Lemurs live only in Madagascar, and seeing them in the wild is the reason many travellers come. There are many species, and each region has its own. Here are the places where your chances are best.
1. Andasibe — The Indri
Andasibe, about four hours east of Antananarivo, is the most famous lemur destination in the country. It is home to the indri, the largest living lemur, whose haunting song carries for kilometres through the forest. You can also see the diademed sifaka in nearby Mantadia, plus many smaller species on night walks.
Tour by KiriTour
Andasibe 3-Day Rainforest Tour
Analamazaotra, Mantadia and a night walk
2. Kirindy Forest — Sifakas and the Mouse Lemur
In the dry forest of Kirindy, near Morondava, you'll find Verreaux's sifaka and red-fronted brown lemurs by day. At night, guides help you find the mouse lemur, one of the smallest primates in the world. Kirindy is also the best place in Madagascar to look for the fossa, the lemurs' main predator.
Tour by KiriTour
Kirindy Forest Day Tour
From Morondava, with a baobabs sunset
3. Tsingy de Bemaraha
Between the limestone pinnacles of the Tsingy live Decken's sifakas, with their cream-white fur, and red-fronted brown lemurs. Seeing a sifaka leap across the stone forest is unforgettable.
4. Palmarium — The Aye-Aye
On the Pangalanes Canal on the east coast, the Palmarium reserve is one of the few places where travellers can see the strange, nocturnal aye-aye on an evening excursion.
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Andasibe + Palmarium 5 Days
Rainforest lemurs and the aye-aye
5. Ranomafana
Along the RN7, Ranomafana's misty rainforest is known for its bamboo lemurs, including the rare golden bamboo lemur.
6. Isalo
In the canyons of Isalo National Park in the south, you can often see ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux's sifakas around the campsites and natural pools.
7. Nosy Be
On Nosy Be, the Lokobe reserve and the nearby island of Nosy Komba are known for black lemurs.
How to Combine Lemur Hotspots
A popular plan is to start with Andasibe for the indri, then fly to Morondava for Kirindy and the Tsingy. In one to two weeks you can see several very different species in completely different landscapes.
Frequently asked questions
Andasibe is the easiest and most famous, home to the indri. Kirindy Forest in the west is excellent for sifakas, nocturnal species and the fossa.
Written by the KiriTour team
We're a local tour team based in Morondava. We guide travellers through the baobabs, Tsingy, Kirindy and the Tsiribihina every week, and organise trips across Madagascar.
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