The best time to visit Madagascar, month by month
Month by month and region by region: dry roads, cyclones, the Tsingy's short season, whales, lemur babies, birds and chameleons.
Reptile and insect tours in Madagascar
Panther chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos that vanish into bark, mantises and stick insects. Most of Madagascar's reptiles are found nowhere else, and November to March is when they're most active.
Madagascar is a true sanctuary of biodiversity, a natural world unlike anywhere else on Earth. Among its most captivating inhabitants are its reptiles and insects, which together showcase the island's extraordinary evolutionary story.
The island is home to well over 400 species of reptiles, most of them found nowhere else. From dazzling panther chameleons that shift colour in mesmerising hues to the elusive leaf-tailed geckos that blend perfectly into the forest, every encounter reveals nature's unmatched creativity and adaptation.
Madagascar also shelters countless species of insects, many of them native only to the island. From delicate butterflies and shimmering beetles to graceful mantises and ingenious stick insects, these small creatures play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance: pollinating plants, recycling organic matter and supporting the natural food chain.
On the trail
What a guide finds that you won't
A chameleon on a branch at eye level, a leaf-tailed gecko flat against the bark, a stick insect you'd take for a twig. Most of what you'll see here is small and well hidden.
Most of it is small and well hidden, which is why the guide matters: our team knows where to look, and you'll see far more than you would walking alone.
When to come
Why November to March is the perfect season
From November to March, Madagascar comes alive. Warm rains awaken the forests, and the island's smallest creatures step out in full colour: chameleons, geckos, butterflies, mantises and countless insects. This is when reptiles are most active, using the heat and humidity to hunt, move and reveal the brilliant patterns they hide during cooler months.
It's also the breeding season, when newborn chameleons cling to leaves, insects multiply, and rare species appear that stay hidden the rest of the year.
The landscapes turn lush and green, giving you the perfect backdrop to observe wildlife at its most colourful.
Before you go
Guides for this trip
Andasibe National Park: indri, night walks and how to visit
The indri, how to arrange a guided night walk, Mantadia, Vakona and Peyrieras, rain and leeches, and how many days to give Andasibe.
The best places to visit in Madagascar
Andasibe, the Tsingy, Isalo, Nosy Be and the rest, region by region: what each place is like and how long it needs.
Chameleons in Madagascar: where to see them
Panther, Parson's and leaf chameleons: where to find them, how the night walks work, what the colours really mean, and the months they're most active.
Night walks in Madagascar: what comes out after dark
Mouse lemurs, sportive lemurs, sleeping chameleons and frogs: where night walks run, access rules, what to bring and the months when there's most to find.
Are there dangerous animals in Madagascar?
Snakes and boas, crocodiles, spiders, scorpions, leeches, the fossa, the sea and the mosquito: what can actually hurt you in Madagascar, and the habits that prevent it.
From our own trips
Some of what we have found
Every photograph below was taken by our guides and guests in the field, on the trips we run.
