Berenty Private Reserve

Ring-tailed lemurs and tamarind forests

Berenty is a funny place. It has long been known as an important ecotourism destination, largely because it was one of the first of its kind in Madagascar. The BBC has filmed here on a number of occasions. It is rightly famed as one of the best places in the country to see ring-tailed lemurs. This is one of the few places in the country that they are habituated and less afraid of people. The tamarind gallery forest that dominates much of Berenty is something of a rarity these days, and the Mandrare River has some pretty corners. However, Berenty is a long way from anywhere. The wildlife viewing is just as good, probably even better, in some of the other parks of the south. My overall impression is of a once-important reserve whose appeal has been surpassed by other, more accessible reserves across the country.