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Marojejy is one of the most strikingly beautiful and wild areas of Madagascar. It is unique in the world, a place of dense, jungle rainforests, sheer, high cliffs, and plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. The park comprises 55,500 hectares (137,144 acres) of land, and protects the entire Marojejy Massif. The forests, ranging from low altitude rain forest through to high altitude montane scrub, harbor an impressive list of plants and animals: at least 275 species of ferns, 35 species of palms, 149 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 118 species of birds. The park is also home to eleven species of lemurs, including the critically endangered Silky Sifaka. Rugged and untamed, Marojejy is one of the few places in the world where you can hike from the dense, vine-shrouded jungle to the high mountain tundra in a relatively short distance. Even if you are not a seasoned biologist, you can't help but note the extreme diversity of life forms and the changes in plant communities you encounter as you climb the mountain. Marojejy will appeal to all who value nature, the mountains, and wild places.
You will hike between tented bungalow sites that are run by the national park service. They are furnished with beds, mattresses, and bedding. It also has a large sheltered eating area with an assortment of cooking utensils. The bathroom facilities are simple but clean. Guests share a bucket shower and a Turkish toilet. When hiking in the park, wet-weather garments, comfortable hiking shoes, and waterproof bags for holding clothes in backpacks are essential. A tent and sleeping bag are not necessary. We recommend using a filter and/or purification tablets as a precautionary measure.

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About a mile from the Marojejy National Park Visitor Center, on the road to Andapa, is a farm owned by a kindly gentleman named Flavien Zandrimanana. Flavien's farm lies on the banks of the Lokoho River and spreads up a hillside with stupendous views out to the Marojejy Massif. Over the years, little by little, Flavien has lovingly built up his farm so that today it is a model of small-scale sustainable agriculture. Flavien has a little of everything: beehives, fish ponds, rice fields, chickens, ducks, coconut palms, a tree nursery, vegetable garden and vanilla plantation - the list goes on and on. Several years ago, a Peace Corps volunteer named Paul Atkinson met Flavien and was impressed by the productivity and diversity of his farm, as well as by the beauty and tranquility of the place. Together, Paul and Flavien hatched an idea to incorporate a bit of ecotourism into all the other activities on his farm. Later, encouraged by guidebook author Hilary Bradt when she traveled through the area with the team from marojejy.com, Flavien began adding amenities such as a bamboo dining area and improved toilet facilities, and lawns where tents can be pitched.

Flavien's Farm offers a remarkable glimpse into traditional Malagasy life in a tranquil and spectacular location. Flavien is a welcoming man, and a wealth of information on the local area. It's fascinating to watch him demonstrate the delicate process of hand-fertilizing vanilla flowers, or to hear him recount stories of a time when virgin forests were thick all around, when the songs of the babakoto (Indri indri) - now long gone - echoed from the canyon walls.

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