4 / 5 - One review
How to get there
Situated 43 km by car from Fianarantsoa
When to go
Between April and October (dry season), risk of cyclones between late December and mid-April
Minimum stay
A few hours
Farihy Sahambavy (Madagascar)
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Grnhp
Practical information on Farihy Sahambavy
Reviews of Farihy Sahambavy
The region of Sahamabajy, a small town nestled at the edge of a lake with the same name, is the sole tea producing area of Madagascar.
My suggestion:
Don't miss a visit to the only tea processing plant on the island.
My review
The hills give way here to infinite rows of tea plants, which give a certain harmony to the landscape. Kenyan seedlings were imported to the island around forty years ago, the humid climate and altitude of around 1200 metres being favourable for tea growing.
Today, there are over 300 hectares of plantations on the flanks of Sahambavy, the "women's field". Approximately 20 tonnes of leaves are handpicked daily by 250 people. It takes 5 kg of fresh leaves to obtain 1 kg of dried tea.
The visit of the only tea processing plant of the island is a must during any visit to this region of Madagascar. You can observe all the stages of tea processing, including drying, fermentation (which gives the factory its heady fragrance), roasting, sieving and filtering, using very beautiful machines made of wood and steel. The visit ends with a tasting!
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Grnhp
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