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Fort Dauphin is the base for visiting the southern tip of Madagascar, an area where spiny forest and deciduous woodland meet.

The town itself remains a busy working port, but the countryside around is charming and unspoilt. Zebu cattle plow the rice paddies, each village has its own market day, and clothes are washed in the rivers. Amongst the hustle and bustle of the villages, pockets of woodland and forest remain.

Berenty Private Reserve

Of these, Berenty Private Reserve is perhaps the best known, with its cheeky ring-tailed lemurs and sifakas leaping among the trees. Birdlife is spectacular, with several endemics found in the area.

For botanists, the twisted forms of the spiny forest are fascinating, and rare triangular palms can still be seen growing beside the road.