A 645km-long series of man-made lakes and waterways, the Pangalanes Canal extends from Foulpoint near Tamatave, all the way southwards to Faragangana.
One of its northern lakes, Ampitabe, is where Le Palmarium - a popular stop for natural history photographers - is located. If you want to see plenty of habituated lemurs and if wildlife photography is your thing, look no further.
Le Palmarium's private reserve is home to a variety of lemurs, but some of these are not indigenous to the area, so were introduced by the proprietors. The introductions include Coquerel's sifakas from western Madagascar as well as Crowned and Black lemurs from northern Madagascar. There has been some hybridising going on between Black and Crowned lemurs.
On the other hand, Palmarium is an amazing place in which to observe up close, Black & white ruffed lemurs, which are nationally scarce and which occur across a large swathe of eastern Madagascar. It is also the best place in which to see semi wild Aye ayes - guests can visit a small, wooded islet offshore after dark. (So if Aye ayes are high on your list, then this is THE place to go).
Note that these excursions can involve a shared boat, in which case, there is a supplement of €35 for a private boat to the islet, subject to availability.
This tract of east coast littoral forest in the property also holds a selection of Malagasy reptiles, frogs and invertebrates.
Derek Schuurman
Travel Specialist
Looking for inspiration?
You'll find expert travel guides, holiday ideas and insider tips now on the Rainbow blog
Top 5 First Time Safari Destinations
10 Strange Animals and Where to Go to See them
Salar De Uyuni - The World's Largest Salt Flat
Top five South Africa Safari lodges
Sustainable Tourism In Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica
Why Choose Us?
Passionate travel experts
- We've been leading wildlife travel since our first South Africa tours over 25 years ago
- Our Travel Specialists have lived in their specialist area for years
- We work with local guides to immerse you deeper in our diverse range of experiences
Personal & tailor-made
- You'll speak to your own expert who'll share their first-hand knowledge
- We'll make your itinerary seamless with 24/7 emergency contact available
- Your Travel Specialist will listen to ensure you have the best chance of seeing the wildlife you love
Responsible by nature
- We take care to actively contribute to the conservation of environments we visit
- For select countries, we make a charitable donation on your behalf when you make your booking
- We've partnered with conservation experts and NGOs to curate responsible tours
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office check www.gov.uk/travelaware
){kind=icon}