Just back from a 3 week trip to Madagascar that combined a 2 week road trip down the RN7 in central Madagascar and a wonderful week in Masoala. Our guide in Masoala was Elysee Velomasy - he was great. He organised everything perfectly, including our return flights from Tana to Maroantsetra. We spent the first night in Farankaraina park, where we saw an aye aye. Then 4 nights in the community guesthouse in Ambodiforaha village in Masoala National Park. Finally 2 nights camping on Nosy Mangabe. All transport was by boat. Beautiful rainforest, beaches and animals and lovely people in the village. The tomato frogs in the nice little town of Maroantsetra were another highlight. The rainforest was fantastic and a nice contrast to the drier scenery along the RN7 from Tana to Toliara. Another contrast was the tiny number of tourists (we saw just 10 others) compared to places like Ranomofana and Isola. Masoala is a highly recommended addition to a trip to Madagascar.

I have been in Masoala National Park during 2 weeks with my family and friends. I have three children, 9, 11 and 13 years old. We have spent an amazing time in Cap Masoala, and we have done a trekking through the forest from Cap Masoala to Tampolo with our wonderful, knowledgable, trustful, kind, caring, accountable guide Jean Emile, that i definitelly recomend to visit all this area. Jean Emile and his crew were absolutely wonderful with the organization and providing every detail of our family trip. Here is his whatsapp 00261324403928, and his email- masoalanatureguide@gmail.com. Jean Emile speaks english, french, german and he learned some portuguese words too! He is a really fast language learner! If you love nature, wildlife, hiking, remote places, this is the place for you. There are several options and multiday trip around the area that Jean Emile will provide and organize for you!

So. You go to Masoala and you want an experience, yes? This place is wild, you need a good guide really. My trip involved Jean Emile Rakotonarison and his crew and I don't regret it. This guy really knows his stuff in numerous languages and his English is good. My personal mission here was to try to see an Aye-Aye and I took a gamble. Could this man deliver? The answer is yes and so much more, both ruffed lemur, mouse, dwarf, wooly and sportive lemur, big boa, and numerous reptiles and birds including helmeted vanga and other vanga, coua, (various), Really if you want an adventure, a real one, come to Masoala and use Jean Emile, as a traveler, I will say, he's top draw, but you will be in the jungle, don't expect 5 stars. Expect an experience you remember for the rest of your life.

Masoala National Park with its primary rainforest and the island reserve of Nosy Mangabe are some of the last natural wonders of this world and we were happy to take the long and arduous journey to Maroantsetra to reach there, definitely worth it if you are a nature lover. We were fortunate to choose Jean Emile (Masoala Nature Tour Guide, e: masoalanatureguide@gmail.com) as our guide to support us in this unique experience. During our trip he gave us an amazing insider tour of the wildlife combined with the know-how of the local villages and way of life! During our weekly trip Jean Emile provided for all our needs and made sure we saw all of the unique flora and fauna of the area. Prior to the arriving in the park, he was also extremely helpful in making the right arrangements to get to Maroantsetra on time. We feel grateful for visiting Masoala and for selecting Jean Emile to organise this unique tour and ensuring that our contributions went to the local people to make this trip happen.

Masoala is probably the most beautiful park of Madagascar with the incredible rainforests everywhere. Besides there are beautiful beaches (with great sunset) where you can swim and there is also a marine reserve Tampolo where there are mangroves and you can do some snorkeling. You can reach Masoala by boat and with some luck you can find dolphins and in season humpback whales. Birding is excellent and you can find some endemic species. The highlight in the rainforests is finding the endemic red ruffed lemur and you have good chances. Besides during day time you can find white-faced brown lemur. The night hikes are on the coast and you can find Masoala woolly lemurs, Masoala sportive lemurs, mouse lemurs and dwarf lemurs. Besides you can walk to the village and find lowland streaked tenrecs which is a great sight! Overall this is a fantastic national park to stay a couple of nights.

