Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TRANSPORT WITHIN CITIES
Buses
Most cities have cheap buses but few travellers use them because of the difficulty in
understanding the route system. No reason not to give it a try, however. Andrew Shimmin
says: 'I would strongly recommend travelling around Tana and Antsirabe by bus - an ab-
solute bargain, people smiley, and really seeing the real city.' Ask the locals which service
you need... or for a real adventure, pick one, hop on, and see where you end up!
Taxis
Taxirateshavegoneupinrecentyearsbecauseofasharpriseinfuelprices,butthey
arestillreasonable. Taxishavenometers,soyoumustagreeonthepricebeforeyougetin.
In some places there are official set rates.
Pousse-pousses
(rickshaws)
Pousse-pousses
were introduced into Madagascar by British
missionaries who wanted to replace the traditional palanquin due to its association with
slavery.Thenameissaidtooriginate fromthetime theyoperated inthecapital andneeded
an additional man behind to push up the steep hills. They are now a Madagascar speciality
and are mostly pulled by a running man, although
cyclo-pousses
(pedal rickshaws) have
been introduced to Toamasina. Most of the flatter towns have
pousse-pousses
, but not the
hilly towns of the highlands.
Many Western visitors are reluctant to sit in comfort behind a running, ragged, sweating
man and no-one with a heart can fail to feel compassion for the
pousse-pousse
pullers.
However, this is a case of needing to abandon our own cultural hang-ups. These men
want work. Bargain hard (before you get in) and make sure you have the exact money.
A medium-length journey will generally cost around 2,000Ar.
Pousse-pousse
pullers love
carrying soft-hearted tourists and some have become quite cunning - and tiresome - in
their dealings with
vazaha
. However, remember how desperately these men need a little
luck - and an innocent tourist could make their day!
HIRING(ORBRINGING)YOUROWNTRANSPORT
ReaderTimIrelandputsitsuc-
cinctly: 'The great pity is watching so many magnificent landscapes tear past your eyes as
you strain your neck trying to get a better view past 15 other occupants of a
taxi-brousse.
'
He goes on to recommend a mountain bike as the perfect means of transport, but a hired
vehicle will achieve the same flexibility.
Car hire
You really need to be a competent mechanic to hire a self-drive car in Madagas-
car, and generally cars come with chauffeurs (providing a local person with a job and you
with a guide/interpreter). A few days on Madagascar's roads will cure you of any regret
