Hi,
We just came back from a 4day/3night tour of Serere Reserve, with Madidi Travel and it was fantastic. The lady who runs it is very eco minded and they seemed to have a great ethos about the way the tours should be run. It´s not in Madidi national park but it´s very close and we saw heaps of animals so I dont think the fact that it´s not in the park should matter. Especially since the reason it´s no longer in the park is because they weren´t happy with some of the unethical practices that were going on inside the park and they didnt want to be in any way associated with that.
Our guide Nelo was what made the tour though he was fantastic by far the best guide we´ve encounted during our travels in South America. He spoke excellent english and he went out of his way to accomodate for us.
The food also was great but take snacks for the walks (just ask the cook to take some fruit, they dont mind) because we got really hungry during the walks and didnt realise we could take fruit with us for two days.
Make sure you go Piranha fishing its awesome.
So Madidi travel is highly recomended!
Can you elaborate on the "unethical practices that were going on inside the park"?
I ask because your post seems to imply that Serere was previously inside the Park and that its managers took a decision to opt out, which sounds a little unlikely as it would not be their decision.
I second that Threeshire.
I am not passing Judgement on Madidi Travel, but it does look suspicious the post by pearlycole. It is the very first post by perlycole, and when on searches Madidi Travel, they own/have exclusive use of the private Reserve called Serere Reserve, which does not directly border Madid { nothing wrong with all that, and I wish them luck, } but when under these circumstances one posts "Especially since the reason it´s no longer in the park is because they weren´t happy with some of the unethical practices that were going on inside the park and they didnt want to be in any way associated with that. "
From a distance, not currently there, it appears that this post maybe an advert for Serere, not unheard of, BUT when someone posts what you have, it could be a very serious backfire on Serere Reserve for saying such things with a broad stroke of the brush.
I would suggest that Madidi Travel clarify this point here!
One does not climb higher by just putting others down.
Thanx, and I look forward to clarifications posted here.
It is great to hear about great experiences.
The lady you mention is Rosa Maria Ruiz, the leader/owner of the Serere Sanctuary (Santuario Serere). She was the leader of 'Eco Bolivia'. Referring to a report by journalist Christine Fennessy, from autumn 2006, Ruiz is "the manager of Madidi Travel, a tourism agency she created to be the commercial arm of Eco Bolivia, but sold after her troubles began. The agency is owned by a group of people that supported the work of Eco Bolivia and operates on a private reserve outside of the parks."
This is a quotation from "Bolivia burning. An environmentalist’s vision in ashes", published in "Earth Island Journal":
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/bolivia_burning
This article from 2006 tells a little about a long and complicated story.
As far as I know, the situation today is that the Serere Sanctuary "go its own way" and do not collaborate with other lodges or organizations committed to conservation in the Rurrenabaque area.
Other lodges and community-based ecotourism in the Rurrenabaque area co-operate with international organizations, such as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and NGO's (non-governmental organizations), such as Conservación Internacional Bolivia (CI) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). But as far as I know, the Serere Sanctuary does not form part of this network.
I can refer to the Wikipedia article about the Madidi National Park: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madidi
From the paragraph 'Effort' I can quote: "Rosa Maria Ruiz is a woman who has fought for the park and its conservation. Though it should be noted that she is a controversial figure among the Tacana Indigenous who originate here in the northern lowlands of Bolivia. Ruiz is reputable for acquiring resources and funding in the name of the Tacana which has led to expulsion from many Tacana communities as from the National Park."
(Wikipedia is not always 100 % reliable, but this statement has been on Wikipedia since February 2008, unchallenged. In fact the first text about Ruiz was added back in October 2007. This first version told a different story, and apparently it provoked the present version).
I am sorry to write about all this. But when you tell about a tour outside the Madidi NP, and hint that something is wrong in the Madidi Park, I have to tell what I know. And as you tell yourself, the tour operator Madidi Travel do not arrange tours in the Madidi NP.
