In October 2008 I visited Madagascar for the first time and I was very fortunate to be able to hire Fano as my guide. Before my arrival, we corresponded through e-mails, and he even telephoned me in Japan two or three times to coordinate things! He is a very friendly and outgoing person, and his knowledge of the "Red Island's" wildlife - the endemic birds and the lemurs -- is very extensive. While my companion Ponny, from Thailand, and I flew from Tana to Majunga in an hour, poor Fano came all the way there -- and all the way back -- by taxi-brousse to make sure that we were taken care of at Ampijoroa. Without his help, I would have missed several key species, so I would definitely recommend him to any visiting birdwatcher or naturalist. An always-smiling guide in the "Land of Smiles.
Chris Cook (Tokyo, Japan)
