French Mountain is about 15 minutes' drive east of Diego-Suarez on a paved (but bumpy) road. The meandering route follows the bends of the bay heading for the town of Ramena and its beaches. For the past several years, we've tried to get this unique and isolated mountain range classified as a natural reserve to protect its endemic animals and plants from the perils of deforestation. French Mountain is the only place in the world where two different types of baobabs occur together naturally.

King's Lodge stands at the base of the mountain. It is unquestionably the best staging place for climbs since there are different paths to leave from and return to the hotel. From the King's Lodge, a scenic, winding path ascends French Mountain all the way up to the stone ruins of a former military fort constructed between 1902 and 1908. The climb to the fort (1.5 to 2 hours) is done by the same route followed by the French legionnaires during World War II. To assure their ability to get provisions up, they bored a long, three-segmented tunnel through 75 feet of solid rock - an engineering marvel in its day! The view of Diego-Suarez, the whole bay, and the north in general is unsurpassed from a vantage point at the summit. Diego Bay's natural harbor is second in size only to that of Rio de Janiero in Brazil. The return walk will take between a half hour and 4 hours depending upon your chosen route.