with more than 170 species of palms (between which the Rafia Palm and the Ravenala, the taveller’s palm),  many kinds of fern, bamboos, a thousand different species of orchids (vanilla is among these) and medicinal plants. The southwest of the island has a dry climate and is home to a very different but equally fascinating flora: baobabs which take on bizarre forms (six of the eight species of the world live only in Madagascar), spiny plants reminiscent of columnar cacti and Pachipodium (elephant food genus), which seems a "bonsai" baobab.

National Parks and Reserves are surely the more captivating tourist attractions of Madagascar: today there are the 50 protected areas.

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
(Reserve of Perinet)
The Reserve is situated on the central eastern coast of the island, 1.5 km from Andasibe, where there is the park office. It covers 12.810 ha (810 of which for the Indri Special Reserve), on an extensive region of hills covered by a dense primary rainforest. The best period to visit it is between September and January, or in May.
The main attractions of the park are the two lakes (Lac Vert, Lac Rouge covered by water lilies), 11 species of lemurs, big chameleons and the blue boa. In this park you can see the lemur Indri, the largest lemur of Madagascar; there are 62 groups. The Indri is diurnal specie, leaf and fruit feeding; they spend the time on the top of the trees eating and enjoying the sun.
In the Reserve there are 3 circuits which can last 2, 4 or 6 hours and a special evening one. As the park is 142 km away from Tana, it is possible to visit it in a full day excursion; if you wish you can overnight at Andasibe or Moramanga.

Ranomafana National Park
Situated 60 km northeast of Fianarantsoa, running across a bumpy unpaved road (2.5 – 3 hours by car), Ranomafana Park is one of the "must" of Madagascar. It covers 41.000 ha of hills covered by rainforest, between 800 and 1200 mt of altitude. 29 species of mammals, 12 of which are lemurs (including the golden bamboo apalemur). The flora is interesting as well with its
variety of ferns, palms, orchids and giant bamboos.
The best period to visit the park is between July and October; in the other months mud and rain really prevent the visit.

Isalo National Park
The Park is situated 226 km south-west of Fianarantsoa and covers 81.540 ha of territory with meadow, sandstone massifs sculpted by wind and rain which create a scenic landscape. Inside the park it is possible to see 55 species of birds, Catta lemurs, blackhead lemurs and Verreaux Sifakas, an almost all white lemur with black snout and brown cap. Between September and October, in the most arid zones, blooms the Pachypodium.
The highlight of the park are the eroded rocks and the canyons: among the possible itineraries we point out the one that leads to the natural swimming-pool (6 km, 3 by car), the Canyon des Singes and Canyon des Rats visit (15 km by car and 1 on foot) and the long excursion through an outstanding scenary from the Canyon des Singes to the natural swimming-pool (5 hours on foot). An other fascinating attraction is the Window of the Isalo, to see at sunset, some km from Ranohira village.

Special Reserve of Ankarana
The Ankarana massif rises 100 km south of Diego Suarez, in a 18.200 ha wild region with bizarre limestone pinnacles known as "Tsingy", deep narrow canyons covered by forests and an underground net of rivers and caves. Fig and baobab trees inside the canyons, pachypodium and euphorbia on the high tsingy consist the reserve’s vegetation. Inside the park live six species of lemurs, various kind of mammals (the tail stripped mangoose is one of them), 83 species of birds, geckos, chameleons and crocodiles in underground lakes.
Attractions of the park are the fairytale landscape and the caves to be explored with a guide: the most famous is the Crocodile Cave of Andrafiabe, 11 km long and crossed by more than 100 km of underground passages.

Nahampoana Natural Reserve is at 7 km from Fort Dauphin. Inside a 50 hectares area, nature friends will discover the flora and the fauna typical of Madagascar southern regions: different species of lemurs (lemur catta, lemur fulvus, Verreaux’s sifaka, hapalemur griseus), tortoises (geochelone radiata), chameleons, birds. Speaking about flora there are various species of didieracee (didierea madascariensis, euphorbia), palms (néodypsis decary and ravinala), young baobab trees and pachypodium.
In the tropical forest there are a fall and a natural swimming pool; a small river surrounded by mangroves offers a short excursion by pirogue.

Berenty Privat Reserve
In the south of Madagascar, about 85 km from Fort Dauphin, the Berenty Reserve is a forest of 265 ha, surrounded by desert.
Created in 1936 and opened to tourism in the first ’80, it protects a kind of forest called "gallery", in which tamarinds predominate. The reserve is noted for its ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur Catta; some families live in the area near the entrance waiting for the food offered them by visitors. The best period to visit the park is after the cubes are born, between September and October, when it is possible to see them clinging to the mother.

Andavadoaka e Ampasilava
50 km south of Morombe (western coast), by the side of a sandy pist, there are the fishermen Vezo villages of Andavadoka and Ampasilava, amazing untouched beached and the sea has all shades of turquoise. Vegetation is mostly baobab, mango trees and spiny forest.
The coral reef protecting this stretch of coast is particularly reach in fish: divers will meet every species of tropical fish, whale-sharks and manta. At short distance from the coast there is Nosy Hao, an uninhabitated island with other enchanting beaches, pleasant destination for a daily trip in boat or pirogue. During the low tide a small island of sand (Nosy Fasy) comes to light, surrounded by coral depth.

Anakao
Anakao village is set 40 km south of Tulear, 2 hours by motor boat; there are beautiful beaches with high white sand dunes. Since the pist is very bumpy, the best way to reach the village is going there by sea. Off the coast there is Nosy Ve island, you can ask the local Vezo fishermen to take you there by wooden pirogues. The coral reef in this area is particularly interesting for divers.

Ifaty
Situated on the sourth-western coast 22 km north of Tulear, Ifaty is a small fishing village belonging to Vezo tribe.

Île Sainte Marie
Île Sainte Marie is a granitic island 57 km long and lies 8 km off the eastern coast of Madagascar. Shelter of pirates between XXVII and XXVIII centuries, it is, after Nosy Be, the most touristic place of Madagascar. The island offers enchanting beaches bordered by coconut palms and a extrordinary rainforest in the inside. To note on the northern part of the island, a long, white, wonderful beach that estends for various km on the Pointe des Cocotiers.

Between July and September it is possible to see the whales crossing the channel which separates the island from the coast of Madagascar in order to bring forth or to look for a mate. The best period for scuba diving is instead between October and December; some of the best points are near the two wrecks which lie in the extreme north and along the eastern coast, besides
Sahasifotra.

The southern part of Madagascar is mainly inhabitated by the descendants of Antadory tribe, great warriors of the past; they are nomad and the wizard is still very important in the villages.
The main town is Toalagnaro, also known as Fort Dauphin; it faces on the coast and the weather is less dry than in the inner part of the region.

Fort Dauphin is a good starting point for organizing interesting excusions in all the area; the town is connected to Tulear and Antananarivo by regular domestic flights of Air Madagascar. You can also reach Fort Dauphin renting a strong 4x4 vehicle and an expert Malagasy driver and traveling on the Route National from Tulear: the pist is 630 km long and not always in good contitions, this itinerary (Heading to the south) will let you visit lonely strecht of coast of incredible beauty. Once you arrive to Faux Cap you see the first tracks of civilization, the beautiful beach of Lavanona, Ambovombe village with its Mahafaly tombs, Anony lake famous for the tides connecting it to the sea, Berenty Reserve and finally Fort Dauphin.