Best time to visit Madagascar

Much of Madagascar is in the throws of its hot, wet season, which makes certain activities inadvisable. Tsingy de Bemaraha is closed, as are most dive centres on Nosy Be.

January also brings out unique behaviour amongst wildlife. This is one of the best times for spotting chameleons; Verreaux’s sifaka enter their mating period; and tenrecs are active after their hibernation period.

Throughout Madagascar’s forests, orchids are in full, technicolour bloom and birdlife dons its spectacular breeding plumage.

Extremely hot and wet, February has the highest chances of cyclones occurring and all diving facilities on Nosy Be are suspended.

Despite the weather, this month offers a high likelihood of spotting chameleons while mouse lemurs are incredibly active.

Enjoy the spoils of the Fianarantsoa Wine Festival, which celebrates Madagascar’s highland wine region with tastings, tours and artisanal workshops.

Should you find yourself exploring the island’s forests, expect an explosion of vivid and exceedingly beautiful orchids.

March remains rather soggy, particularly on the east coast, but conditions begin to improve later in the month.

Chameleon activity remains excellent with vivid colouring and breeding behaviour in areas like Kirindy Forest Reserve and Andasibe.

Towards the end of March, it’s worth planning a trip to Ranomafana to see its incredible array of orchids.

The rains are easing up properly and many roads, parks and activities open once again.

In areas like Isalo National Park, ring-tailed lemur breeding season peaks around mid-April when males engage in spectacular ‘stink fights’. Across the board, lemurs are lively and visible in the forests.

Diving off Nosy Be really takes off, with balmy water temperatures, improving visibility and abundant marine life.

The animated indris give birth in remarkable synchronicity during May – truly extraordinary to witness in Andasibe.

The trails of Tsingy de Bemaraha open once again, ready to be explored on foot or by boat.

Visit the Avenue of the Baobabs to witness the stunning, bare-branch silhouettes against the clear, golden skies of sunset.

Across reserves like Andasibe and Anjajavy, mother and baby lemurs can be spotted moving through the trees - an adorable sight! Cooler temperatures across the country also make trekking much more comfortable.

Humpback whales arrive in the waters off Nosy Boraha and Masoala, while green sea turtles reach peak nesting at Nosy Iranja.

The curious landscapes of Tsingy de Bemaraha are fully accessible, perfect for epic and exceedingly scenic hikes.

Madagascar’s Independence Day takes place on 26 June and vibrant parades fill the streets of Antananarivo. Exciting for some, but best-avoided for others.

The lemurs are out in full force from Andasibe to Isalo National Park, with young clinging to their mothers.

Visibility off Nosy Be only gets better, making for stunning diving expeditions rife with marine life.

The foliage in Kirindy Forest Reserve has thinned out significantly, which is fantastic for spotting fossa.

Humpback whale season is in full swing. Take advantage with a boat tour from Nosy Boraha and land-based sightings at Nosy Ankao and Masoala National Park.

It’s all going on in the world of lemurs, including ring-tailed lemur babies and the haunting calls of the indri.

There is tremendous humpback whale activity off Nosy Boraha and Masoala National Park, while mid-August brings an explosion of marine life around Nosy Be – the underwater photography is incredible.

If you’re up for a hardcore adventure, head to Andrafiamena in the north where you’ll trek amongst surreal tsingy formations and forests where the endangered Perrier’s sifaka dwells.

Apart from the unbelievable lemur sightings, September also marks the beginning of fossa breeding season when Madagascar’s largest predator becomes more visible.

Birding is sensational from the ground-rollers of Andasibe to the emergence of the cardinal-red Madagascar pygmy kingfisher.

Humpback whale sightings are more likely than ever off Nosy Boraha and Masoala National Park, while the first whale sharks arrive at Nosy Be in late September.

Head for Kirindy Forest Reserve where female fossas return to specific ‘mating trees’ while males fight it out below.

Playful baby ring-tailed lemurs are enjoying a bit more freedom in Isalo National Park, while young indri, sifaka and ruffed lemurs are all visible in Andasibe.

Marine life is sensational off Nosy Be with whale sharks, manta rays and sea turtle sightings in abundance.

Warmer nights make this a fantastic time for spotting nocturnal wildlife including mouse and wooly lemurs, and aye-aye throughout Kirindy Forest Reserve, Ranomafana and Andasibe.

Tenrecs emerge once again while most chameleon species are highly active – Labord’s chameleon hatchlings are also visible after the first rains in Kirindy.

Nosy Be offers near-guaranteed whale shark sightings on snorkelling or diving trips, while hawksbill turtle nesting takes place on Nosy Ankao.

Birding is out of this world across the country’s forests with the striking Helmet Vanga nesting in Masoala National Park.

By mid to late-December, Madagascar is getting hotter and increasingly wetter, but this doesn’t mean a visit isn’t worthwhile. In fact, the Masoala Peninsula is fantastic at this time of year.

Lemurs are still highly active including diademed sifaka as they enter mating season and ring-tailed juveniles finding their independence.

Common tenrecs are known to produce litters of up to 32 pups while fossa babies are born in Kirindy Forest Reserve.

Orchids are in full bloom in Andasibe while many of Madagascar’s iconic baobabs are flowering, creating a dazzling and photogenic scene.