Here’s the thing about lemurs in the wild: you walk for hours, craning your neck, and maybe—if you’re lucky—you spot a furry blur high in the canopy.
Lemur Island is the opposite.
You leave your hotel, drive maybe 10 minutes, then climb into a small canoe. Two minutes later, you’re on a small forested island surrounded by water. And the lemurs are already waiting.
Why It Works
The water keeps them here. Lemurs don’t swim—they hate it. So this little patch of land, part of the Vakona Forest Lodge property, has become a safe haven for rescued and habituated lemurs that couldn’t be released back into the wild . Pet lemons were outlawed in Madagascar back in 1962, so places like this gave them a home .
Is it touristy? Yes. But does it deliver? Absolutely.
The Lemurs You’ll Meet
Three species call this island home :
Common Brown Lemurs – These guys are friendly and curious. They’ll hop onto feeding platforms, sometimes right next to you. They travel in small groups and don’t seem to mind an audience.
Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs – The showoffs of the group. They’re the third-largest lemur species (after the indri and diademed sifaka) and they’ve got loud calls to match their size . The females build nests for their babies, which is unusual for lemurs.
Gray Bamboo Lemurs – Smaller, quieter, and harder to spot at first. They specialize in—you guessed it—bamboo. Their teeth and digestive systems have evolved specifically to process bamboo, which is tough stuff.
What Actually Happens During a Visit
The guides paddle you over in a flat-bottomed canoe. On the island, there are feeding platforms. The lemurs know exactly what these mean.
When the food comes out—usually bananas (unpeeled—the lemurs chew the fruit out and spit out the peel), tomatoes, and bamboo for the bamboo lemurs—things get lively . The brown lemurs might try to steal from the ruffed lemurs. The ruffed lemur moms get territorial and chase them off. It’s genuinely entertaining to watch.
You’ll have lemurs within arm’s reach. They’re used to people, so they don’t bolt. You can take photos—selfies, close-ups, whatever you want. They might even hop onto your shoulder if you’re standing in the right spot when the food comes out .
The Other Island
About 30 feet away, there’s a second island with different residents: golden sifakas (the “dancing lemurs”), red ruffed lemurs, and more bamboo lemurs . You won’t walk there, but you can see them from the main island.
Practical Stuff
Getting there: Your lodge in Andasibe can arrange it. Short drive, then the canoe.
Time needed: About an hour total, including the boat ride.
Best time: Morning feeding sessions tend to be active. Afternoons are quieter—lemurs nap, just like the rest of us.
Photography: Bring your phone or camera. You’ll get shots here that would take days in the national park. The lemurs are close and they don’t hide.
Ticket price: Around 35,000 Ariary ($7–8 USD) .
The Honest Take
Look—this isn’t “wild” Madagascar. The lemurs are habituated, they get fed, and they stick around because life is easy here. Purists might prefer the national park, where you actually have to work for your sightings.
But here’s the counterpoint: most visitors spend a week in Madagascar and see a fraction of what’s here. On Lemur Island, you see three species up close in an hour. You learn their names, their behaviors, their personalities. Kids love it. Photographers love it. And honestly, the lemurs seem perfectly content.
For what it is—a quick, accessible, guaranteed wildlife encounter—it delivers.
Should You Go?
If you’re in Andasibe and you want to see lemurs without playing “spot-the-blob-in-the-trees” for hours? Yes.
If you’ve got kids? Absolutely yes. They’ll remember the lemur that sat next to them forever.
If you’re a hardcore wildlife purist who only wants 100% wild encounters? Maybe skip it. But you’ll be missing out on a genuinely fun hour.