Masoala National Park

Masoala covers roughly 2,300 square kilometres of lowland rainforest on the peninsula that closes off Antongil Bay, and it is the largest of Madagascar's protected areas, taking in three marine parks as well as the forest, so the rainforest genuinely runs down to the reef. Ten lemur species live here including the red ruffed lemur, which occurs nowhere else, and the forest holds helmet vangas, leaf-tailed geckos, tomato frogs and chameleons in numbers that reward slow walking with a guide. There are no roads into the park: access is by boat along the coast from Maroantsetra, and lodges sit on beaches at the forest edge. Rain is the defining condition here, several metres a year, and trails are muddy in any season. Between July and September humpback whales use the bay offshore.

What you actually see

• Red ruffed lemurs - the peninsula's endemic lemur, loud at dawn.
• Rainforest meeting reef - forest running down to coral bays.
• Vangas and geckos - the endemic birds and camouflaged reptiles guides find.
• Beach camps - lodges reached only by boat along the coast.

When to go

September to December is the driest window and the usual season for visits. Cyclones are a real risk from January to March and most lodges close. July to September brings whales in the bay but wetter forest.

Honest expectations

This is one of the wettest places in Madagascar and you will walk in mud and rain; leeches are common. Getting here is expensive and slow, with boat transfers that cancel in rough seas. Wildlife needs patience and a good guide rather than luck. Facilities are simple, and there is no road access at all.

Nearby

Nosy Mangabe sits in the bay; Maroantsetra is the gateway town.