Hilary Bradt founded the Bradt Travel Guide series in 1974. Today the seasoned explorer lives in the Chilterns with three guinea pigs and a collection of garden sculptures. She tells us about one of her favourite places on the planet.
Where is your bolthole?
Berenty Reserve in Madagascar.
Why do you go there?
I've been visiting for 25 years, and you're certain to see a host of birds and reptiles, as well as at least four species of lemur. It's wonderful to spend time on your own there, enjoying the natural world. My favourite time is just before sunrise: I love walking quietly in the forest, watching the lemurs waking up and spreading their arms to receive the warmth of the sun. I also go out on my own after dark, heading for my "cockroach tree". I'm aware that not everyone loves cockroaches, but Madagascar's giant hissing cockroaches are something else. They're about two inches long, and hiss vigorously if disturbed.
How often do you go?
About every other year.
How did you discover it?
I read about it in Alison Jolly's book A World Like Our Own in 1980. I'd fallen in love with Madagascar as a backpacker in the 1970s, and I managed to persuade the tour operator for whom I was working to let me run a trek there. The accommodation and food at Berenty were very basic back then, and I enjoyed it far more than my three disgruntled Americans. In fact, I loved it - and the pleasure has not diminished.
Who do you take?
I usually go there as a guide, so I take a mixed assortment of tourists.
What do you take?
Binoculars, a field guide to birds, and a head-light for nocturnal walks.
What do you leave behind?
Preconceptions. Nothing ever turns out as expected in Madagascar.
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