In November 2023 I had an incredible trip to Masoala National Park, organized by Lauriot, from "Visit Masoala" (visit.masoala@gmail.com). He was fantastic in arranging everything. The wildlife sightings were a highlight – we saw the elusive red-ruffed lemur and countless colorful chameleons. The guide was excellent at spotting these creatures in the dense rainforest. The beaches were pristine and tranquil, especially the golden sands of Nosy Mangabe. Snorkeling in the clear waters, we saw vibrant coral and a variety of fish. It felt like a slice of paradise. Huge thanks to Lauriot for making this trip seamless and memorable. For anyone thinking of visiting Madagascar, I highly recommend getting in touch with him (visit.masoala@gmail.com) You won't be disappointed!

If you’re looking for a great mix of adventure and genuine experience, this trip with Elysee is the one! He’s a fantastic guide, really knowledgeable and always on hand to answer questions but also has the right touch in terms of giving you time to explore on your own as well. He’s very adaptable at taking on board your priorities and suggesting new ideas / plans when needed. We spent a week with Elysee and his team, firstly travelling to Nosy Mangabe for two nights camping and then 4 nights in the beautiful and remote Masoala NP. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, we saw tons of wildlife and had experiences I’ll never forget. Staying in the community lodges at Masoala was a particular highlight. I’m the future I know Elysee is building his own lodge, and I’d guarantee a great stay having seen his attention to detail. Elysee is reassuring and obviously a very kind man. He took us into his home and made us feel very welcome throughout the whole trip. Our return flight to Tana was slightly delayed and he was always there for us, waving us off at the airport. Would highly recommend for a proper and wild Madagascan experience. He can be contacted on Whatsapp +261 324951264 or on email elyseeguide@yahoo.fr

I recently visited Masoala National Park for the second time, and once again, it was an incredible experience. Just like my first visit eight years ago, Lauriot from Visit Masoala organized everything flawlessly: transport, accomodation, guided hikes, all that we needed! The park itself is a pristine paradise with lush rainforests, stunning wildlife, and beautiful beaches. We saw a variety of lemurs, colorful birds, and even a few rare chameleons. The highlight for me was definitely the guided hikes through the dense forest, where every turn revealed something new and exciting. If you're planning a trip to Masoala, I highly recommend reaching out to Lauriot at Visit Masoala. His expertise in organizing the logistics ensures you can fully immerse yourself in the natural wonders of the park without any worries. This visit was as magical as the first, and I can't wait to return again someday. Contact Lauriot: visit.masoala@gmail.com

nice place to visit, wish to visit in 2025 Masoala National Park, in northeast Madagascar, is the largest of the island's protected areas. Most of the park is situated in Sava Region and a part in Analanjirofo. Created in 1997, the park protects 2,300 square kilometres of rainforest and 100 square kilometres of marine parks.

One of the most beautiful places on earth. I'm lucky to have visited many, and this is near the top. Gorgeous primary forest, beautiful beaches, authentic villages, great wildlife. We stayed at Chez Arol, which I would highly recommend. From your cottage, it is a 1 minute walk to a very swimmable and enjoyable beach and a 1 minute walk to the park entry. Animals everywhere, though you will be hard pressed to find any of them without your guide (which is mandatory anyhow). We were supposed to stay 5 nights, but because of bad winds, we had to reduce to only 2, which was disappointing as I could easily have enjoyed 5 nights. But we still managed to do great hikes, do a canoe ride through the mangroves, snorkel (it's nice, but nothing super special fish wise), swim in natural waterfall fed pools, see 5 types of lemur, endless reptiles and frogs, and some cool insects. There were also literally no other tourists. I wouldn't expect this to always be the case, but it is a far cry from the experiences in Andasibe and Isalo with the lemur paparazzi always around. Even if it is "crowded", I doubt you'd run into more than a few people while hiking. One warning. If you are expecting a totally remote, free from humans nature experience, you might be disappointed. While there are no tourists, there are villages along the beach, and they do have chainsaws, stone cutters, and dogs, which definitely pierce through the forest. If you can get past that though, Masoala is the best place in Madagascar.