Madagascar

With biodiversity to rival the Galapagos Islands, towns of colonial magnificence, beautiful beaches of golden sand and a remarkable culture influenced by Europe, Africa and the East, Madagascar s rare riches are well worth discovering. Venture into national parks to experience profound moments in nature, mellow out on idyllic islands, stroll through heritage towns and spot quirky wildlife not found anywhere else on this earth - Madagascar showcases the very best of our wild, weird but oh so wonderful world.

Madagascar trip reviews

Best time to visit Madagascar

Top Picks

Top 5 Strange Species of Madagascar

1. Fat-Tailed Dwarf Lemur

Known to hibernate for up to eight months of the year, this cute critter lives off fat reserves stored in its hefty tail - saved especially for these months of inactivity.

2. Aye Aye

This odd-looking lemur can be found mainly on east coast of Madagascar. While it won t win any beauty contests, it can lay claim to being the largest nocturnal primate in the world. Its unique way of finding food (knocking on trees then gnawing through the wood to access the hidden grubs) makes the aye aye similar to the woodpecker.

With a cat-like body and a dog-like face, this strange beast endemic to Madagascar is actually closely related to the mongoose species. A carnivorous predator, the fossa roams forests day and night in search of prey - preferably lemurs, rodents and other small mammals.

This bizarre little species can bare resemblance to many different animals due to the unique circumstances of its evolution. Sharing ancestry with animals as diverse as elephants, sea cows and aardvarks, most tenrecs look like small hedgehogs or otters and can range in size from a tiny 4cm to a robust 39cm.

5. Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko

Home to a whole raft of interesting and unusual reptiles, Madagascar s most devilish creation has to be the satanic leaf-tailed gecko. With red eyes, a tail shaped like a leaf and a head like Lucifer, it s no wonder locals are afraid of them.