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City information

Diego Suarez (Antsiranana)

This province of the capital in the north has a certain flair with its colonial architecture and the surfaced roads constructed. The city is located at a large natural bay. Starting at the popular bathing resort of Ramena, you’ll see the small mountain of volcanic origin which rises from the sea, named “sugar loaf”. Diego, how the city is most often named, serves also as a gateway to the national park of Montagne d’Ambre. Two waterfalls and different species of lemurs belong to the attractions. A trip to the Ankarana massif, which has remained still almost untouched due to its inaccessibility, is also possible.

Nosy Be

This bathing island situated on the Northwest coast of Madagascar. It has a quite well developed tourist infrastructure and can offer an active night life. Sugar-cane is cultivated and processed in the sugar factories, which can be visited. Nosy Be is also named the perfume island, because the blooms of the Ylang Ylan trees cultivated in plantations are distilled to perfume oil. Also here one can visit the Distillery. In the East the 329 metre-high Mont Passot gives character to the island. It is also possible to drive into the proximity of the summit on an asphalt road, in order to enjoy the view over the island and the sea. Also on view are the volcanic low-blue crater lakes. The neighbouring islands also warrant a visit, particularlyy Nosy Komba because of its lemurs, particularly the “Mohrenmakis”.

Sambava

Centre of the vanilla plantations. During the harvest, the aroma of the orchid fruits is all around. In the north and south of the city the largest coconut plantation stretches for 60 kilometres along the coast. That’s the reason why the road between Antalaha and Sambava is asphalt. The region enjoys a certain prosperity, which also is seen in the houses.

Andapa

This city can be reached using a road from Sambava and is the gate to the Marojezy national park with its 2133 metre-high mountain of the same name. There one can pursue very well the different vegetation zones with their transitions, starting from the species-rich low land rain forest to the colder regions, with their smaller adapted plants.

Majunga (Mahajanga)

The capital of the province has about 100,000 inhabitants. The “Methusalem”, the oldest Baobab (700 years old), grows here.

Sainte Marie (Nosy Boraha)

Sainte Marie was a pirates’ island in former times. Today it is a popular resort, but calmer than Nosy Be. A pirates’ cemetery is still witness to the violent past. The island with its gentle hills has an average width of 5 kilometres and stretches over a length  of 60 kilometres. As a green paradise it is very inviting for walks. Wale watching is possible from the coast from June to September. Apart from tourism, spice cloves are the most important employer for the inhabitants.

Tamatave (Toamasina)

The province capital, with about 130,000 inhabitants, is the important port of the country. More than two thirds of the entire maritime trade goes through Tamatave. With its oil refinery the city represents a lifeline  for the whole island. The Pangalanes-channel along the coast leads also into this city. A railway line connects Tamatave with Tana in the high country. 

Ambohimanga

This city selected by the king of the Merina to be its capital, before the capital was shifted to Tana. Still today the former main gate to the palisade enclosed city can be seen, which was locked with a hefty round stone rolled before it in the evening.

Andasibe

The place lies a good walk away from the Analamazaotra nature park, where you can find, besides the several animals and plants, the largest lemurs: the indri. The indri fascinates with its jumps of up to nine meters in height in the treetops and by its characteristic distinctive call, which is audible from a considerable distance.

Tana (Antananarivo)

With approx.  1.5 million inhabitants, the capital of Madagascar is a national treasure, not just a mere centre where the heart of the economy beats.. The famous old market of Zoma is divided into several smaller markets in different quarters to reduce the chaos. The city is situated on many hills about 1,300 metres above see-level and dominated by the ruin of the Rova, the former kings’ palace. The best views of the city are found from there. The botanical and zoological garden of Tsimbazaza invites you to get a good first impression off the animals and the plant world of Madagascar. The typical small houses built of bricks are of a very specific style, like the houses in the highlands surrounding.

Ampefy

This small town is situated in a volcanic area with its hills, lakes and a geyser.

Ambatolampy

Because of its high location, this city gets the lowest temperatures in the winter. The reason why is that the city is located at the foot of the third-highest mountain of Madagascar (2642 metres). Walks to the mountains starting out from the city are possible.

