Antananarivo (Tana)

Like many other capitals in Asia or Africa, Tana appears overcrowded, polluted and boisterous, but also has some areas of essential visit. In the center of the bottom of the metropolis is Araben ny Fahaleovantena (generally known as the Avenue de l'Indépendance) at one end is located the railway station and in the other Glacier Hotel. This district, called Analakely, permanent street markets brimming with a sea of cream-colored umbrellas, supported precariously on old tires, which are home to vendors.
Southwest of Analakely is Kianja ny Fahaleovantena (Place de l'Indépendance) in the area known as Haute-Ville (Upper Town), where is located the central post office, various banks, restaurants and nightclubs. Uphill, crossing streets and other churches dilapidated buildings up to the actual ruins of the Rova, the former palace of the queen, was razed by fire in 1995, undoubtedly caused by political reasons during the local elections.
The huge market Zoma, alongside Araben ny Fahaleovantena, stands as one of the most visited Tana. Traders are grouped by type of product sold and is one of the best places to buy crafts Malagasy. One must keep in mind there are pickpockets around the area, so it is advisable to carry only enough money to buy what you want. Tana in north-east in the market for Andravoahangy, stone cutters, embroiderers, booksellers, carpenters and other artisans sell their work and articles you can admire the process of developing their work, although the selection of quality products has more Zoma.
For those who have not yet visited the national parks of our country can enjoy the Botanical and Zoological Park Tsimbazaza. It has several species of lemurs (caged and free) including the aye-aye, and other particular types of egrets, herons, crocodiles and radiated tortoises and Aldabra. In the zoo is located the Museum of the Malagasy Academy, with excellent natural and cultural exhibits, which incorporate the skeletal remains and preserved eggs of the extinct elephant bird, the giant lemurs, a short-tailed white hippo and a dugong. Another room contains an exhibit of Malagasy funerary art and the life of a tribal people.
Tana center offers a wide range of accommodation, but the value can not be described as excellent. The cheaper hotels, dirty and noisy, often used as brothels, so that travelers can not afford an accommodation with the highest health and safety would be well advised to go to rural areas. Tana does not have an extensive range of restaurants, despite the almost fifty years of French, and many offer menus du jour and plats du jour on a good price. On the outskirts of the city and the area around the market that Zoma are stalls where you can purchase many different products, from dishes Samosas, yogurt and ice cream to meat and other delicacies fried unidentifiable mass. There are also hotelys of various ranges of quality in the vicinity of the taxi-brousse stops (rural taxis), beyond the urban center, it is always possible to find some food acceptable.

Nossi-Be

Nossi-Bé is the resort island of excellence in Madagascar, in the vicinity, other minors, Nossi-Komba, Nossi-Tanikely, Nossi-Sakatia, Nossi-Mitsias and Nossi-Iranja. A Nossi-Bé those who wish to attend a holiday in the resorts themselves, with a good selection of restaurants and nightclubs, but also where there are superb dive sites with the smaller islands. Although relatively little has to stop and holiday package tour, Nossi-Bé is terribly expensive. Andoany (Hell-Ville, in French), the capital, is a cheerful and friendly population of some thirty thousand people that just seem to have changed since the arrival of their first settlers. You can visit the old prison, built in 1855, and other colonial buildings.
Marodoka, captivating and a little-known enclave of Nossi-Bé, is a remnant coastal slowly devoured by the jungle. Local legend attributes the construction of a shipwrecked boat Indus thrown into the coast in the seventeenth or eighteenth century. The Integral Nature Reserve contains the latest Lokobe has 740 original vegetation of Nossi-Bé, boa constrictor and houses, black lemurs, chameleons and snakes Malagasy nosed pig. Mount Passot emerged as the highest peak on the island, just 329 m high, an ideal location for enjoying the sunset or just admire the view. Surrounded by the beautiful blue waters of the sacred lakes of the craters Anjavibe, Amparihimirahavavy, Bemapaza, Antsahamanavaka, Antsidihy, Amparihibe and Maintimaso.
Air offers daily flights between Madagascar and Tana Nossi-Bé; TAM and Air Austral, both based in Reunion, fly from the island. Nossi-Bé is located 700 km north of Tana.
Integral Nature Reserve Tsingy de Bemaraha
This area before it was almost inaccessible, but since it was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco has a growing number of tourist itineraries. Tsingy de Bemaraha, located west of the country with an immense forest of pinnacles eroded limestone inhabited by an impressive fauna, is the largest protected area in Madagascar (152,000 ha). The reserve consists of two parks, the Petit Tsingy and the Grand Tsingy. To date, there have been 53 species of birds, eight reptiles and six of lemurs. The tours may include a Tsingy a spectacular canoeing on the river Manambolo. South of the Petit Tsingy is the magnificent gorge of Manambolo can atisvarse where waterfalls, lemurs and magnificent forests.
Reach the reserve during the rainy season self is virtually impossible. During the dry season may be taken from Belo-sur-Tsiribihina one of the occasional taxi to Brousses-Bekopaka, 80km away. The taxi will continue until the road is impassable, at which time the passenger must walk through several rivers in a cart pulled by zebu. Access to the reserve is more affordable since Bekopaka. During the tourist season in mid-year, enabling some flights between Morondava and Belo, and can also be used Brousses-taxis that circulate regularly. Bekopaka is located 600 km west of Tana.

