Difference between revisions of "Masoala Birding Camp"

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Within Masoala National Park, about an hour's walk from the village of Ambodiforaha, lies Masoala Birding Camp. This camp is for those who wish to be as close to the nature as possible, without unecessary conveniences and facilities offered by other camps.

Officially opened in 2017, the camp is run by Patrick, a local guide and Masoala birding expert from Ambodiforaha. Patrick and his team will prepare lunch, breakfast and dinner and will guide you to various bird watching spots in the surrounding forest and help you identify various species of flora and fauna along the way.

Masoala Birding Camp can be booked for day visits including lunch as well as stays for one or more nights in combination with other lodges in the area. Additionally, the camp offers various extended trekking packages, which can of course be modified and tailored to your exact specifications.

Classic circuit

Visit Masoala for three nights while staying at Masoala Birding Camp in a small or large group.

Day 1: Depart in the morning from your hotel in Maroantsetra with speed boat directly to Masoala. The boat ride takes between 1½ and 2 hours. Arriving at the beach of Tampolo and walk approximately 30 minutes to the camp site.

Overnight stay at Masoala Birding Camp. In the afternoon, start guided bird watching walk. In the evening, go for a night walk to see different species of lemurs and various other night active animals.

Day 2: Red ruffed Lemur path. This is a 3 to 4 hours walk to spot the Red Ruffed Lemurs in their natural habitats. Thereafter, before dinner in the evening, take another night walk to discover nocturnal species, such as the mouse lemur, dwarf lemur, sportive lemur and other animals...

Day 3: Waterfall circuit. Get ready for more bird watching in the morning, to see the famous species such as Helmet vanga, Bernier's_vanga, Short-legged ground roller and so on.... In the afternoon, continue with a river trip in a pirogue (traditional wooden canoe) on the Tampolo River with a local fisherman from the village of Ambodiforaha. In the evening, there will be time for another night walk.

Day 4: Take the speed boat to Nosy Mangabe for picnic and thereafter return to Maroantsetra.

Extended circuit

Visit Masoala for 5 nights with stay at Masoala Birding Camp and in Farankaraina Tropical Park.

Day 1 and 2: Overnight camping at lodge in Farankaraina Tropical Park. Try to find the Aye-Aye during a night walk. The best possibility to spot the Aye-Aye here is between July and October.

Day 3: Leave Farankaraina Tropical Park for Masoala National Park (by speed boat?) to reach Masoala Birding Camp. Start a short afternoon bird watching walk. In the evening, take a night walk to discover different species of lemurs and various other night active animals.

Day 4: Red Ruffed Lemur path. This is a 3 to 4 hours walk to spot the Red Ruffed Lemurs in their natural habitats. Thereafter, before dinner in the evening, take another night walk to discover nocturnal species, such as the mouse lemur, dwarf lemur, sportive lemur and other animals.

Day 5: Boat transfer to Antalavia. This is a wonderful location with a beach and a large waterfall where it's possible to go for a swim.

Day 6: Return to the hotel in Maroantsetra. Visit Nosy Mangabe for picnic in the morning. Our boat can pass close to the island where flocks of egret (heron) can usually be observed in the canopies along the shore. Allow about four hours to visit the island to try and find the Uroplatus fimbriatus (giant leaf-tailed gecko) and with some luck also spot one of the smallest chameleons in the world.

= Sportive circuit

8 days Maroantsetra to Masoala, trekking one way and return by boat.

This trek follows the coast of Antongil Bay onto Masoala National Park.

Day 1: Depart early from your hotel in Maroantsetra on a 1-hour pirouge ride to Andranofotsy and from there continue by foot to the campsite at Farankaraina Tropical Park. Search for the Aye-Aye at night.

Day 2: Have breakfast before setting off on a 4 to 6 hours trek through vanilla and clove plantations until Masindrano. Camp by the beach.

Day Three: Leave the second camping place in the morning to get third camping place. The place name is Ambanizana village. From this time wildlife beauty is spreading. The wonderful forest green colorful and directly meet the sea. Beach is covered the rocks forming the natural status, craved like tsingy of Mada. The walk here takes around 4-6 hours

Day four: Leave again this third place to be on Masoala Birding camp lodge in Masoala National Park. This is last time for walking and it takes 4-6 hours. Comparing of the all last days trip, this one is more wonderful because the path pass in the Primary forest. From this time (day five,six,and seven), the walk is finished and we stay 3 other nights in Masoala Birding Camp(MBC) to do all the type of activity in MASOALA national Park like bird watching, red ruffed circuit, river trip, and so on…. Watching all different species of animals and never forget the name of camp to see all the species of the birds

Day eight: heading back to maroantsetra via to Nosy Mangabe Island for picnic. On this Island, the trip takes 4h to see small chameleon and leafleted gecko and afternoon back to maroantsetra. The trip is finished goodbye for all the team of MBC