Two Worlds in One Nation - The Beaches and The Rest of the Country

What No Scientists!?

The Developing World is Not As Far Away As You Might Think

Existing Scientific Meetings in the Developing World 
 

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There are, however, exceptions.  In recent years, developing nations including Senegal and The Gambia in West Africa have grasped tourism possibilities with open arms and are now in the position of being able to provide cheap package holidays with services which are on a par with those available in Spain or Florida.  Indeed, in the case of these two Atlantic coast nations, it will only be the colour of the skin of the airport staff, waiters and souvenir traders that provide any indication as to where on the planet the hotels and beaches are located.  These trips to what are considered to be exotic new destinations on the tourism map are now easy, with very little preparation or previous developing world experience required - making them perfect for groups of friends, couples and young families alike.   
 

Contrastingly, other than the capital cities

It's not that non-coastal or the less famous parts of the map offer up nothing of interest that the majority of visitors would deem worth seeing, and it's not that it's either too difficult or expensive to leave the tourist centre and go elsewhere.  Equally, it's not that it's too dangerous, or that the locals can't be trusted.  And, it's certainly not that there's nowhere to stay, or nothing good to eat.  But it is understandable that those without experience of the developing world might believe that some of these 'concerns' are indeed the case.  And that's typically enough to stop them trying. 
 

It's not complicated - most scientists are simply far too busy. 

Unless there is a compelling reason to go, or a knowledgeable friend to assist, you likely just don't have the will or the time to organize a trip that involves too many unknowns, even if the idea itself appeals. 

The life of an active researcher is a dedicated one, full of commitment and long hours, doing work which is less of a job and more of a passion.  It's no surprise to Mangosteen that when it comes to vacation time and long haul trips, yours may well not involve anywhere that takes any great amount of planning or pre-departure preparation.  So a quick and straightforward, cheap beach or similar trip hits the spot perfectly - just snap up a ticket and hotel from the internet and off you go. 
 

But a trip to the developing world need not be so different. 

Mangosteen believes that the difference between your buying that planet ticket to the destination of your choice or not might just be due to the lack of a little know-how, or the promise of a minimum of inconvenience and time spent planning.  If we're anywhere near correct, please let us know, since we provide all three in the course of helping our Confirmed Participants to prepare for a productive and enjoyable Meeting trip. 
 

There are meetings, but for sure they are few and far between.  They rarely attract the numbers of international scientists that they deserve, and subsequently are not perhaps taken as seriously by the global scientific community as an equivalent meeting in the developed world would be.

Of late, there are an increasing number of meetings being organized by the scientists and national societies of developing nations.  That said, such meetings are disappointingly rather lacking in innovation, in that they are modelled on the standardized format of those in the developed world, and consequently, a number of edifying opportunities are forsaken - and perhaps the financial circumstances of the host are somewhat misrepresented, when meetings are held in large tourist hotels and resorts, which are themselves amongst the finest infrastructure that any impoverished nation has to offer. 

For supreme comfort and convenience, and rather than daring to allow visitors to use the local transportation network, it is usual for participants of such meetings to be shuttled between the airport, hotel and conference centre in air conditioned tourist taxis or private minibuses.  Such meetings therefore involve only a minimum of interactions with the local environment and populace, and ultimately offer not much more than a cultural flavour of the host nation. 

In contrast, Mangosteen's focus is on creating a unique ground-level experience, with a greater degree of exposure to the local and natural environments, and less emphasis on providing the mod cons of home.