The Nosy Be area is the principal cruising ground in Madagascar. The climate is pleasant and the water is clear, making eye-ball navigation quite easy. (The charts are accurate but don't agree with GPS) Large villages are not common.
Over 60% of the 18 million population of Madagascar lives outside urban areas. The nature is their supermarket. We see bananas, papaya, lemons, limes, ginger, pineapples, vanilla, basil, jackfruit, breadfruit, coffee, peppercorns, chilli, sugar cane, coconuts, cacao, mango, orange tomato, pumpkin, watermelon and many other plants. All these are cultivated in private gardens but many fruits also grow wild in the bush. We do not see a hungry person anywhere. The seemingly idyllic life is hampered by the fact that access to clean water, health care, education and communications remains very poor, malaria is prevalent and the daily life is a matter of survival rather than one of comfort.
