Visit Amber Mountain National Park and Joffreville, Madagascar

Amber Mountain National Park is situated in the far north of Madagascar, 40 kilometres south of Diego Suarez.

Whilst Diego can be hot and dry Amber Mountain is always cool and fresh with mist hanging over the trees. There are huge strangler figs, quinine trees and enormous bird's nest ferns.

Wildlife of Amber Mountain National Park

The park is rewarding for walkers with several beautiful trails threading through the forest. Two trails lead to waterfalls, the Cascade d’Antomboka and Cascade Sacrée. On foot you have the chance to discover all the smaller wildlife such as the leaf-mimic chameleons, tree boas, leaf-tailed geckos, butterflies and pill millipedes which curl up into perfect balls. There are seven lemur species in the park, including the crowned lemur and Sanford’s brown lemur, and hikers usually see at least one if not two of the diurnal species.

Joffreville (Ambohitra)

There is no accommodation in the Amber Mountain National Park itself, but Joffreville is an excellent base, just four kilometres from the park gate. This village is a relaxing place to wander around and catch a flavour of rural Malagasy life. Small stalls sell seasonal fruit among crumbling colonial houses, little tin-roofed bars sell rum to locals perched on wooden benches and chickens and ducks scrabble all over the place.