Nahampoana Reserve, Toliara Province, Madagascar
4.5 (106 reviews) Spent Ranking #2 in Tolanaro Nature & Wildlife Areas
Beautiful and peaceful nature reserve located 40 min from Fort Dauphin-highly recommend!
A lovely half day trip filled with nature-definitely a highlight of my 5 days in Fort Dauphin. Knowledgeable guide, beautiful and peaceful 50 acre nature reserve where I saw 4 species of lemurs—sifaka, ringtail, bamboo and brown lemurs, as well as chameleons and a kingfisher. I also enjoyed learning about many plants from Mada. After the 2 hour walk and short boat tour, I enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch at a picnic table set in a peaceful grove of litchi and mango trees. Lovely, hospitable staff. They also have 5 bungalows for rent that are rustic, but very peaceful. Location was about a 40 min drive from FD on a dirt road, which you definitely need a 4x4 to reach.
Address
Nahampohana, Tolanaro 614 Madagascar
Website
http://www.nahampoana.com/
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 04, 2024, 2:58
User Ratings
4.5 based on (106 reviews)
Reviews
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4Rubyd00 5:00 PM Nov 15, 2012
A place apart
I booked into Nahampoana after reading about it on Tripadvisor. I spent 2 nights at Berenty before, and I'd recommend people spend a couple of nights at *both* places. Nahampoana is an old colonial house (now the restaurant), garden and experimental plantations. It's very close to Fort Dauphin, but feels completely isolated - especially when I was there, as I was the only guest! There are ringtail lemurs, collared brown lemurs, Verreaux's sifakas and bamboo lemurs (the last not so easy to see, but get your guide to take you on a boat down the little river among the bamboos). And nocturnal mouse lemurs. Plus birds like the malachite kinfisher, grey-headed lovebirds and lesser vasa parrot. Plus great scenery. The rooms (only 5) are lovely, and the food's excellent.
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5IonH 5:00 PM Nov 2, 2012
Great alternative to Berenty
Many tourists will pass through Fort Dauphin en route to or from the famous Berenty reserve - which requires a long drive, and paying a lot of money for pretty indifferent accommodation. And yet less than a half-hour from the centre of Fort Dauphin is this delightful, very easily accessible reserve which has an even wider range of diurnal lemur species (collared brown, ring-tailed, and grey bamboo - the last absent from Berenty - as well as verreaux's sifaka), all well habituated so you can get those great close-up photos. Nahampoana is a former botanical garden with what looks like comfortable but basic accommodation on site (I didn't actually stay there). At the very least, worth a half-day visit in addition to Berenty; if you're pushed for time (or just in Fort Dauphin on business, or simply not keen on the long trek to Berenty), a must-see in its own right. Excellent English- and French-speaking guides, and the option of a pleasant boat trip on the small river that forms part of the boundary to the reserve.
