The Highlands South of Tana - Madagascar - page 301

Several nice handicraftboutiques are centrally located onthe same street as the Arche,
a restaurant which has paintings by local artists for sale.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO Saturday is market day in Antsirabe, an echo of Tana before
theyabolished the zoma butwithanevengreater crosssection ofactivities. It'senclosed in
a walled area of the city on the hill before the road to Lake Tritriva.
Workshops Antsirabe has a thriving handicrafts sector and it's well worth visiting the
workshops to see the skill and ingenuity of the craftsmen. Local handicrafts and products
include jewellery made from zebu horn, toys crafted from old tin cans, wooden carvings,
billiard tables, polished minerals, embroidered tablecloths and clothing. You can take a
pousse-pousse tour round several workshops. The demonstrations are generally free but
you are expected to buy something after.
Kololandy, situated 800m west of the town centre, does traditional weaving of silk,
cotton, sisal and raffia ( m 032 07 927 76/033 11 921 77; e [e-mail] ;
www.kololandy.com ; 08.00-17.00 ).
It is also possible to visit local producers to see wine, beer (see below), honey, cheese
( www.lactimad.com ) ,andsweets( ChezMarcel; 4449971; 05.00-13.00 )beingmade.
Star Brewery [175 D4] Don't miss a visit to this factory to see the famous Three Horses
Beerinproduction.ToursareonlypossibleonTuesday/Wednesday/Thursdayat09.00and
14.00 and it is necessary to book in advance ( 44 481 71; e [e-mail] ).
TOURIST OFFICE, TOUR OPERATORS AND VEHICLE HIRE
ORTVA (regional tourist office) m 032 07 186 42; e [e-mail]
Rando Raid Madagascar [175 A3] m 032 04 900 21; e [e-mail] .
Opposite Arche. Bike & motorbike hire, horseriding, microlights, trekking (guided & un-
guided), tent hire & multi-day tours.
DiscoverMad [175 B3] m 033 12 232 08/034 10 145 77; e [e-mail] .
Based at Nouveau Baobab. Small group exploratory tours. Boat trips on the Tsiribihina &
visits to Tsingy de Bemaraha.
Red Island Tours [175 A3] Next to Ville d'Eau; m 033 14 417 03/032 52 872 99;
e [e-mail] ; 08.00-18.00. Trips to tsingy , Tsiribihina & Baobabs
Amoureux; horseriding; bike hire; camping trips.
RaVaKa [175 A3] Tombotsoa Bldg (next to Arche); 44 498 87; m 032 42 638 22/034
01 683 47/033 12 462 75; e [e-mail] ; Mon-Sat 08.30-18.00. Trips of I-4
days around local village communities to see Malagasy way of life.
Travel Flying Service [175 D6] m 033 II 177 70/032 40 199 90; f 44 498 03; e tfsmada-
[e-mail] . Travel agency, car hire, Tsiribihina cruises & fishing trips.