Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Boat
Anakao Transfert
( 94 92416, 034 60 072 61; anakaotransfert@moov.mg; one-way
Ar50,000), an enjoyable speedboat, departs from the tourist port for Anakao every day at
9am. The best and safest option.
Travel south of Tuléar has long been delayed by the lack of a ferry across the Onilahy
River. During research a new vehicle ferry, the
Bac Fiavota
( 032 02 127 74, 033 11 545
73, 034 13 800 50), had arrived at the port and was reportedly awaiting the construction of
landing points. How long this will take is unclear.
Camion-Brousse
The mother of all taxis-brousses, the
camion-brousse
is a troop transport that plies the
god-awful roads between Tuléar and Fort Dauphin (Ar36,000), with stops in Betioky
(Ar13,000), Ampanihy (Ar20,000) and Ambovombe (Ar28,000). This takes a whopping
30 to 60 hours depending on breakdowns and road conditions. But beware: these amuse-
ment park rides are packed beyond capacity. Passengers bounce around, and are frequently
ill. There are a limited number of breaks. You'll need a scarf and pullover for the dust and
wind. To make matters worse, if you do the trip in stages, you could spend a lot of time
waiting for a seat, as the vehicles that pass the towns en route are often full. Finally, pro-
visions are sparse along the way, so you need to stock up ahead of time. All things con-
sidered, we have never seen a rougher form of public transport.
Hitching
It's relatively easy to hitch a lift from Tuléar to Antananarivo as many tourist vehicles and
supply trucks from Antananarivo return to the capital empty. Expect to pay a bit more than
the taxi-brousse fare. The best places to ask are the major hotels, particularly the
Hotel Es-
capade
( 94 411 82, 034 94 411 82; Blvd Gallieni).
Taxi-Brousse
Taxis-brousses leave the main station very early every day for Antananarivo, arriving a day
later. Vehicles to Antananarivo may fill up quickly, so get to the station early or book a seat
the afternoon before. Destinations and fares along the way include the following.
DESTINATION FARE (AR)
Ambalavao
26,000
Ambositra
36,000
Antananarivo
45,000
Antsirabe
40,000
