Visit Bezà

Getting to Bezà
Bezà Mahafaly Reserve is 35 km Northeast of Betioky Sud.  It is a one and a half-hour drive from Betioky Atsimo with a 4-wheel drive vehicle during the dry season.  The condition of the unpaved road deteriorates in the rainy season, and the trip may take longer.  The road twists and turns through the bush, and a guide is essential.  The Reserve is also accessible on foot (a 10-hour walk) or by oxcart (an 8-hour ride).  Many visitors rent a private four-wheel drive car from Toliara to come to Bezà, but the easier option is to arrange the trip with a Travel Agency. Field Station What to Bring
The Field Station is located just inside the Reserve.  You should bring camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, flashlight etc.), good walking shoes, a raincoat, especially during the rainy season, and protective sun gear, such as sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Open air meeting room at Beza Mahafaly At the Field Station, you will share a common squat toilet and washing facilities. Solar panels provide a limited amount of electricity to recharge cell phones and other electrical appliances. Cooking facilities and a pleasant, outdoor dining area are available, but visitors (or their guides) need to bring their own food provisions, including bottled water.  A cook is available on site if needed. Phone and internet service is intermittently available at Bezà Mahafaly through a partnership between local communities, Madagascar National Parks, ESSA-Forests and Orange Madagascar, one of the leading phone companies in Madagascar.  Please check the Madagascar National Parks web site for additional information about Bezà Mahafaly, including required fees for admission into the Reserve.  There is also a $5 per night camping fee at Bezà. A pdf of a Mahafaly dictionary, the dialect spoken in the region, may be downloaded here.