Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the Insight guide to Madagascar.
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Insight Guide to Madagascar.
Philip is the author of the Insight Guide to Madagascar.
Isalo National Park (Parc National de l’Isalo) protects a group of mountains with spectacular sandstone formations rising up from arid grassy plains. This is prime hiking country with a range of trails available to suit different interests and abilities. Several lemur species can be found, and bird-watchers will enjoy checking off some dry country specials.
Isalo is not a prime wildlife-viewing destination. There are only three lemur species active in the day on record, but two of them are particularly charismatic: the ring-tailed lemur and the Verreaux's sifaka, known for its dance-like movement when running on the ground. The lemurs can mostly be found in the canyons, such as Maki Canyon and Rat Canyon.
The park is a photographer’s dream. The evening light usually plays its magic over the sandstone formations eroded into amazing rockscapes, canyons and gorges. A popular scenic highlight is ‘la fenêtre de l’Isalo’ (the Isalo window). This is a natural window sculpted out of the rocks, letting through the setting sun while capturing the surrounding landscape with its balancing boulders and jagged peaks.
Weather & Climate
Isalo has a dry tropical climate. Annual rainfall figures are low, but there is a Wet season from November to April. The middle of this, December to February, is very hot and humid. The coolest months are June to August with an average daytime temperature of 26°C/79°F. During this period, nights are quite cold with the lowest average of 11°C/52°F being in July.
Isalo can be visited throughout the year. Most people will however prefer the Dry season months, from May to October, when hiking conditions are perfect. The magnificent scenery of the park is enhanced by beautiful light. In the Dry season it is always sunny and bright, and most days start and finish with a photogenic sunrise and sunset.
Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.
The Wild West of Madagascar
4/5
The rugged terrain of Isalo National Park is formed by eroded sandstone formations jutting out of the surrounding grassland. The scenery, with its balancing rocks and jagged peaks is strangely reminiscent of the Wild West. There is a good...
Spent a full day walking through the park, including a visit to the Piscine Naturelle and through canyon. Very pleasant any enjoyable, though very hot and with not a lot of shade. With a good guide, as we had, we saw a good amount of...