Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ANALAKELY AND TSARALALANA (LOWER TOWN)
Analakely (which means
'little forest') used to be famous for its large forest of white umbrellas, under which every
product imaginable (and many unimaginable) used to be sold. Tana's
zoma
market was
famous worldwide. Now most of it has gone and traffic and pedestrians can move more
freely.
Avenuedel'Indépendanceisabroadboulevard(grassedinthecentre)withshops,snack
bars,restaurantsandhotelsalongeachside.Ifyoustartatthestationandwalkuptheright-
hand side you will pass the Tana Plaza hotel, Librairie de Madagascar (a good bookshop)
and Hôtel de France. Continuing south you reach one of Tana's liveliest bars, Le Glacier,
and then you're at the steps up to Antaninarenina.
This is not a street for strolling - there are too many persistent beggars and souvenir
vendors. And pickpockets, so walk briskly. Shopwise, the north side of the avenue is less
interesting, but it does have several excellent snack bars, and the Air Madagascar office is
here.
Tsaralalana is a more relaxing area of side streets to the south of Avenue de
l'Indépendance(althoughmapsdonotindicatethesteepclimbsinvolvedifyougotoofar).
Walk down Rue Indira Gandhi, past the shoe shop Aigle d'Or and Le Grand Mellis, to the
cumbersomely named Place du 19 Mai 1946. Beyond it is Hôtel Taj and the very popu-
lar Sakamanga hotel/restaurant. A couple of souvenir shops are here and, at the top of the
road,isBioAroma,whichsellsbeautyproductsandherbalremedies.Buttoavoidthissteep
(rather dull) climb to Isoraka you could double back on one of the parallel streets to Aven-
ue de l'Indépendance.
ANTANINARENINA AND ISORAKA (UPPER TOWN)
This is the Islington of Tana;
or the Greenwich Village. Here are the jewellers, the art shops and craft boutiques, the at-
mospheric hotels, the inexpensive guesthouses and a little-known museum. There is also a
rose garden where, in October, the jacaranda trees drip their nectar onto the heads below.
StartatthebottomofthestepsbySelectHotelonAvenuedel'Indépendanceand,asyou
climb up, marvel that so many men can make a living selling rubber stamps. Visit the Tana
touristoffice(ORTANA)ontherightnearthebottomofthesteps,andcheckouttheirleaf-
letsandinformation.AtthetopisPlacedel'Indépendance,andJardinAntaninareninawith
its jacarandas and rose bushes. And benches. Nearby is Le Buffet du Jardin where you can
sip a fruit juice in the sun. Opposite is the post office where, if you go through a side door
to the philatelic counter, you can buy special-issue Malagasy stamps. If you feel like a cof-
fee, yummy cake or ice cream, cross the road to Hôtel Colbert. The street-side bar/café is
