Northern Madagascar
Tampolo Lodge
Tampolo is a welcoming, Italian-run lodge with a beautiful setting on a white-sand beach on the remote Masoala peninsula, with primary rainforest right behind. The lodge has ten simple bungalows, two with shared toilet and shower facilities and eight with en suite facilities. There is electricity from 6am – 11pm and no hot water in the rooms, but staff can provide hot water in a bucket when required.
All the bungalows are equipped with mosquito nets and have comfortable twin or double beds. They are also ideally located on the beautiful beachfront providing excellent access to the sea for swimming and snorkelling. There is a superb coral community just offshore from the lodge.
The friendly staff, good food, relaxing setting and close proximity to the Marine Park and Masoala Forest National Park more than makes up for the basic accommodation.
The Masoala peninsula protects the last remaining extensive coastal lowland rainforest in Madagascar. Given World Heritage Site status in June 2007 and accessible only by boat, the reserve boasts staggering biodiversity and a wide variety of habitats: rainforest, littoral forest, marsh, flooded forest, mangrove and coral reefs.
Rainforest wildlife here can be a little more difficult to spot than in some more popular locations, and guided walks can be challenging due to steep and slippery trails (it’s the wettest place in Madagascar).
Facilities
Restaurant, running water and electricity during key times.
Local Wildlife
Highlights include the red-ruffed lemur, white-fronted brown lemur, greater hedgehog tenrec, brown-tailed mongoose, day geckos, leaf tailed geckos, panther chameleons, the rare helmet vanga and the recently rediscovered Madagascar serpent eagle. From July to early September, humpback whales can be seen offshore in the Bay of Atongil.
Optional Activities
Hikes (both long and short can be arranged), guided wildlife spotting in Masoala National Park, snorkelling, boat trips and kayaking.
Claire Pote
Area Specialist
This is a good but very simple lodge – if you want more comfort, choose Masoala Forest Lodge.
If you have any questions regarding our Madagascar tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Tour guide was perfect (Excellent++). Attentive and caring. Outstanding person. Became part of the family. Give her an award!!! Local guides very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and pleasant people to be with. Helen’s enthusiastic and sparkling voice was a pleasure to hear on the ‘phone. All questions answered in detail and printed information sent was helpful. You guys really cared. Very attentive in Madagascar and went well. Very pleasant and good driver. No corners cut and a well planned trip with all details covered. Perfect for us. Due to good guides and spotters we saw 16 species of lemurs and plenty of them. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see so many species and so close to us. Marvellous – very emotional. Lemurs are such wonderful gentle creatures. This trip was so well-designed for people like us. I will never forget this trip in my life. What a humbling experience it was. Some time in the future we will be back to see these special animals. In the mean time I look to our video footage of our time with the lemurs of Madagascar. Helen Cox – well done. Your company is at the top of our list.