What it is
About 400 square kilometres of montane rainforest between 800 and 1,200 metres, roughly six to seven hours from Antananarivo on the RN7. The park was created after the golden bamboo lemur was found here in 1986, a species previously unknown. Trails are steep, narrow and slippery, and spotters work ahead of the guides to find animals in the canopy.
Why go
The density of species is high: golden bamboo lemur, greater bamboo lemur, Milne-Edwards' sifaka, and a night walk on the road outside the park that turns up mouse lemurs and chameleons.
When to go
April to November. Understand the terrain before booking: this is genuine uphill walking on wet, uneven ground for three to five hours, and it is not suitable for anyone with knee or mobility problems. Leeches are present in the wet months and are harmless but constant. The park is at its worst from January to March.
Most people stay 2 nights.