Road Trip to the South of Madagascar: A Culturally Enriching Experience

Today, we’re spotlighting the third portion of our recent trip to Madagascar. If you missed Part I or Part II of this post, click the links below:

Part I

Part II

Below is the third part of our Madagascar itinerary:

Day 6:

Today we flew back to Antananarivo and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon by the pool at our hotel, Palissandre Hotel & Spa, before going out to dinner.

Day 7:

Today we spent most of the day visiting hotels and taking in the sites of Antananarivo.

For the evening, we stayed at one of the most beautiful and eclectic accommodations, Lokanga Boutique Hotel. With an exceptional view, overlooking all of Antananarivo, the Lokanga Boutique Hotel offers guests a sanctuary to sit back and relax with a cup of tea or a glass of wine.

The hotel features six suites, each decorated differently from the next, complete with antique fixtures, plush bedding, and other English- and French-inspired décor. Since there are only six rooms, guests experience an intimate setting with staff attending to their every needs.

Day 8:

We began the day with breakfast at the hotel before visiting the International Tourism Fair Madagascar at the Hotel Colbert. Here, we were able to become familiar with all the various tour operators, transportation companies, and accommodations found throughout all of Madagascar.

After several hours at the Fair, we began our trek to the south of Madagascar via private bus. We stayed overnight in Antsirabe.

Day 9:

After breakfast we drove to the city of Fianarantsoa. During our drive, we visited local handcraft markets to watch locals make traditional crafts, using everything from zebu horn to metal cans. The locals recycle everything, so to see them reuse these items in a unique way is truly fascinating and humbling.

Day 10:

We awoke to one of the most beautiful mornings! Fog sat atop the rolling hills of the Fianarantsoa countryside as the sun began to rise. Our bus brought us to one of the highest points in the city to take pictures (see below).

After taking in the beauty of Fianarantsoa, we continued our journey to Ranohira. The drive was absolutely gorgeous! The landscape was very similar to Tuscany, with rolling green hills and flat valleys. The area that we drove through was primarily used for growing rice and other crops (see below for pictures of the rice fields) and was speckled with small villages built with brick. During our drive we stopped along the way at many villages, observing how they made bricks and meeting locals who were thrilled to see us. We even stopped at a local church to observe how the locals prayed on Sundays.

In the afternoon we visited the famous paper factory in Ranohira (Papier Antemoro) where we saw all the stages of how the local women made paper (see below for pictures) decorated with wildflowers and patterns. We even visited a local rum distillery to view how Madagascar rum is traditionally made.

We continued our drive to Isalo where the topography changed quite rapidly! We were no longer in the lush countryside. Instead, we were surrounded by huge rocks and dry brush. It was absolutely beautiful!

When we arrived in Isalo National Park, we visited the Isalo Museum where we learned about the fascinating history of the region. Geologists observed that Isalo’s large rock formations are flat at the top and all of the pebbles in the area are perfectly rounded, which would indicate that Isalo was once beneath the sea. Over the years, dinosaur fossils have also been discovered.

After the museum visit, we drove to The Window of Isalo where we took photographs of the sunset. Breathtaking.

We then drove a short distance to our hotel, Isalo Rock Lodge. One of our favorite accommodations in Madagascar, Isalo Rock Lodge is situated in a remote area, surrounded only by rocky landscape. The modern décor, with textures and colors inspired by Isalo’s topography, was refreshing and lavish (see below for pictures).

For more pictures of Madagascar, visit our Facebook page.

Stay tuned for Part IV of this post!