Berenty Reserve

Berenty is a small private reserve of tamarind gallery forest along the Mandrare river, set inside a sisal estate, and it has been protected since 1936, which makes it one of the oldest conservation areas in Madagascar and the site of some of the longest-running primate research anywhere. Ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux's sifakas here are entirely used to people, so watching them is easy and close: sifakas cross open ground in the sideways bounding gait that gets them called dancing lemurs, and ring-tails sunbathe in the mornings. Nocturnal walks find mouse and sportive lemurs. There is a spiny forest section, a small museum on Antandroy culture, and flying foxes roosting in the trees. The forest is small and the surrounding land is sisal plantation, which is part of the honest picture.

What you actually see

• Ring-tailed lemurs - habituated troops, sunbathing in the morning.
• Verreaux's sifakas - the sideways bounding run across open ground.
• Flying fox roost - fruit bats hanging in the tamarinds.
• Spiny forest plot - a patch of the southern thorn vegetation.

When to go

April to November for road access. September to November is birthing season for ring-tails, when infants ride on their mothers' backs. It is hot and dry through most of the year.

Honest expectations

The reserve is small and can feel enclosed, with sisal fields on all sides. Accommodation and entry are bundled and expensive by Malagasy standards. Lemurs are heavily habituated, which some visitors find too easy. The drive from Fort Dauphin takes about three hours on a rough road.

Nearby

Fort Dauphin lies east; Andohahela National Park is between them.