Montagne d’Ambre National Park is a forested volcanic massif in northern Madagascar. It is not part of the eastern rainforest band and, consequently, its floral and faunal communities are somewhat different. The park is also known for its scenic attractions - there are four crater lakes and three waterfalls within its boundaries. It is easy to reach from Antsiranana, and easy to explore.
Habitat
Montagne d’Ambre National Park protects 18,200ha of mid-altitude montane rainforest lying at altitudes ranging from 850 – 1475 metres. It is remarkable for its bird’s nest ferns, tree ferns and orchids; and the extremely rare and localised 'Rainforest' baobab, Adansonia perrieri, is particularly noteworthy.
Montagne d’Ambre is one of the few Malagasy reserves that can be enjoyed by people with limited mobility. In the dry season, you can drive to the Station de Rousettes, the forestry station and main picnic area, and see the rainforest and some of the creatures that dwell in it. The park has 30km of trails, several of them easy and well-maintained, others overgrown and/or challenging.
Wildlife
People usually see a group or two of Crowned and Sanfords lemur, and a good sample of the park’s floral and wildlife attractions - in the course of a walk near Les Rousettes or to the viewpoint over Grande Cascade waterfall. Montagne d’Ambre is the best place to seek the diurnal Ringtail mongoose (Northern vontsira).
The park has a particularly rich and impressive herpetofauna which includes many species of chameleon, snake, skink and frog. Three of the leaf-tailed geckos, (genus Uroplatus), occur here, as well as at least two Day geckos. Night walks outside the park's periphery can be very rewarding for reptiles, especially.
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