Kirindy National Park is located in the south western part of Madagascar and it is located near the coast. The park is a home to various lemur species including the world’s tiniest primate known as the Berthe’s mouse lemur which is endangered at the moment. It is an extremely small park covering up to only 280 miles. Kirindy Mitea national Park was formed in 1997 and it was opened up for tourist in 2007 making it one of the few new national Parks in Madagascar. The Park is also known for having the largest number of recorded primates in the whole world making it a top destination for all tourists.
Kirindy is in Malagasy and it means ‘a dense forest with wild animals’ and some people refer it to as the Kirindy Nord. The Park is rarely visited by tourists because it is located extremely far away from the capital city of Madagascar and it is the perfect spot for all those that do not like crowded places.
Activities that can be carried out in Kirindy Mitea national Park
When you get the chance to visit the Kirindy National park, you will find that there are a lot of activities that you can carry out from game viewing, photography, birding, hiking, visiting the beach, mixing with the local people and all those that we have not mentioned. Some of the activities that you can enjoy on your visit to the National Park include the following:
Hiking through Kirindy national Park
Hiking is one of the activities that can be carried in the Kirindy National park and due to its small size it is the only way that one can enjoy the luxuries of the Park and get to see almost everything close up.
The landscape that is found in the Park is naturally flat making hiking an easy task for everyone including children. You can hike through the forests with your family and experience the breeze given off by the savannah and mangrove forests that can be found in the area. The trek trail can lead you up to the coast where you get to enjoy a boat r canoe cruise. You will also get to see the pink lesser flamingos on the coast, enjoy a botanical class and view the lemurs that are always swinging from the mangrove trees. The trek through the Park can last for about three to five hours and you will need some equipment if you are into hiking which include hiking shoes, sunscreen, water and light clothes.
The wildlife in the Kirindy Park
Wild life varies from reptiles, mammals, insects, birds and all these wrapped into one basket give you a you a unique experience when it comes to visiting the Park. The various forms of wildlife that you will find will leave you with an experience that you will hardly forget and will force to keep on coming back to Madagascar so as to experience the good natural things that are found in Kirindy Mitea National Park.
The park has unique wildlife that can be seen and some of these are endangered species. It is a one stop center for all lemur lovers as you will get to see the different lemur species which include the ring tailed lemur, the red tailed sportive lemur, the red fronted lemur and the dancing Sifaka lemur. The park is also a home to the Fossa cat which feeds on the lemurs but they are also endangered at the moment and spotting one has become extremely hard as the years go by.
Other endangered wild life that lives in the area includes the leaf nosed snake which is extremely hard to spot unless when you are searching too hard, the Kapidolo, tortoises and lemurs. Kirindy is also a home to some of the most unique reptiles in the world and most of these can be spotted during the rainy season and at night. Some of the reptile species include the Furcifer labordi which is the shortest lived chameleon in the whole world as it lives for only five months. The five months give it ample time to mate and new offspring crops up before it dies out. You will find over 70 bird species that habitate in the Park and most of these bird species are endemic so do not miss the chance of exploring them.
Other activities carried out near Kirindy National Park
Besides visiting the National park and viewing the different wild life species, there are other activities that one can carry out while they visit the Kirindy Mitea National Park and these include the following:
- A visit to the Park will have you visit one of the best mosques in the area and you will get to see how it was constructed and its uniqueness.
- You can also get a chance to mix with the locals who live in the nearby villages and get to know more about their cultures, eat their tasty food and enjoying the folk songs and stories that are told by the elders in the area.
- You can visit the beach and enjoy the fresh air and cool breeze at Morondava.
- If you get the chance you can also visit the magnificent Maria Manjaka Namahora cathedral that is admired by all those who visit the area. It can be seen while at the Park and you can get a good chance of entering and admiring the inside of the worship Centre.
The climate experienced in Kirindy
The National Park experiences a short rainy season and for the most part of the year, it is always hot with over 30 degrees Celsius. The Park experiences both the semi desert and dry tropical climate which is experienced throughout the southern part of Madagascar. And because of the hot weather that is experienced you will need to pack effectively and have a lot of water on you while visiting the area. Do not forget to also carry water purification because the water in Madagascar is not all that safe to drink.
When to visit Kirindy Mitea Park
Kirindy National park experiences two seasons and these highly determine when one should visit the park and when not to visit the Park. The dry season is the best time to visit the Park as the roads leading to the park will be passable. The dry season in Kirindy normally begins in March and runs for nearly nine months before the wet season sets in. although it is the best time to visit the Park it is advisable for one to be well prepared since the temperature rise to abnormality and you might end up being perched.
The rainy season is also a good one if you are into animal and plant viewing. During this period, the Park rejuvenates with a lot of greenery and you get to see most of the animals during the wet season since they all become active during this time. But remember that the roads leading to the Park are extremely hard or nearly impossible to pass during the rainy season.
Accommodation in the Kirindy Mitea National Park
The Kirindy Park is extremely small as compared to other parks found in Madagascar therefore making it hard for the Park to have accommodation facilities within. The accommodations that can be used are found in the neighboring areas and many people just wake up in the morning so that they start on their exploration of the Park early.
Even though the park does not have any accommodation facilities, they have toilet facilities where one can easily go and relieve themselves and these were constructed by the German government. These are cleaned regularly so you will be assured of clean toilets throughout your visit to the Park.
The Park’s small size means that you will not be able to have game drives within but all the exploration will be done on foot. You will exercise and at the same time see the various animals that are found in the park and there is no other way you can experience the wild in Kirindy other than by walking through it. All the nature walks and explorations will be done with the help of an experienced tour guide so that you do not get lost and get to enjoy the stories that are told during the exploration.
Kirindy is known to be the only reserved forest that is still standing without being encroached on Madagascar and a visit to the area will leave you in awe of how the country has a lot to offer especially when it comes to forests and the wildlife.
When it comes to visiting the Kirindy Mitea National Park, we offer the best offers with favorable and fair prices for everyone who wishes to visit the country any time. We will deal with all the accommodation and transportation needs so that you do not have to worry about any arrangements and get to enjoy your vacation. freely.