There is a cute little "deserted Island" adjacent to the main Island...
we didnt get to see Richard Branson, but we did meet his dog, Simone. I guess she wanders around freely, no worries about her getting lost...
there is a classy little air-conditioned gift shop to satisfy any shopaholic guests. It even accepts credit cards!
the walking tour began after the gift shop visit...below is the approach to the Flamingo Pond...
coming round the bend en route to the Pond, we passed the Bali Hi Guest House...
arriving at the Flamingo Pond, our tour guide, Gumption, detailed the figures forged into this big iron fire thing that is full of tinder. At the evening functions, a fire is lit inside and it looks cool apparently. I will never know...
Hard to see, but the figures of Branson's favorite people and things are there, including his daughters, Lemurs, Bono and below is supposed to be Mick Jagger...
he scattered the entire bag in the pond and gradually the Flamingos made their way over to eat...
there were also White Cheeked Pintail Ducks and Scarlet Ibis...
seeing the Flamingos was the main reason I came. I have seen pics (and plastic replicas) of them my whole life, but never actually saw one in real life, so mission accomplished. Before yesterday, I never even knew Scarlet Ibis existed, so they were almost more of a pleasure to see...
this one is eating a leaf from a Breadfruit Tree...
amazing creatures...
one last pic due to their incredible awesomeness...
next it was on to a Turtle habitat where I held a baby Red Footed Tortoise...
and Gumption showed us various rare species from around the globe...
the Turtle in the middle has a bad shell cuz it is a survivor of the 2011 fire. I wasnt aware that animals had perished in that fire, but sadly it was so...
then it was on to the Lemurs...
upon entering the enclosure we were all given treats to entice the Lemurs and everyone was taking selfies with Lemurs on their shoulders..except for me, why spoil a nice Lemur pic?
the different breeds of Lemurs are kept separated, so we got to interact with two of the three different kinds I saw there...
they were so sweet and gentle, never used their claws...
If one takes into account Richard Branson's conservation efforts, I can see that justifying the cost of staying on the Island. It is heartening to see such goodness in action. I will return to the vegan grub next post. Bye for now.
I don't even know where to start! I love this post so much from beginning to end. I had no idea how much he has done and what effort he has made and it is really eye opening and amazing to see it. First of all, the blue sky and water are unbelievable. It looks like paradise there. I imagine it must be pricey but as you say, it is worth it knowing that the money is going to a good cause. The animals are all absolutely beautiful. I LOVE turtles and tortoises and to be so close to such beautiful animals is really amazing. The little baby was so cute! The lemurs are so cute and sweet Simone looks like a mush. What a great day, thank you so much for sharing! This post really made me smile :)
ReplyDeleteIt was very eye-opening in terms of Branson'/ conservation efforts and generosity to his workers. A good number of billionaires buy private islands and use them for nefarious purposes. Jeffrey Epstein owns two little Islands next to St. Thomas and he works hard to keep innocent boaters from getting near them..
DeleteI agree with everything Sarah said. The pictures are gorgeous! I've never seen so many flamingos, I can only imagine seeing them in real life. And the tortoises are incredible!! What an amazing day.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice seeing a wealthy person doing something worthwhile with their money.
That's so sweet that Simone just has total freedom on the island.
Beautiful, uplifting post!!
All that island needs is a couple hundred cats and monkeys! Then it would be nirvana!
DeleteWow. What a breathtaking slice of paradise there! The flamingos are so incredible, i can't imagine how spectacular it must be to see them in person... i am so greatful to see that he is supporting such a wide array of wildlife there.
ReplyDeleteTtrockwood
He is doing so much to help these species. Wish I could be helping like that. Some people really live amazing lives.
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