Miandrivazo

This place is a starting-point for boating on the Tsiribihina, to see a lot of original landscape. Time to watch pure nature or let the soul flow.

Belo sur Tsiribihina

After a boat-trip on the river Tsiribihina we go on to the fantastic needle rocks, the Tsingys of Bemaraha in the north or to the national park of Kirindy half way to Morondava.

Antsirabe

The city is located in the middle of the highlands. It is famous for its thermal spring. Antsirabe is also a centre for precious stone cutters. The industry ranks at place two. The popular “Three Horses Beer” is brewed there and many companies have specialised in milk processing. There are many sorts of cheese, offered in numerous cities throughout the whole country. A trip to the crater lake Tritriva is possible.

Morondava

The small city has a charming flair. But the attraction is the beach. The imposing Baobab avenue and the Kirindy national park are in the environs of the city. Besides these, there are the burial places of the Sakalava to visit.

Ambositra

This highland location attracts visitors on the strength of its wooden carvings, which are sold on the markets of Tana.

Mananjary

This town on the East coast can be used as a starting point to make excursions on the Pangalanes canal to reach still relatively untouched areas, which one can only find in such a way.

Ranomafana

This little place is situated in the area of the mountain rain forest on the East coast and serves as a gate-way to the national park of the same name. You can find the golden bamboo lemur in the park and a lot of even more exotic remarkable animals. 

Fianarantsoa

The province capital, Fianarantsoa, with its kind people, lies on many hills in the highlands and is a starting point to a nostalgic train journey through tropical rain forest to Manakara on the East coast. The town can also serve as a starting point for excursions to the Andringitra mountains. There is a well known winepress in the town and the Sahambavy tea variety is cultivated in the surroundings.

Ambalavao

This little town, 56 kilometres south from Fianarantsoa, is popular to visit for the production of the traditional paper known as antaimora, which has its roots in Arabian culture. In addition, the city is a starting point  for excursions to the Andringitra mountains with the impressive stark granite rock massif of the Pic Boby, which is the second highest peak of the country at 2,658 meters.

Ihosy

Ihosy is in the country of the Bara, where cattle theft is still practised today because tradition has it that a man only counts if he has stolen as many zebus as possible . The little town is excellently suited as starting point for mineralogical reconnaissance of the surroundings.  However, mostly its a gateway station.

Ranohira

This little place deserves a mention for the adjacent national park in the Isalo mountains, to which one can do excursions on foot from this place . Rugged rocks also offer climbing, joyful lemurs, and a home and for the plant world, where one can discover Pachypodien, which the guides like to show one here. In several days of walks, the full beauties of the park can be discovered, including the contrast of dry zones and for example the natural swimming pool.

Manakara

This coastal resort offers the eventful train connection to Fianarantsoa in the highlands.

Tulear (Toliara)

Tulear never sleeps; the motto which the province capital lives up to also. It very seldom rains and frequently enjoys the sun, this province capital has 55,000 inhabitants and is nearly at the tropic of the ibex. Fine sandy beaches are found and there is a muddy coast with mangroves in Tulear, directly south of town at Anakao, and to the north at Ifaty, in which a coral-reef also enjoys the reputation of an excellent diving area off the coast. There is in town a tiny museum where one can admire some exhibits of the culture of the tribes of the Mahafaly and the Sakalava. In the wider surroundings the famous graves of the Mahafaly can be found.

Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro)

Like a place at the end of the world, this small, quiet town which lies on a peninsula is one which is washed on three sides by the sea and was once chosen by Frenchmen because of its strategically favourable position. One of the beaches of the island is counted as one of the most beautiful of the country: the beach of Libanona. The 529-meter high Pic St. Louis, which marks the beginning of a whole mountain range and offers a wonderful panorama, rises up behind the town. One can make a day excursion from this town to the lemur parks of Berenty, which are about 80 kilometres away, and to the Sisal plantations stretching to the coast, and to Kaleta. The vegetation stands out well on this journey, which follows across a mountain range where the climatic zone also changes, to reveal a fascinating landscape.

Presented by Thomas Schleßmann, Madagaskar.

 

BW GmbH - Madagaskar Travel · Last changed: 02.05.2009 20:45 Contact · Site map · up