National Park Mountain Ambre

The most visited tourist destination in northern Madagascar has covered 18,200 of a prominent volcanic massif. Created in 1958 to conserve the biological treasures of the area and the solid in itself, the National Park Mountain Ambre has a flora and fauna virtually identical to the jungles of the East, with some species endemic to the nonexistent South. The forest is lush, with more than 3,500 mm of rainfall per year. Of the seven species of lemurs that inhabit the park, the most notable are the crowned lemur and Sanford brown lemur. The amphibians and reptiles distinguished by their variety, with frogs, salamanquesas, chameleons and snakes. It is worthwhile to look at the strange chameleon blue nose and tail of the chameleon outbreaks. Birdwatchers will not be disappointed with the 73 species of birds recorded in the reserve.
Ambre mountain presents a magnificent enclave for hiking during the dry season, and has about 20 km of trails well preserved. It is recommended to visit the Petite Cascade, a small and beautiful waterfall that drops off to a magnificent pool surrounded by stone cliffs covered with ferns, and the Petit Lac, a serene lake in a crater which is accessed by a steep trail. In the vicinity of the Petite Cascade, a road known as the Jardin Botanique, an interesting track with a strange mixture of plants, including orchids, palms, lianas and bromeliads.
The park is located about 800 km north of Tana, and the nearest large population is Antsiranana, with daily flights by Air Mad from Tana. You can hire a taxi-brousse from Antsiranana to access the park and 40 km of road are paved.

Mahajanga

Mahajanga is the second largest port of Madagascar, situated at the mouth of the river in Bay Betsiboka Bombetoka, on the northeast coast. Intensely hot, dusty, lethargic and difficult to access, it's just a destination frequented by travelers. This border town is in decline of wide avenues, an interesting architecture, shady arcades and flowering bougainvillea, an explanation of the name is that of the population comes from Swahili and means village of the flowers. It has numerous churches and at least a score of Mosques, which hosts the largest Muslim community in Madagascar. The nearby beaches are relatively safe, but network are stained by the blood of the Uplands to the sea washed away.
Facing the Mozambique channel, Mahajanga is located 400 km north-west of Tana. Is connected by air with Tana, and Antsiranana Nossi-Bé, and is also a transit point for flights that go to the remote settlements on the West Coast. You can also go by taxi-brousse from Tana, the trip between 12 and 15 hours (much longer in the rainy season) gives a true environmental catastrophe.

