Hi Derek,
We had a fantastic time in Madagascar! Rija was a great guide.
I found Madagascar a beautiful country with fantastic wildlife, interesting geographical zones (spiny forest was a favorite) and people. I found the infrastructure astoundingly poor, save Air Madagascar which was actually pretty good. A country so rich in natural resources and what could be a rich tourism industry but shackled with horrible roads, government corruption and a few rich business owners, seemingly foreign at that. It makes me want to write a white paper about my perceptions but who would read it, and how can effective change be made? We are so fortunate to live in the USA and so many people here don’t realize it, too caught up in their petty first world problems which travel does so much to dissipate. Maybe if the Bill Gates of the world who promote mega philanthropy took the drive to Berenty Reserve on a bumpy, deteriorating road (a very apt description, by the way) instead of taking a helicopter, more would be done. Something as simple as a decent road from point A to B could go far to helping so many, even just going to market or school or anywhere.
I believe Lemurs are my new favorite primates. Another observation is how few birds there are, or insects even when walking through the forests in winter. The spiny forest and the Tsingy were fascinating. And the call of the Indri will soon be my new ringtone on my phone.
Thank you Derek for setting up this tour. It did not disappoint and did fulfill my expectations.
Sincerely,
Peggy