Bemaraha National Park
Overview
Madagascar Parks
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the Insight guide to Madagascar.
Bemaraha National Park (Parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha) is a Unesco World Heritage Site, which contains the ‘Grand Tsingy’ and ‘Petit Tsingy’. These stone forests formed by a labyrinth of limestone pinnacles oddly resemble grey cities from above. This natural wonder has been made accessible with a combination of cleverly placed walkways, ladders and suspension bridges.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
The flagship animal to look for is the Decken's sifaka, which is just one of 13 lemur species recorded in the park. The park is known for its amazing bat colonies, and something to look out for on the forest paths is the rare and very localized western red forest rat. Predator sightings are uncommon, but lucky visitors might see a ring-tailed mongoose or even a fossa.
Scenery
The park protects unusual karstic (limestone) formations known as the Grand and Petit Tsingy. The Manambolo River Gorge cuts through the limestone and can be used to access some of the hiking trails by boat. Deciduous forest grows on the periphery of the formations and colorful succulents such as elephant's foot fill the gaps.
Weather & Climate
Bemaraha is located at low altitude and has a hot, tropical climate with well-defined Wet and Dry seasons. Temperatures are quite even through the year but slightly lower in the Dry season months from April to October. The heat regularly peaks over 34°C/104°F. Rainfall is seasonal and downpours can be expected from December to March.
Best Time To Visit
Bemaraha is usually closed during the Wet season months from late November to April. The park is primarily a hiking destination and the Dry season months from May to October offer the best conditions. These months are also slightly less hot. In October and November many lemurs have babies.