Isalo National Park

This park was founded in 1962 and has 81.540 Sandstone has a solid subjected to a dramatic erosion. The extraordinary scenery well worth several days of exploration on foot, but must be accompanied by a guide. The Grassy plains are surrounded by Sandstone cliffs carved in extraordinary ways, and hidden among the rocks are many Sakalava tombs. If the leader is reluctant to talk about the Catacombs, we must not insist, as are many taboo (Fady) in the region.
Singer of the Canyon (Canyon monkeys) offers an interesting tour of a day, and the possibility of seeing Sifaka jump (common lemur) between the branches of trees. In the nearby tombs Zafimagnel Canyon desRats Bara, can ask the guide to teach or omit the visit. It is also possible to follow the canyon on foot to the Piscine Naturelle, a hot and thirsty walk but well worth the magnificent landscapes of the journey. La Grotte des Portugais is located at the north end of the park. The cave is not of great interest but, instead, the Forêt de Sahanafa that stands out for its surrounding beauty, with abundant natural sources and lemurs.
The Isalo is approximately 400 km southwest of Tana, the nearest town is Ranohira. It is necessary to travel by taxi from Tana to Ihosy service and hire another to walk 91 km to the Ranohira. From this population to access the park on a short trip by taxi-brousse.

Fianarantsoa

Located in the heart of the most productive agricultural area of the country, Fianarantsoa stands as the academic and intellectual capital of Madagascar. Fiana has a surprisingly interesting selection of comfortable and economical accommodation. To the west, the background of the population is dominated by Mount Kianjasoa of 1374 m above sea level. The city has an authentic atmosphere of high land that is necessary to provide a jacket, because you really can do very cold. In the 1970s, a Swiss company was able to exploit the potential of wine in the surrounding area and now has become the first wine region in the country. It is also possible to visit the tea plantation of Savahamby, 22 km east of FIAN.
Basse-Ville is the poorest but also the most animated of the city, with the central post office, railway station and a surprising style Swiss taxi-brousse stops. Nouvelle-Ville is its shopping area, banks and hotels, but the district is more beautiful Haute-Ville, located on a hill overlooking the rest of districts. It has beautiful streets, a quiet and picturesque views of the lake and rice Anosy around. Haute-Ville is distinguished from below by a bunch of towers, because of intense missionary activity, Fiana is the largest Catholic city in Madagascar.
Given that there is regular transportation by road between Tana and Fiana, find only two weekly flights. The road is in excellent condition and from Tana, 410 km to the north, and Antsirabe, in the same route at 240 km, has a number of taxi-Brouss.

Madagascar activities

Madagascar has excellent dive sites, despite the environmental pressures on many of their reefs. The best are found along the islands and islets surrounding Nossi-Bé. The steep roads are a real challenge for cycling who want to practice and should have strong mountain bike and a generous reserve of spare wheels. Is gaining adherents whale watching, for which there are two areas indicated: Taolognar in southern Madagascar, and the thing west of Île Ste-Marie, near the east coast. The national parks offer wonderful settings for walking in their territory, the possibilities for photography are endless.

