3 / 5 - One review
How to get there
56 km by car / coach from Fianarantsoa
When to go
Between April and October (dry season), hurricane risk between end of December and mid-April.
Ambalavao (Madagascar)
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Olivier Lejade
Practical information on Ambalavao
Reviews of Ambalavao
Located in the Haute Matsiatra region, Ambalavao is nestled in a valley at the foot of the Andringitra Massif which reaches 2,658 metres at its highest point, the second highest in the country. Three rocky hillocks, called the Portes du Sudrise up a few kilometres from the town.
My suggestion:
Try to get there on a Wednesday to visit the zebu market.
My review
In a granite and almost desert landscape, Ambalavao and its 30,000 inhabitants is renowned for its zebu market which takes place every Wednesday. In Madagascar, the zebu is a symbol of wealth and power. This sacred animal is often given as a dowry at weddings. It's used as a means of transport, but also for special occasions.
Travel the streets of Ambalavao, planted with beautiful houses with verandas, before travelling forty kilometres or so to explore Andringitra National Park, its villages of thatched roofs, its rice fields and its breathtaking mountains...
The specialities of the town are sericulture and the handmade production of "Antaimoro" paper, from avoha (wild mulberry trees), whose origins date back to the 16th century.
©
Olivier Lejade
194 travelers' photos
