Visiting Zazamalala: An Unforgettable Wildlife Experience
Come to visit the Zazamalala forest and botanical garden for an unforgettable wildlife experience! You’ll walk through one of the last remaining dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar, the most threatened ecosystem in the world.
Enjoy a safe hike with our experienced guides and meet rare animals, such as 11 species of lemurs, among them verreaux sifaka, red-fronted lemur, giant mouse lemur. You will certainly meet a few chameleons, such as the giant Oustalet’s chameleon. In the botanical garden you will find a large collection of endangered plants from the spiny forest of southern Madagascar, many different palms and a few hundred tree species, shrubs, lianas and orchids.
In the Zazamalala turtle breeding station you’ll meet the critically endangered flat-tail tortoise and Madagascar big-headed turtle. You will be impressed by the Zazamalala bird colony with hundreds of herons and egrets and you may encounter the critically endangered Sakalava rail, the Sparrow hawk or the Sacred ibis, as well as … crocodiles or one of the 18 Zazamalala snake species. After finishing your tour, you can enjoy a cold drink or a basic meal in the Zazamalala garden . On request (requires prior confirmation) a workshop Tropical reforestation can be arranged, which includes planting of seedling trees on empty land.
Spotting nocturnal animals
New is an evening hike through the Zazamalala forest with night-vision equipment. Usually the naturalist is spoiled with plenty encounters, such as eating and mating snakes, tenrecs, grotesque insects, geckos, frogs, sleeping chameleons, and … nocturnal lemurs.
There are 6 different nocturnal lemurs at Zazamalala:
- Phaner pallescens (western fork-crowned dwarf lemur / Lémurien à fourche pâle)
- Mirza coquereli (Giant mouse lemur / Microcèbe géant de Coquerel)
- Lepilemur ruficaudatus (Red-tailed sportive lemur / Lépilémur à queue rousse)
- Cheirogalus medius (Fat-tailed dwarf lemur / Chirogale à queue grasse)
- Microcebus murinus (Grey mouse lemur / Microcèbe mignon)
- Microcebus griseorufus (Grey-red mouse lemur / Microcèbe gris-roux)
Reservations and practical information
Zazamalala is always open, all year round.
Zazamalala lies along National route 35, about 35 km from Morondava, and is all-year round easily accessible. This is an excellent road and a 4×4 car is not required.
Reservations via:
+261 (0) 34 9109463 (Tahiry),
+261 (0) 34 3717352 (Joe-Mickuel) or
+31 (0) 6 36258593 (Simon).
E-mail: zazamalala@gmail.com
Prices for visiting Zazamalala 2026
- Entry fee: 80.000 Ar.
- Entry fee youngsters 6-17 years of age and visitors of Malagasy nationality: 20.000 Ar.
- Children under 6 years free of charge.
- Nocturnal hike, all nationalities: 100.000 Ar.
- Combined diurnal visit /nocturnal hike: 115.000 Ar.
- Guides free of charge.
