Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Legend has it that the name Toamasina comes from King Radama I who is said to have
tasted the seawater here and remarked '
Toa masina
' - 'It's salty'.
TOAMASINA TODAY
Toamasina (still popularly known as Tamatave) has always had
anair ofshabby elegance with some fine palm-lined boulevards andonce-impressive colo-
nial houses. Every few years it's hit by a cyclone, and spends some time in a new state of
shabbinessbeforerebuilding.Asyou'dexpect,it'saspirited,bustlingcitywithagoodvari-
ety of bars, snack bars and restaurants. Not many tourists stay here for any length of time,
which is a shame; there is plenty to see and do. For instance the wonderful Parc Ivoloina
(see
Click Here
)
provides one of the most accessible and delightful natural history experi-
ences in Madagascar.
GETTING THERE AND AWAY
By road and rail
RN2 is one of the country's best roads and is the fastest and cheapest
way of reaching Toamasina from Tana.
Taxi-brousses
run twice a day, morning or night,
and take from six to 12 hours. Information on train connections is on
Click Here
.
By air
There are daily flights between Tana and Toamasina. A taxi from the airport into
town costs 7,000Ar. There is an Air Mad office in Toamasina (
Mon-Fri 07.30-11.00 &
14.00-16.30, Sat 08.00-11.00
).