Madagascar history

The Malagasy population is a mixture of black people (coming from East Africa) and a people malayopolinesio (probably originating in Indonesia and Southeast Asia), which inhabits the island for about five hundred thousand or two thousand years, although the findings archaeological stone objects suggest the possible existence of an earlier culture. Following the establishment of both towns on the island came with time African slaves, Arab traders, Portuguese and Indians, pirates and French colonists in Europe, to form the so-called official 18 clans living in Madagascar today. Malagasies brought the first crop of his own region of Southeast Asia, the existing agricultural areas, with its endless paddy fields, more reminiscent of Africa than Asia.
Marco Polo and cited the existence of the island in the story of his travels, and also was known to Arab cartographers. The Portuguese became the first Europeans to arrive, with a fleet under the command of Diego Dias in 1500. Over the centuries went by Madagascar Portuguese, Dutch and British, without any permanent basis, until the seventeenth century the pirates had not achieved what they achieved none of his governments provided boots, buried treasure, and genes to the local population especially in the area of Ile Ste-Marie. By the time they start fighting piracy in the Caribbean, more than a thousand corsairs English, French, Portuguese, Dutch, American and other origins were established on the east coast of Madagascar to use as a base and attack the craft double the Cape of Good Hope.
Increasing trade in arms and slaves, sponsored by the Europeans caused the rise of Malagasy kingdoms, thus emerging small rivals. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the clan had imposed its merino domain. In 1820 the British signed a treaty in which recognize Madagascar as an independent state under the control of the merino. British influence continued well into the twentieth century, but since 1883 France had become the only European power recognized in Madagascar (in exchange for recognition of British sovereignty in Zanzibar by the French).
In 1896, the island was finally annexed by the French, who established a colonial administration under the leadership of General Joseph Gallieni as first governor general. In 1897, the exiled Queen Ranavalona III, abolished the monarchy in this way. Similarly, any attempt to remove British influence and stop the Malagasy language, declaring the French as an official language. Although, in theory, the French had abolished slavery in the island, in practice the tax regime was a repressive force so that those who could not pay the taxes were sentenced to hard labor. The land was expropriated by foreign settlers and companies, a well developed economy based on import and export of coffee plantations.
During WWII, the French administration to pass into the hands of the collaborationist Vichy, United Kingdom responded with an invasion, ostensibly to prevent Japan Madagascar used as a military base in the Indian Ocean. The British returned the power to free the French of De Gaulle in 1943. After the contest, Madagascar underwent a nationalist backlash: many Malagasy, French and educated according to the notions of liberty, equality and fraternity, were no longer willing to be considered second-class citizens in their own country. The 1947 rebellion was put down with a harsh French repression that cost thousands of lives Malagasy (probably about eighty thousand), but the system was already beginning to crumble.
In the 1950s several political parties emerged, and when De Gaulle returned to power in France in 1958, the Malagasy voted for a republic is covered by the autonomous community of French overseas territories. The island enjoyed a peaceful transition to independence in 1960, although the colons, as is still known as the population of French origin, were kept in a prominent position. The first president, Philibert Tsiranana sponsored a model in its repressive government, and although a merino (clan of social trends), refused to establish relations with any communist country. In 1972, violently quelled a revolt in the south, this way of marking the beginning of their decline. Shortly after he resigned and gave full power to General Gabriel Ramanantsoa.
Since independence, Madagascar's economy began a gradual downturn, which accelerated with the withdrawal of the Communauté Financière Africaine (CFA), when the French decided to leave farming community, taking its capital, its methods and technology. A rapid succession of generals in the presidency, one of whom was killed barely a week after taking office, failed to improve the economic situation. A group of officers led by Admiral Didier Ratsiraka tried to save the ship, nationalizing banks and other major businesses without compensation. The French who remained on the island left the country with all their belongings, money and credentials.
Towards the end of the 1970s, Madagascar was completely uncoupled from France and its government seriously courted to communist countries, even Ratsiraka issued its own red book of policies and theories of government. To address the economic crisis, the government was obliged to follow the constraints dictated by the IMF, based on a new policy of austerity. With these measures, the situation improved slightly, but again suffered a further deterioration. Ratsiraka won the election in March 1989, allegations of fraud by their opponents led to riots. They were followed in 1991, renewed fighting, when the presidential guard, trained in North Korea, killed demonstrators in the opulent new palace Ratsiraka (built with help from the same country).
The early nineties led to civil unrest. After a term of four years by Professor Albert Zafy, incapable of uniting the country and overcome years of bureaucratic misrule, Ratsiraka was unexpectedly with victory in the elections of 1996. The fact that only 25% of the 6.5 million registered voters bother to vote indicates low confidence in conserving Malagasy politics. In 1998 he proclaimed a new constitution granting greater powers to Ratsiraka when electing members of the government.
In early 2000, Madagascar was destroyed by devastating hurricanes and cause massive destruction and flooding, caused more than thirty percent casualties and left more than ten thousand people homeless.
The results of the presidential elections of December 2001 were inconclusive, as both Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana claiming victory. After a lot of strikes and mass protests, Ravalomanana declared himself president in February 2002 and settled in the capital, Antananarivo, while Ratsiraka and his forces moved to the port city of Tamatave. Ratsiraka fled to Paris months later, although the forces are loyal to him are still active, sometimes preventing the supply of capital. Ravalomanana largely defeated the opposition in the elections of December 2002, ensuring the legitimacy it needed.
The new president took over the reform of the decrepit economy, and announced salary increases for politicians in an effort to stamp out corruption. Touched the right keys at the World Bank which, along with France and the U.S. pledged a total of 2,300,000,000.00. They, like millions of Malagasy, had hoped that Ravalomanana, a self-made millionaire, could make the end of the economic potential of Madagascar.
In December 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami reached the east coast of Madagascar, destroying infrastructure and leaving about a thousand people homeless.

