, spiny deserts and baobab-studded savannas filled with lemurs, chameleons and thousands of endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.
Where Should I Go on a Madagascar Tour?
Explore Madagascar’s top nature destinations, from Andasibe’s rainforest to the spiny forest of Ifaty. Compare reserves and national parks to find the best spots for lemurs, chameleons and unique ecosystems.
What Wildlife Will I See on a Madagascar Tour?
Learn about Madagascar’s fascinating wildlife, including lemurs, fossas, chameleons and baobabs. Discover when and where to see rare species across the island’s rich and varied habitats.
When Should I Go to Madagascar?
Discover the best time to visit Madagascar for wildlife viewing, lemur activity, birdwatching and dry season travel. Learn how weather, rainfall and seasonal climate affect nature tours on this biodiverse Indian Ocean island.
Weather & Climate
Find out what the typical weather conditions in Madagascar in this month by month breakdown of average temperatures and rainfall.
Where Will I Stay on a Madagascar Tour?
Explore Madagascar’s accommodations, from ecolodges near national parks to remote nature camps. Compare comfort levels and locations for an immersive wildlife travel experience.
Photography Tips
Whether you're an experienced photographer or just getting started, you'll want to read these essential photo tips from our Natural Photographer blog before your Madagascar adventure.
Packing List
We’ve made a comprehensive list of all the clothing and gear you’ll want to pack so you'll be well prepared for your Madagascar trip.
Madagascar Wildlife Trivia
Take our quiz to put your knowledge to the test, then share it with friends to see who knows the most about this ecologically-rich island!
Travel Stories & Articles
Celebrate World Lemur Day with Natural Habitat Adventures
—By Mark Jordahl
You can meet the Father of Koto on a lemur safari with Natural Habitat Adventures and be enchanted by the call of the indri echoing through the forest of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.
The Singing Lemurs of Madagascar
—By Megan Brief
Found in Madagascar is one of the rarest mammals on the planet, the critically endangered silky sifaka lemur of the Indriidae family. Known by local communities as the “angel of the forest,” this arboreal primate is one of few animals known to “sing” like humans.
The New Mini Frogs of Madagascar
—By Candice Gaukel Andrews
More than 350 types of frogs live in Madagascar. Now, scientists have named 5 new species of frogs found in the island’s rainforests. The largest of these amphibians could sit on your thumbnail, and the smallest is hardly longer than a grain of rice.
Madagascar’s Dwindling Forests and Their Linked Lemurs
—By Candice Gaukel Andrews
Exclusively found in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean, lemurs are already identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as one of the world’s most endangered mammals. Moving to a new place when their old habitat gets destroyed just isn’t an option. When their forests go, they will, too.
Memories of Madagascar
—By Jane Schneider
We were hiking in Andasibe National Park when we came upon this gray bamboo lemur. Gray bamboo lemurs are vertical climbers, and they jump from stalk to stalk in thick bamboo forests. But this one...
Fifteen Fascinating Facts About Lemurs
—By Emily Goodheart Kautz
Lemurs are only found on the island of Madagascar, located about 250 miles off the coast of Africa, and the Comoro Islands, a volcanic archipelago just to the...
Traveler Story: Madagascar Wildlife Encounters
—By Bernie Leighton
“There’s something just so amazing about walking to the door of your hotel room and having your concentration completely broken because there’s a troop of...
From Research to Ranomafana: Lemur Conservation in Madagascar
—By Emily Goodheart Kautz
I sat in the middle of the woods, waterproof notebook in hand, the pitter patter of raindrops falling around me. Out of...
A Kaleidoscope of Wildlife on Africa’s Largest Island
—Peter Davis Krahenbuhl
Madagascar is indeed a world apart, a wildlife kaleidoscope, both visually and verbally! Its rainforests are home to primitive primates such as diademed...
Madagascar’s Wild, Wild West
—By Jordy Oleson
Madagascar is the most unique place I’ve ever been. Geographically, biologically, culturally—it is so isolated and truly seems to operate in a vacuum. This African...















