Visit the highland tourist areas

The Malagasy highlands are very popular localities. They possess historical, cultural and especially tourist wealth. Unlike the provinces of Madagascar, rich in paradisiacal treasures such as beaches, waterfalls, white sand and many others, the highlands also shelter points of interest unmissable. Let's go!

From Antananarivo to Antsirabe to Betsileo Kingdom

According to geographers, the Malagasy highlands are the central localities of the big island including the capital through the city of water in Antsirabe to the province of Fianarantsoa and its major cities. These areas are referred to as highlands, as they are sometimes marked by high hills, large massifs, and rugged volcanic terrain interspersed with basins and vast plains. The climate of the highlands is colder because they are located at high altitude. They nevertheless possess their tourist wealth compared to those of the provinces of the big island.

The particularities of each region

The capital of Madagascar forms the center of the highlands of the big island. You can visit wonderful places like the Queen's Palace, the Zoo, Lake Anosy, craft markets and the Upper Town. A few kilometers from the capital, from East to West, there are also places worth your detour. Examples include the croc-farm or crocodile farm 20km west of Antananarivo, the fall of Lilly at Ampefy (60km), Lake Itasy and the geyser of Arivonimamo still in the same direction.

After your visit to the capital and its surroundings, you will discover the water city of Antsirabe. Volcanic activities are more common in this place. It is even colder than in Antananarivo but the visit is worth it. On the road leading to this beautiful town, one can already make a stop on the city of Ambatolampy to see the craftsmen handling the aluminum to make kitchen utensils or decorative objects. Continuing the road, you arrive at the center of Antsirabe. The best places are the train station, the avenue, the spa center and the place dedicated to the natural sparkling water "Rano Visy". A little further from the center, a few hours by car, you can visit Lake Andraikiba and Lake Tritriva, famous for their legend.

To finish the visit of the Malagasy highlands, you finally reaches the kingdom Betsileo centered to the province of Fianarantsoa and its big cities surroundings. In this part of the big island, you can see beautiful landscapes adorned with rice terraces, fields, traditional houses and narrow streets. The craft markets are here in large numbers. They offer products in raffia and wood. Fruits and vegetables as well as seasonal products such as rice, corn and coffee are also very popular. A little further south, in Ambositra, we discover the talent of craftsmen handling wood "Zafimaniry". Ambositra is the capital of this type of craft besides the sale of honey in bottles and jars elaborated by the locals.