Ankarafantsika National Park
Overview
Madagascar Parks
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the Insight guide to Madagascar.
Ankarafantsika National Park (Parc National d’Ankarafantsika) protects a vast area of dry deciduous forest and its associated wildlife, including some unusual animals, such as the mongoose lemur. The most popular hiking trail takes you to a viewpoint overlooking the impressive Ankarokaroka Canyon. Boat trips on Lake Ravelobe offer good birding opportunities and a chance to see Nile crocodiles.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
The park offers good wildlife viewing. Coquerel's sifaka is common and can often be found around the headquarters. The other lemur to look out for in the daytime is the common brown lemur. There are four lemurs active at night and also the sought-after mongoose lemur. The rare endemic western big-footed rat, which resembles a mini-kangaroo, can sometimes be found hopping on the forest floor.
Scenery
The most popular of the hikes on offer is the Circuit Grande Boucle (Big Canyon Trail), which takes you through a lovely stretch of forest and a grassland plateau to finally reach a viewpoint overlooking the photogenic Ankarokaroka Canyon. The red-sandstone canyon is about 80m/260ft deep and keen hikers can descend the cliffs to the bottom of the gorge. Another scenic landmark is the mangrove-fringed Lake Ravelobe.
Weather & Climate
Ankarafantsika has a hot, tropical climate with a Wet and Dry season. Temperatures are quite even through the year but it is a bit cooler with lower humidity in the Dry season months from April to October. Temperatures regularly peak over 40°C/104°F. Rainfall is seasonal and downpours are to be expected from January to March.
Best Time To Visit
Ankarafantsika is worth visiting at any time although November and December are the best months to visit. The terrain is mostly flat, which makes hiking quite easy, even when it rains. Lemurs are present throughout the year, but reptiles and birds are more active in the Wet season, November through March. January to March are the wettest months and it tends to be very hot and humid at that time.
