After an overnight layover in Antananarivo (more commonly referred to as simply Tana) we had an uneventful domestic flight with Tsaradia (also known as Air Madagascar) to Nosy Be where we had arranged to be picked up directly from the airport and shuttled to Lokobe National Park – a spot renowned for its thriving populations of some of Madagascar’s most famous endemic species.
Now, getting to Lokobe isn’t as simple as just driving there, oh no, a serious arm workout is unavoidable. A thirty minute (or so) paddle in a traditional outrigger style canoe will get you to the shores of Lokobe – make sure you wear sunscreen!
Once you arrive you can expect to get straight into trekking. Now, I wouldn’t say the trekking is particularly physically exerting but trails are uneven and there are a few slippery river crossings so make sure to wear proper footwear and don’t do as I did and don your birkenstocks (how many times must I make this exact same mistake).
It wasn’t long before we came across our first gorgeous creature, a shy black lemur with truly piercing eyes that peeked out at me through the dense foliage. Getting this picture was a challenge but oh so worth it.
Luckily for us, that lemur was just the beginning. Our eagle-eyed guide was able to spot creatures big and small that I almost certainly would have walked straight past without noticing had we been wandering around on our own.
This cicada like bug was gorgeous and let me get close enough to really appreciate its colouring and all of its little details.
This little lizard looks reasonably well camouflaged in the next photo but let me tell you, in real life, the guides were pointing at this guy for a solid 30 seconds before I could actually see it – the camouflaging was immaculate.
Next we spotted an enormous snake, which was a huge size contrast to the next creature we found…
The worlds teeniest, tiniest and cutest chameleon!
The nano-chameleon is about the size of a fingertip when fully grown and lives only in Madagascar. On my first visit to Madagascar in 2019 I hadn’t been able to see one of these creatures – they are kinda hard to find, for obvious reasons – and so it took pretty much all my willpower to not shriek with delight when our guide spotted this ‘lil guy!
Just LOOK at his little feetsies!!! Is he not the cutest thing ever?!
Now, normally I am not one to touch or hold wildlife but our guide who didn’t speak any English thrust this little guy onto my hand and look, I just couldn’t resist, it was just so darn cute!
After our little friend was placed carefully back into the forest floor (their normal habitat) we moved on and quickly found this sweet bamboo lemur hiding on the inside of a tree.
We then came across another black lemur and this guy could not have been less shy. He got right down to about my waist height and super curious and oh so gorgeous! My wrist just about cramped up from holding up my camera for so long.
That wrist cramp was absolutely worth it though, I am all kinds of obsessed with this next shot!
The one thing we hadn’t spotted was a regular chameleon but we had come to the end of the tour and thus had to start making our way back to the beach where we would have lunch. However, as we got close to the entrance to the park I spotted a chameleon walk right out onto the pathway in front of us! Oh man, I am sure people could hear the squeal from a bloody mile away!
Eventually this little guy made his way up onto some branches and did a few little poses for the camera – what a bloody lovely way to end an amazing first day in Madagascar!
Our first day in Madagascar had been an undeniable success! We had spotted lemurs, chameleons and so much other wildlife that can only be found in Madagascar – Lokobe was definitely a great place to start.
Stay tuned for our adventures to some of the islands that surround Nosy Be!
Getting to Nosy Be: You can fly to Nosy Be via Tana but given the nickname for Air Madagascar (Air Maybe) I’d instead recommend flying direct from Jozi with Airlink – this service runs twice a week and Airlink are one of the most reliable airlines in all of southern Africa
Blue Sky Resort: Blue Sky was our little oasis in Nosy Be. Our Italian hosts were delightful, they run a full Italian style kitchen, the pool is perfection and despite the many issues that plague Nosy Be (frequent power cuts) they do an amazing job providing a comfortable and affordable place to stay, I cannot recommend them enough! You can book with them through booking.com or contact them directly by clicking here
Lokobe National Park day trip: We booked this tour through MadaDays (an Italian tour agency) and though we had a great tour to Lokobe, our subsequent trips out with them were super sub-par and overall I wouldn’t recommend them
Remember: Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen and decent walking shoes are an absolute must
