Kirindy Forest ***

This site in central-western Madagascar is also known as the Swiss Forest, La Forêt des Suisses, or Kirindy-Nord, and is part of a former 12,500-ha Swiss forestry concession located northeast of Morondava. Tourists can reach the Kirindy forests from Morondava via the regular taxi-brousse service (which drops you off on the main road, a 5-km hike from the camp), or by renting a car through any of the Morondava hotels such as Palissandre Cote Ouest, Chez Maggie, or the Baobab Hotel. An overnight stay can be combined with a visit to the famous Highway of the Baobabs, or to the spectacular Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. The Highway of the Baobabs is only 15 km from the Morondava Airport, and you have to pass through it to get to Kirindy, which is about 60 km north. If one wants to continue on to the Tsingy de Bemaraha, it is about a 10-hour drive from Morondava. A tourist camp was constructed in Kirindy in 1996 by the Centre National de Formation, d’ Etudes, et de Recherches en Environnment et de Foresterie or C.N.F.E.R.E.F. (formerly C.F.P.F.), and the bungalows and restaurant there were renovated and expanded in 2007. Accommodations are basic but comfortable, and the location is ideal. Reservations to stay can be made either by email or telephone. The German Primate Centre (DPZ) has operated a research station in Kirindy since 1993. With luck, you may run into some of the scientists, who are based right next to the tourist area. Kirindy Forest and the adjacent Ambadira Forest form part of the core area of the new Menabe-Antimena Protected Area in this region. During daylight hours, visitors to Kirindy can expect to see red-fronted brown lemur (Eulemur rufifrons) and Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi), but the real value of Kirindy is in its nocturnal species. With six species in all, this site has one of the highest densities of nocturnal primates in the world, and is a must for the lemur-watcher. The prize here is Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae), for which Kirindy is by far the best site, but gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius), Coquerel’s giant mouse lemur (Mirza coquereli), pale fork-marked lemur (Phaner pallescens), and red-tailed sportive lemur (Lepilemur ruficaudatus) can all be seen during night walks in the area. Kirindy is particularly good for Phaner, but Mirza has become difficult to see in recent years. The other species are virtually guaranteed if you visit in the wet season, and take along one of the local guides. Kirindy is the best place to see the endemic giant jumping rat (Hypogeomys antimena), a highly threatened rodent found only in this region, and the very rare kapidolo tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides), although the latter can only be seen after a rain in the months of December and January. It is also by far the best site in Madagascar for seeing the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox), the country’s largest carnivore. Over the past few years, fossa have even started to regularly visit the camp area itself. In addition to the Kirindy Forest, one can also make a stop at the Marofandilia Forest, which is en route and located between the highway of the Baobabs and Kirindy. Also part of the Menabe-Antimena protected area, Marofandilia is a good place to view various species of lemur and features a camp inside the forest, “Camp Amoureux.” The latter is composed of five spacious tents on platforms, each with a bed and private bathroom. Visits can be arranged either through Fanamby or through several tour companies in Antananarivo and Morondava.