Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 033 09 436 32;
www.menabelo.com
;
1/2 dives €50/75; Oct-Jun) The diving around
Belo is excellent thanks to the proximity of a deep passage through the Mozambique Chan-
nel (humpback whales are not uncommon) and the coral reefs of Nosy Andrahovo. This
dive centre, operated by the owners of Ecolodge du Menabe, operates largely outside the
dry season, when transfers to Belo are done by boat from Morondava.
MASONJOANY
In many areas of western and northern Madagascar, you will see women with
their faces painted white. This facial mask, known as
masonjoany,
is supposed
to protect skin from the sun, make it softer and suppler and remove blemishes.
It's applied during the day and usually removed at night.
Masonjoany
is made by grinding a branch from a tree of the same name
against a stone with a small amount of water to form a paste. The
masonjoany
tradition persists in the Comoros, where the paste is made from ground sandal-
wood and coloured a startling canary yellow.
SLEEPING & EATING
Ecolodge du Menabe
LODGE €€€
( 033 09 436 32;
www.menabelo.com
;
d Ar75,000) Remote, scenic and peaceful, the
Ecolodge is Belo's best accommodation option. The nine bungalows are simple but com-
fortable and right on the beach. Meals (fixed menu, Ar25,000) are served under a large
canopy, and the food is good, with plenty of fresh fish, although travellers have complained
about stingy portions and high prices. The hotel can organise boat trips as well as boat
transfers to/from Morondava (Ar580,000 one-way for up to 10 people) when the road is
impassable (October to June). The Ecolodge is right at the end of the peninsula.
Dorohotel
BUNGALOWS €
( 033 01 863 54; r without bathroom Ar15,000-25,000) The small bungalows here sit so
close to each other that they look like a row of terraced houses, but they are spotless, as are
the toilets and shower rooms, and good-value. There is a good atmosphere in the restaurant
in the evening. Dorohotel is right in the centre of the village.
Corail
BUNGALOWS €€
( 033 20 326 87; r Ar60,000) A handful of haphazard but coquettish bungalows, the Co-
rail is a family-run outfit right by the beach. There are some nice touches throughout, such
