All activities / Wildlife Safaris / Ranomafana
Wildlife Safaris in Ranomafana
A national park of steep montane rainforest in southeastern Madagascar, on the RN25 near Fianarantsoa. Created in 1991 after the discovery of the golden bamboo lemur, it protects twelve lemur species and is one of the country's premier places to see wildlife in wild forest.
Why here
Ranomafana protects a steep swathe of montane rainforest in the southeast and is the park that put Malagasy lemur science on the map: the golden bamboo lemur was discovered here in 1986, a find that led directly to the park's creation in 1991. Twelve lemur species live in the forest, including the critically endangered greater bamboo lemur, the red-bellied lemur and Milne-Edwards' sifaka, and the reserve is one of the best places in the country to see them in wild forest rather than at a feeding station. Days are spent climbing forest trails after mixed-species troops, while the roadside night walks turn up mouse and dwarf lemurs, chameleons and the occasional striped civet. The park also gives its name to the Centre ValBio research station on its edge, a reminder that this is a living laboratory as much as a wildlife destination, and the surrounding hills steam with the hot springs that give the town its name.
Best months
Ranomafana is rainforest, so rain is possible in any month, but September to December is warmer and drier with peak lemur activity and infants, while the cyclone-influenced months from January to March are the wettest. Mornings are cool at altitude and the trails are steep, muddy and often slippery. A park guide is mandatory, and spotters go ahead to locate the lemur troops before you climb up to them.
Getting there & around
Ranomafana village sits on the RN25 between Fianarantsoa and the RN7 highway, a long drive south from Antananarivo usually broken over two days with a stop in the highlands. Lodges line the road near the park entrance. Every visit needs a certified park guide and an entry fee, and the productive night walks run along the public road on the park's edge rather than inside it.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
Cactus Tours Madagascar
OutfitterCactus Tours Madagascar is an Antananarivo-based inbound operator with more than twenty-five years running natural-history and birding circuits from its office at Ivato. Its classic southern route links Ranomafana with Isalo and the RN7 highlands, and the company belongs to BirdLife Madagascar, the African Bird Club and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, with a World Travel Awards honour. Guides are national-park certified and trips are private and tailor-made.
NDAO I Travel
OutfitterNDAO I Travel is a fully Malagasy-owned tour operator based in Antananarivo that runs private natural-history trips the length of the country. Its two-day Ranomafana programme uses a bivouac inside the park to reach the deeper trails and higher-altitude lemur troops that day visitors miss, guided by park-certified staff. It advertises a fixed no-surcharge price regardless of fuel or currency swings, and runs a companion vanilla-and-spice shop, NDAOMadaShop.