Mantadia National Park is a primary forest gem within Madagascar. It neighbours the popular Andasibe (Périnet) area but is much larger, covering 12,810 hectares.

Indri and Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur Spotting

This is the best place to try to see the enigmatic and endangered Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata) and can be particularly good for seeing Madagascar's largest lemur, the Indri (Indri indri).

Both species can be noisy: the Indri when it chooses to mark out its territory with a delightful song-like call, and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs, whose complex social structure encourages more varied, raucous calls as they move about feeding during the day.

A National Park with Beautiful Scenery and Abundant Wildlife

Scenically, Mantadia is very pleasant, with a system of trails that often lead to viewpoints over seemingly endless, forest-covered hills. There are some huge trees within the park towering up to 40 metres, and an undergrowth beneath them that displays abundant soil fungi (mycorrhizae), which are much diminished in areas of secondary forest in the region.

Wild Lemur Spotting Opportunities on Your Madagascar Holiday

In addition to the Indri and ruffed lemurs, our privately guided, small-group journeys into Mantadia National Park offer excellent opportunities to spot the attractively coloured Diademed Sifaka, Common Brown Lemur, Grey Bamboo Lemur, and possibly the Eastern Woolly Lemur.

Habitat of the Enigmatic Fossa: Madagascar’s Apex Predator

A really special sight is a wild Fossa. These are commonly seen in the western dry forest reserve of Kirindy where they are attracted to a research station; but when we see them in Mantadia, it feels like a truly wild experience.

This video shows a female fossa in the Mantadia National Park, filmed on one of our Lemurs, Golden Frogs & New Rainforest Reserve experiences.

Giraffe-Necked Weevil: An Endemic Icon

At the fringes of the primary forest, we can often see one of Madagascar's rather special endemic insects: the Giraffe-necked Weevil. They derive their name from their long necks, which, like their legs, are entirely black, emanating from rich, red-coloured elytra (wing cases). For females, the long neck assists in folding a leaf of their host plant (either Dichaetanthera cordifolia or Dichaetanthera arborea), into which they will lay a single egg. The neck of the male is two to three times longer than that of the female and is used when fighting other males.

Birdwatching Opportunities in Mantadia National Park

As for the birdlife at Mantadia, there are some very attractive lily-pond lakes and nearby secondary areas where birdwatching can be productive. Species you might hope to see include the Madagascar Wagtail, Madagascar Swamp Warbler, Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher, and Blue Vanga.

Wildlife Holidays to Mantadia National Park

To travel with us to the beautiful Mantadia National Park, check our experience page for Lemurs, Golden Frogs & New Rainforest Reserve.

We offer many expert-led, small group tours into the heart of Madagascar. With over 20 years’ experience as travel guides in some of the world’s most remote locations, our specialists provide 24-hour support throughout your journey.

Contact Us to Find Out More About Holidays to Mantadia National Park

If you would like to take part in one of our Madagascar travel experiences, you can contact us to talk to one of our Madagascar travel experts. If you would like to see all the experiences we offer in this incredible country, you can explore our Madagascar destination page. You can also visit our Wildlife Safaris or Wildlife & Marine Life Safaris pages to see similar trips which we offer to remote locations around the globe.

Contact us to find out more about our experiences to Mantadia National Park