Amber Mountain National Park (Parc National Montagne d’Ambre) protects an extinct 1,475m-/4,839ft-high volcano near the port of Antsiranana. Known for its exceptional scenic beauty, it is Madagascar’s oldest national park, created in 1958. Its slopes support one of the island’s wettest rainforests. A network of easy-to-navigate trails offers good wildlife viewing and access to several waterfalls and lakes. People with limited mobility can get to the main picnic site by car.
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Best Time To Go
- April, May, October and November (Animals active, less rain)
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High Season
- July, August and December holidays (The park is busy)
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Size
- 182km² / 70mi²
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Altitude
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387-1,475m /1,270-4,839ft
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Pros & Cons
- Very accessible with easy hiking trails
- Access into the forest is possible by car
- Home to many chameleons and other reptiles, plus several lemur species
- Beautiful waterfalls and crater lakes within easy walking distance
- Can be crowded when cruise-ship day visitors arrive
- Only very basic huts in the park
Wildlife
Amber Mountain is wonderful for lizard spotting. It supports the world’s greatest diversity of leaf-tailed geckos, a group of large lizards known for their masterful camouflage. The checklist of 14 chameleons includes nine that are unique to this one park. As for mammals, crowned lemur and Sanford’s brown lemur are both quite easily seen. Lucky visitors might also glimpse carnivores such as the fossa and shy falanouc.
More about Amber Mountain’s wildlifeScenery
The spectacular scenery is really what makes this park special. The habitat of montane rainforest (above 900m/2,950ft) offers a wide variety of plants, including bird’s-nest ferns (which are popular pot plants), cycads, tree ferns and orchids. Antankarana waterfall and two crater lakes are focal points for most visitors to the park.
Activities
Guided day hikes are the main activity. The trail network extends over 20km/12mi and several variations are possible. If wildlife viewing is your priority, try one of the shorter options, so you have plenty of time for stops. These are the Petit Circuit, which takes three hours and visits two waterfalls, and the slightly longer Moyen Circuit, which also stops at a beautiful crater lake. For dedicated hikers, the Grand Circuit to the mountain’s 1,475m/4,839ft summit takes up to 12 hours.
Weather & Climate
Temperatures are quite uniform throughout the year. Afternoons are usually around 28°C/82°F, and at night it’s around 18°C/64°F. The Wet season (November to April) sees very high rainfall and humidity. The Dry season (May to October) is only slightly cooler but has lower humidity and is therefore more comfortable.
More about the weather and climateBest Time To Visit
Amber Mountain can be visited throughout the year. However, the shoulder months of April, May, October and November are particularly recommended. At this time the weather is nice and there isn’t too much rain. Animals, including reptiles, that are less easy to spot in the drier months from June to September are active during this time. In October and November many lemurs have babies.
More about the best time to visit