After dark, the Andasibe forest transforms into a different world. Many of Madagascar's most extraordinary animals are nocturnal — including the mouse lemurs (among the smallest primates on earth), woolly lemurs, several gecko species found nowhere else on the island, and a spectacular diversity of chameleons and frogs.
Night walks in the Analamazoatra Reserve are separately ticketed and must be taken with a guide. The guide carries a powerful torch and sweeps it methodically through the vegetation, picking up eyeshine and the pale glow of sleeping reptiles. On a good night you might encounter dwarf chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos, mouse lemurs foraging in the understorey, and the woolly lemur sitting upright in the canopy, eyes blazing orange. Bring a headtorch and wear closed shoes — the forest floor is uneven and the paths can be muddy.