Ambatovaky Special Reserve

This special reserve covers some 60,050 ha of lowland forest, and is the largest special reserve in the country. Access is difficult and may require expedition-level preparation. What is more, there are no hotels nearby so visitors should be self-sufficient and prepared to camp. A large and varied selection of eastern rain forest taxa have been reported from this site. Among these are mouse lemurs (an unknown species of Microcebus), Masoala fork-marked lemur (Phaner furcifer), northern bamboo lemur (Hapalemur occidentalis), brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus), red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer), variegated black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata variegata), eastern woolly lemur (Avahi laniger), diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema), indri (Indri indri), and aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). The nearest town of any size is Soanoerana-Ivongo, which can be reached by car from Toamasina. Due to the difficulty of access, lack of tourist facilities, and various taboos which hold sway here, visitors are advised to arrange travel through an experienced Antananarivo-based ground operator.