Southern Madagascar
Berenty Lodge
Established in 1937 as one of the first nature reserves in Madagascar, Berenty is not for everyone, but for the right people it is much appreciated and enjoyed. Accommodation is fairly basic and service is in need of attention but Berenty provides easy walking along well tended, level and wide trails in shady riverine gallery forest and patches of spiny forest where habituated lemurs and other wildlife can easily be seen. It is suitable for families with young children, those with mobility problems and those who relish tame “wilderness” in which plenty of habituated wildlife can be seen.
The lodge and land are owned by the locally powerful de Heaulme family, who developed the extensive, surrounding sisal plantations and owns some hotels in Fort Dauphin, including the Croix du Sud and Le Dauphin.
Facilities
13 bungalows and 12 rooms. Snack bar, restaurant, Antandroy tribal museum, nearby sisal factory
Local Wildlife
Ring-tailed, red-fronted brown, collared brown, white-footed sportive, grey mouse and Verreux’s sifaka lemurs can all be seen quite easily at Berenty. There are also many bird species such as giant coua, souimanga sunbird and hook-billed vanga, and reptiles including radiated tortoise and Oustelet’s chameleon.
Optional Activities
Walking in the private reserve on wide, well-marked trails and within the patches of spiny forest, either independently or with a guide. Guided nocturnal nature walks.
Claire Pote
Area Specialist
Berenty is accessible year round: it’s best for baby lemurs in September and October, and for reptiles from December to March. Electricity goes off at 11pm, so take a head torch for night reading. Berenty is very suitable for young children, with safe trails and no dangerous wildlife. Babysitting is not officially offered but may be arranged with the management on request.
If you have any questions regarding our Madagascar tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
It was lovely to meet Helen face-to-face and to devise the ideal trip with her – her enthusiasm for Madagascar certainly confirmed us in our choice of destination. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides, seemed genuinely interested in their work and in interacting with tourists. Invaluable in spotting wildlife and discussing uses of local medicinal plants. [Our escort guide] was a delightful companion on our journey in Madagascar and very solicitous of our welfare. We were thrilled by the wildlife. Without the keen insight and knowledge of our guides we would certainly have failed to spot the giraffe-necked weevil and stick insects. The night walks were very productive – several mouse lemurs. The first sight of indris was an especial thrill as was the sight of a sleeping mouse lemur in broad daylight. Perhaps the most rewarding experience occurred when the lemurs came to us – six ring-tailed lemurs in Isalo, sifakas on the balcony in Anjajavy, flocks of grey-headed lovebirds on the lawn at breakfast. An excellent tour which gave us a good insight into the wildlife and potential conservation issues in Madagascar. We had opportunities to visit local communities. We were most impressed by the efficiency in ensuring a trouble-free and very enjoyable time in Madagascar. Our tour leader and driver were delightful and very hard working. We shall certainly look forward to booking a further tour with you.