2 perfect days in and around Antananarivo

Tourists in search of exotism and endemic species tend to disgard Antananarivo, Madagascar’s vibrant and colourful capital.

Antananarivo has a lot to offer for the curious traveler. Rich is colors and rich in history, Antananarivo is called ” the City of the Thousands” for two reasons: because of its  thousands of colored houses offering an unique landscape and also because of the former king calling the center of his kingdom, the city of the 1000 warriors.

There is plenty to do if you have a couple of days of downtime before heading to Toliara or while you wait for the next available flight Sainte Marie.

On Day 1, you wake up early and head to the narrow stone streets of the old city, perched on the hill. Starting from Ambohipotsy and the great views over the Eastern and Southern part of the city, you walk slowly towards the Queen’s palace. Before you get to the gates of the palace, you will get another great point of view, looking over the modern part of the city.

If your walk coincides with a Sunday, you can have lunch at the Grill du Rova which showcases traditional singers and dancers every week end.

After lunch, you can continue your descent, see the former Primer Minister’s palace, the gardens of Andohalo, and the great catholic cathedral.

You are now leaving the old city to head towards the business district of Antananinarenina. Visit the numerous jewerlry stores , and walk down the famous  “Totobato” -  which means the stone stairs or big stairs -  towards the Independance avenue which used to host the largest open market in the world, the “Zoma” ( which means Friday , the market was held every friday ). Quite sadly, the market has disappeared since it was too big and good hygiene standards were hard to maintain.

Still the Totobato and the Avenue of Independance are still very animated with loads of street stands selling souvenirs or items used in the daily life of the locals.

When you reach the train station, it will probably be the end of the afternoon.

Antananarivo is now being famous for its gastronomy and has many good restaurants for you to choose for dinner time. If you are looking for some good local and indian ocean fare, my favourite spot is Restaurant Chez Sucett’s in Isoraka. The Zebu steak with its slice of foie gras is a hit. French influence is still very present and some good french restaurants/bistros are very recommendable. My favs are Kudeta and La Boussole.

Once you palate has been satisfied,  nightlife options are numerous for all tastes but I will not extend on that ( maybe the next post? )

After a good night of sleep or a hangover ( because you abused of the excellent local rhum ) , Day 2 will take us around Antananarivo. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the wildlife, the best option would be to visit Lemur’s park. The park has a shuttle which picks up customers at main hotels. This will easily occupy half of your day.

Assuming that you have a car available, you can head to the “Blue Hill” of Ambohimanga, one of the sacred hills of the region of Antananarivo. At the summit of this hill, the king has established the center of his kingdom before it was moved to Antananarivo. This is now one of UNESCO’s world heritage site and the visit will take you back in the early 19th century during the peak of the Merina kingdom.  The visit will also help you to understand the Malagasy culture.

The evening is now yours and you have enough time to look back at these two days in Antananarivo over another glass of aged rhum or a pint of Three Horses Beer.

• ASISTEN Travel. Car rental with driver guide. www.asisten-travel.com Tél: ( +261 20) 22 577 55 Email: info@asisten-travel.com
• Le Grill du Rova Antananarivo, Le Grill du Rova Lot VX 29 Avaradrova Antananarivo 101. Tél: (+261 20) 22 627 24 Fax: (+261 20) 22 622 13
• Chez Sucett´s ; 23 rue Raveloary Isoraka Antananarivo 101. Tel: +261 20 22 261 00
• La Boussole ; 21 rue Dr Villette – Isoraka Antananarivo Code postal: 101. Téléphone: (+261 20) 22 358 10
• Lemur’s park, PK22 Route Nationale 1, Téléphone: (+261 33 ) 11 252 59, lemurspark@gmail.com