The tourist areas of Madagascar do not boast many really up-market lodges, but the Vakona is as good as any. It is situated in the forests of Perinet where one can see many of the endemic birds and lemurs of the area. It is easily accessible from Tana – it takes a couple of hours drive when the traffic density is low, but longer most times. The self-contained chalets are well organised and very comfortable. The central dining room is large yet cosy. They have a huge open fireplace in the centre of the room and even in December the fire is welcome in the evening. The food is probably the best of the places we normally visit on our Madagascar tours.

Our regular activities include an early morning visit to see the Indri, the largest living lemur species. There are some wonderful walks through the local forests searching for the forest species such as the Blue Coua. One of the highlights is the nocturnal walk in search of sleeping birds and chameleons.