Madagascar Culture

Most of the contemporary and traditional Malagasy music is based on dance rhythms with influences from Indonesian and Continental, particularly Kenya. These rhythms are accompanied by flutes, whistles and Valiha, a 28-string instrument resembling a bassoon but played in a manner similar to a harp. The lokanga voatavo or cordófono is also very common, as well as various types of guitars, including kabosy, similar to a ukulele. The soave vaky corresponds to a style of singing accompanied only by rhythmical clapping, one of his best-known performers, Paul Bert Rahasimanana developed a personal style that included musical accompaniment. Its themes include poverty, love, loss and hope.
The regional population of Fianarantsoa has become in recent years in a sort of literary capital, to accommodate various contemporary writers and novelists. While the literature did not develop to the decades of 1930-1940, the traditional oratory, called kabary is highly regarded. Its roots go back to traditional political assemblies, whose members took turns the word, following its evolution and popularity, it spread to a wider audience as a form of entertainment. The kabary is an essential part of hira Gasy, a kind of secular entertainment that includes music, dance and oral histories that are represented in Tana Sunday afternoons.
While Madagascar has an official language and common culture, the Malagasy population is divided into 18 clans whose borders are governed more by belonging to the ancient kingdoms that the ethnic characteristics of the population. Most Malagasy are of mixed race, but some, like the merino in the area of Antananarivo, predominantly Indonesian have a profile, while others, such as vezos the southwestern coast, with strong links to Eastern Africa, resemble black Africans.
Madagascar has two official languages: French and Malagasy, the latter widely used. Belongs to the Austronesian family, which includes Indonesian and many other Polynesian languages, its closest relative language spoken in southern Borneo. It has also adopted words from French, Arabic, African languages and English closer.
52% of Malagasy practice traditional religions, including Christians declared (41%) tend to respect the rites of devotion with these beliefs. Malagasies revere the dead, and give much importance to this and beyond. The soul of the deceased played a larger role in the lives of those who live in almost any other culture. At the funeral rituals are very elaborate, and if it is believed that the dead have not been satisfied, additional rituals are performed to appease them. The best known is the famadihana or return of the bones, which exhumed the body, he speaks and he entertains and then bury it again and to present a new shroud. Muslim communities are also among, amount to approximately 7% of the population.
The dominant element of the Malagasy food is rice, vary, but it does not accompany the meal, but the latter is serving as a complement. In general, the bars along the roads serving large plates of rice with a small base of support to beef, fish or chicken. Apart from this source, among the favorite foods of Malagasies, romazava include (a stew of beef and vegetables) and ravitoto (pork stew with cassava leaves). Many dishes are accompanied by a vinegary and spicy curry called achards. Fish from the shore economical and delicious, practically throughout the year can purchase a wide range of tropical fruits (voankazo): pineapples, lychees, mangoes and bananas.
Due to French influence, style coffee is excellent and the tea. The local beer THB (Three Horses Beer) is also much appreciated. In the vicinity of Fianarantsoa and Ambalavao producing several high quality wines, including a gray color called, of course, gray. There are also various types of beverage, all of them more than enough power to take your breath away. The rum is a toaka grasy coarse rice and sugar cane the trembo a coconut punch, and litchel, a fruit drink based lychees. Is the category of most Roma, rum distillate.