Yellow flower on a mossy branch
Madagascar,  Monday walks,  Nature and wildlife,  Sunday Stills

A walk in the Montagne d’Ambre national park

December 6, 2023 / 38 Comments

Such are the natural wonders of Madagascar that in a couple of hours’ walking you can see an array of endemic species from tiny (and I mean tiny!) chameleons to lively lemurs and towering baobab trees.

Montagne d’Ambre was Madagascar’s first national park. It lies in the far north of the island on a volcanic massif which ensures that the climate is a little cooler and fresher than the surrounding area. That suited me well and I found our walk here especially enjoyable as a result.   

Path between tall trees and lush undergrowth
The path through the forest

At the park entrance our driver Said sorted the necessary permits while our guide Laurent showed us some of the main features on the map and noticeboard. There was a picture of a tiny chameleon on a fingertip, a Brookesia Minima. I was excited when Laurent said he was confident of us finding one!

Notice board with illustrations of animals and plants
Sign at the entrance
Setting out

We drove a little way into the park, then Said dropped us off. We started our walk along the road, where Laurent pointed out some introduced tree species such the monkey puzzle. A tree whose leaves were turning red and dropping he said was a quinine tree. It hadn’t occurred to me that quinine would come from a tree!

Looking up at a tall tree with ridged trunk
Araucaria or monkey puzzle tree
Red leaf on the ground
Quinine leaf
Yellow flower on a mossy branch
Orchid
Stem with purple leaves and flowers
Coleotrype madagascarica

After a short distance on the road we turned off on to a path, flat for the most part but with lots of tree roots. We saw a weaver’s nest and had a brief glimpse of the male weaverbird before he flew off, too quickly for me to get a decent photo.

Bundle of dry grass and twigs hanging in a tree
Weaver bird nest

Soon after this Laurent stopped and challenged us to find an animal on a nearby branch. We couldn’t see it until he pointed out the eye of a very well-camouflaged leaf-tailed gecko.

Camouflaged reptile on a twig
Do you see the leaf-tailed gecko?
Camouflaged reptile on a twig
Maybe he’s more obvious now?
Searching for dwarf chameleons

As we walked Laurent made frequent stops to search the leaves and mulch gathered at the base of tree trunks, hunting for the tiny Brookesia Minima chameleon I was so keen to see. But for much of the walk he had no luck.

Man crouched by a tree searching in the leaf litter
Laurent looking for chameleons

However there was plenty to see without them. The path led us to a beautiful waterfall, Cascade Antakarana.  Laurent told us the Malagasy would wash here before visiting the nearby Cascade Sacrée, but that visitors weren’t allowed in the water because it would be corrupted by insect repellent, sunblock etc.

Narrow waterfall into a pool surrounded by rocks and vegetation
Cascade Antakarana

Unlike the weaverbird, a red-eyed blue pigeon posed rather nicely for us a little further along the path.

Blue-grey bird on a branch overhead
Red-eyed blue pigeon
Lemurs

A bit further still and we were passing a sunlit patch with busy lizzie flowers (impatiens). Two other tourists were there with a park guide who mentioned having seen lemurs on the far side. Rather than stay in that spot Laurent led us a little further where we could get closer to the edge of the glade with a great view of the bushes where they were feeding. These, he told us, were Sanford’s brown lemurs.

Lemur in a bush looking towards camera
Sanford’s brown lemur

We enjoyed watching and photographing them for a while until Chris couldn’t hold in a sneeze and they all scattered!

Found them at last!

Our path emerged by a parking area with picnic tables and barbecue spots. Finally at the foot of one of the trees edging this area Laurent found what he’d been looking for on and off throughout the walk, the minute Brookesia Minima chameleons. There were two together in one spot, each about the same length as my thumbnail! It was amazing to see such a perfectly formed miniature animal. And yes, this is their full-grown size.

Two tiny reptiles on the palm of a hand
Brookesia Minima chameleons

Laurent then encouraged us to hunt for them and sure enough, Chris uncovered one at the base of another tree while I looked on and took photos.

Two men crouched at the foot of a tree
Laurent and Chris searching for the tiny chameleons
Tiny reptile among leaf litter and twigs
Spot the chameleon!
A sacred waterfall

Before returning to the car we made a short detour to walk to the Cascade Sacrée which the Malagasy hold sacred and make offerings to as part of their animist beliefs. The waterfall is like a fine mist, hard to see except where it hits the pool below.

Rocky cliff covered with ferns and mosses
The Cascade Sacrée: a mist in front of the rock face
Pool at the foot of a rocky cliff with water droplets
The Cascade Sacrée: line of droplets on the water

Near here we had our final wildlife sighting, a blue-nosed chameleon, so-called because its long nose turns blue when hunting.

Reptile with long nose on a twig
Blue-nosed chameleon (clearly not hunting!)

This was a great ending to one of my favourites of our Madagascar nature walks, which I am of course sharing with Jo for her Monday Walk. And in the hopes that Terri can find peace among these trees I’m double-dipping with her Sunday Stills challenge theme this week.

I visited Madagascar in October/November 2023

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