Travel Blog by 
It was a relief to be out of insane Antananarivo ('Tana') and on the road to Perinet. I had been in Madagascar for nearly three weeks, and the Perinet-Mantadia reserve would – I hoped – be the grand finale. Perinet’s claim to fame is as the home of the Indri Indri: the world’s largest lemur.
When you talk about Madagascar, the word ‘endangered’ doesn’t cut it. A strange cut-off land, a majority of its flora and fauna are endemic to Madagascar, found nowhere else but botanical gardens and the occasional zoo, and consequently under critical threat of extinction. Madagascar is the world’s fourth poorest country, and the need for rice outweighs the need for lemurs and chameleons for all but a tiny percentage of the population. Slash-and-burn agriculture has been killing rare species for many years, and the national reserves are precious and incredible places.
My shared taxi ground to a halt near Feon’y Ala (‘voice of the forest’) lodge on the fringe of the reserve, and immediately the cries of lemurs, frogs and birds could be heard in the surrounding trees. Feon’y Ala is famous for the eerie performance of the Indri Indri every night, wailing their plaintive song across the river from the lodge. At dusk, the Indri didn’t disappoint, and I bristled with anticipation at tracking them down the following morning.
The terrain of Perinet is difficult, though still not a patch on Mantadia’s reserve: slippery, rocky and with impossible gradients. The park guides trip effortlessly around this terrain in pursuit of lemurs, but to the untrained it’s a heart-pounding, ankle-twisting experience, and I was glad of my sturdy boots, and my bush hat that saved my eyes more than once.
After a fruitless morning chasing ghosts, a troop of Sifaka lemurs led us right to a mother and baby Indri, who cooed softly at us and swung away into the trees. After that, there were lemurs and incredible oversized chameleons at every turn, not one of which resembled anything I’d seen before. Wildlife heaven!
Even the bugs are unique in Madagascar, but even they are dying out as fast as they can be ‘discovered’. In Perinet, take a good camera and a notebook everywhere you go. You might just ‘discover’ your own new species...
Look out for more Madagascar experiences coming soon!
Comments
Hugo says...
What a fantastic video - it had me giggling for ages. What a noise!
Is it supposed to be a) showing off b) romantic serenade c) macho warning d) just a morning chat with their fellow lemurs?
Seriously though, love to know everything possible about Madagascar as I have a trip planned there in November. I cannot wait and you are driving me even more nuts with anticipation with your travel tales.
Posted 551 days ago.
Alexandra says...
Indri are pretty romantic creatures; I think it's a serenade!
You lucky thing, going to Madagascar! It really is the most unusual and amazing place I've seen, and I will definitely go back again in the future. Brush up on your French, and avoid too much time in hectic Antananarivo if you can and it will blow you away. Have you ever held a giant blue chameleon or had a wild lemur sit and peel bananas on your shoulder? Ooh, you're in for a treat!
Posted 551 days ago.
Hugo says...
I will certainly be hunting down the wonderful Indri and their comical romantic wail. Fantastic. I could not resist listening again!
It sounds like a treat indeed. I read in my guide book that the president was a bicycle yogurt sales man. Sounds like my kind of place. Cannot wait.
Posted 551 days ago.
lucysoff says...
Wow, this looks and sounds like a fantastic place to visit.
I have notched it up a few places on the list- looking forward to hearing more stories!
Posted 543 days ago.
sara says...
How do they make that noise? Really good story.
Posted 523 days ago.
diddymouse says...
This place looks amazing. My love for Africa just grows and grows and I love hearing about others experiences!
Posted 435 days ago.
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