I want to be fair: If somebody connected with the Serere Sanctuary read this post, please make a comment.
And of course I believe that Madidi Travel and Serere Sanctuary can give their clients a great tour and a great experience. But please do also listen to other sources.
(Talking about source criticism: I guess that some users of this TT forum are a little sceptical when reading posts from first time posters. So welcome back, I am looking forward to your contributions).
Thank you Erik07
Rosa Maria Ruiz's problems start an eon ago relative to today { at the time of ex Dictator Banzer's Presidency} Bolivia has changed dramatically since then, I wish her good fortune in her endeavour, but that ancient history is not germaine to today's Bolivia, and she could only create even more problems for herself IMHO relatively speaking in today's Bolivia.
I see great opportunities in Bolivia, but an integral part must include a social conscience and not yet be taken advantage of.
I pass no judgement on her history, but there never is one side at 100% fault.
I have been involved in Bolivia for nearly 20 years, and there are many who lost more than she has, some rightly, and some wrongly.
The majority of Bolivians are now in the driver's seat {that is to say non-whites} and it is to bad that the past history was brought into play for the futute of her Lodge in this forum.
I apologize to pearlycole if I was unduly harsh, I am not Bolivian, but I do get somewhat protective of what I interpret as undue negativity about Bolivia.
pearlycole:
As the original poster, perhaps you would like to exercise the right of reply?
Schmuck, Thank you for bringing a better perspective into this thread. I apologize if I have mentioned circumstances irrelevant today. And I endorse your point of view.
I wish all the best for Ruiz, Serere and Madidi Travel. Their tours are a good contribution to the range and quality of tours from Rurrenabaque (Jungle and pampas seen together).
Of course it is okay to go one's own way, and okay not to work together with the Madidi NP. But if the noting of no collaboration is explained by a judgement on practice inside the park, it is not okay.
In general the reviews posted in this TT forum about Serere and Madidi Travel are positive. This also apply to blog posts I have found via the Google Blog Search.
I have had another look at the homepage of the Madidi Travel. Regrettably some of the past history is still alive in the history told about the creation of the Madidi NP. I do not wish to quote. But it is hard to find the resignation and reconciliation that would make the future easier.
So, I am a little confused, and I am looking forward to read more posts in this thread.
The issue here whether the allegations by the people at Madidi Travel and Serere Reserve about the Madidi Park have any substantiation or whether they are merely spoiling innuendo - sour grapes by persons embittered because they feel unjustly deprived of a leadership role in Madidi which they think is their entitlement.
Absent any clarification from the OP, I incline to the second hypothesis.
While I wait for more views (more posts), allow me to write about a subject outside the heading of this thread.
I am a European, and English is a foreign language for me. I have followed this TT Bolivia forum since the spring of 2007, and often I have to use a dictionary or Wikipedia to understand some of the words, wordings or acronyms/abbreviations. But this thread holds the record, and I have really learned some English and American, new to me.
I may not be the only TT user with such a linguistic handicap, so here is an explanation of just three of the 'tricks' in the posts above:
eon, also spelled aeon or æon, means eternity
IMHO - In My Honest Opinion or In My Humble Opinion
OP - Original Poster
From another recent thread I learned the term tongue-in-cheek. I admit that I did not know this facial expression (expression on a person's face) or the term.
So, please, take into consideration that we are not all equal familiar with the English language and culture, in all its variations.
That said, I do admire Threeshire for the short and precise statement in # 7. But I had to consult my (digital) dictionary for seven of the words, to be sure to get the full benefit, and to use the opportunity to improve my knowledge.
Threeshire, my understanding is that your hypothesis "hits the nail on the head" precisely.
Erik07 - one more expression, but you definitely are getting on with no problems of the contortions of the English language.
I thank you for your research for background on Serere Reserve/Madidi Travel, without that I would not have connected the dots.
Too bad, so sad..
Edited by: schmuck
Edited by: schmuck
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