Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Benedictine MonasteryA1
2
Maison des GuidesA2
Sleeping
3
Hotel Angelino TsaralazaA2
4
Hotel du CentreB2
5
Hôtel ManiaB1
Eating
6
Hotel-Restaurant JonathanB3
7
Hotely TanamasoandroB2
8
OasisB3
Benedictine Monastery
MONASTERY
At the western edge of town is a Benedictine monastery, where the monks and nuns sell
postcards, cheese and jam in a small
shop
( to 6pm). The church warrants a look if open.
Village Walks
WALKING TOUR
TherearemanygoodwalksfromAmbositrathroughnearbyvillages,whereyoucanseethe
artisans at work in their homes, carving wood with homemade tools or spreading brightly
dyed raffia out in the sun to dry. If this interests you, the best thing to do is to stop by the
Maison des Guides.
SANDRANDAHY
If you have come to Ambositra for crafts, there are some outlying areas you
may be interested in too. The Zafimaniry villages are well known for their
woodcarving, one reason for their designation as a Unesco World Heritage Site
(for access,
Click here
)
. Likewise, Sandrandahy is known for its silk. In 2006 a
federation of silk-weavers called Sahalandy was founded here to empower wo-
men in the community by establishing foreign markets, which it has done suc-
cessfully. Silk has traditionally been a sign of nobility in Madagascar, and the
process has been passed down through the generations for centuries. You can
see the entire process here, beginning with cocoons, and ending with scarves,
blankets, hammocks, pocketbooks, tablecloths, and much else. Sandrandahy is
20km north of Ambositra, and a beautiful drive; there is also a large market on
