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Joffreville Madagascar

A small rural town Joffreville is a hillside settlement about 750m above sea level, southwest of Diego Suarez (Antsiranana).

The population of Joffreville is only approx 5,000, the majority (90%) of the population are farmers, while an additional 8% receives their livelihood from raising livestock.
The most important crops are lychee and vegetables; also banana is an important agricultural product.
Industry and services provide both employment for 1% of the population.

The main reason for visiting this small town is the Montagne d’Ambre National Park or Amber Mountain National Park which runs right up to the village, offering spectacular rainforest walks lemurs chameleons in a relatively remote untouched area of the world.

Montagne d’Ambre National Park
Amber Mountain National Park is located 35 km from Diégo in the province of Antsiranana, 1000 km from the capital in northern Madagascar. It is an isolated stretch of montane rainforest covering an area of 18.200 hectares and lying at altitudes between 800 and 1.475 metres. Known for its crater lakes and waterfalls, it is one of the most beautiful and biologically diverse areas in all of Madagascar. Deriving its name from the resin that seeps from some of its trees (some of which reach over 40 metres high) the Amber Mountain sits in a rainforest rising from much dryer surrounding lowlands.
These lowland savannas receive only about 900mm of rain per year, while the mountain park is drenched with an average of 3.858mm. This water runs into the long rivers and lakes, and creates a wild beauty of nearly 18,000 hectares of connected green forests. These waterways provide for many tree ferns, orchids, mosses and lianas.
The forests of Montagne d’Ambre National Park offer a home to 75 different bird
species, 35 of which are endemic. These include the faucon, martinet, wild pigeon and perroquet.
There are 59 species of reptiles and 34 species of amphibians living in the forests of Montagne d’Ambre. With a rate of 11% of endemism, three families of snakes, a family of chameleons, three families of lizards and two families of frogs exist nowhere else. Some species to watch for include the panther chameleon, Madagascar tree boa, and two leaf-tailed geckos.

There are also 25 species of mammals living in Montagne d’Ambre, including the crowned lemur, northern ring-tailed mongoose, fossa and the brown mouse lemur.
Six families of tenrecs, the rare falanouc, and the Galidie Elégante also live in the park.
Amber Mountain National Park is one of the most worthwhile reserves to visit in Madagascar. It is easy to get to, it has easy trails through beautiful hilly areas, and the footpaths are clearly marked (in English). The trees and points of interest are labelled, and there is a very good chance that you will see many of the above-listed species. There are also accessible caves that you can wander through. And just beyond the park, there is the very special Ankarana Reserve, with amazing limestone formations and interesting vegetation surrounding the various nooks and crannies.