Western Madagascar
Hotel Orchidee du Bemaraha
The hotel used to be the only comfortable accommodation close to the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park but has now been surpassed by Soleil des Tsingy.
The hotel is set in a rural location in the village of Bekopaka and therefore is challenged in providing amenities but it offers great service and comfortable accommodation. A generator provides electricity between 5pm and 10pm daily, it is best to have a room at a distance from the generator, as it can be quite noisy.
There are 34 rooms in total, including 18 bungalow style rooms, 6 standard rooms and 10 separate bungalows. All of the rooms are quite basic but provide comfortable beds with mosquito nets, ceiling fans and most have an outside terrace and en suite facilities. There is hot water but it is solar powered and not always reliable.
The small swimming pool and sun terrace is often a welcome sight after an excursion in the Tsingy. The attractive hotel also provides a restaurant serving French, Chinese and other exotic dishes.
The nearby Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve is a World Heritage Site famed for its unique limestone karst pinnacles and formations: the reserve also supports a large diversity of wildlife including many lemurs, endemic birds and reptiles.
Facilities
Restaurant, swimming pool, bar, communal area, ceiling fan, mosquito nets, limited electricity.
Local Wildlife
Lemurs including the localised and brilliantly white Decken’s sifaka which can often be seen leaping in the grand tsingy pinnacles. There are also rufous-brown lemurs and the locally endemic Randrianasolo's (Bemaraha) sportive lemur. Reptiles include the giant Oustalets's chameleon, many localised lizards, geckos, skinks, hog-nosed snakes and ground boas. The area is also great for birds with good populations of giant coua and the rare Madagascar fish eagle.
Optional Activities
Excursions in the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve. Visits to the local village and pirogue trips along the Manambolo River.
Claire Pote
Area Specialist
This is a nice but more simple accommodation option for those visiting the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve.
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.