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Grotte Squelette
In the western half of Réserve Spéciale Ankarana, the focus is on three sets of caves, Grotte Squelette, Grotte Cathédrale and Grotte d’Andrafiabe, which you can visit through a subterranean circuit.
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Ambodiriana Forest
Rare species flourish in this protected humid forest: the mouse lemur, the candy cane palm (dypsis paludosa) and a parasitic orchid (gastrodia madagascariensis). The forest is managed by the association ADEFA.
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Benedictine Monastery
At the western edge of town is a Benedictine monastery, where the nuns sell delicious cheese, honey, jam and postcards. The church warrants a look if its open; there is singing every day between 11.50am and noon.
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Ampangorina Craft Market
Ampangorina is Nosy Komba’s main village. It has an interesting craft market with beautiful cut-work embroidered table cloths and curtains, excellent wood carvings and paintings spilling out of almost every house.
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Laborde’s Home
In 1833 Frenchman Jean Laborde helped spark an industrial revolution in Mantasoa. His former home is a lovely traditional, wood-clad house. Inside there are old photographs and a fair amount of biographical information (in French).
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Petits Tsingy
The easiest way to see the surreal tsingy of the Réserve Spéciale Ankarana is to do the two- to three-hour Grotte des Chauves-Souris circuit. Near the impressive cave is a small viewpoint from where you can look over the Petits Tsingy.
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Monument aux Morts
This WWI memorial, erected by the French, is a large golden angel on an island connected to the shore by a causeway. It is currently not advised to walk in this area so the best way to appreciate the memorial is from the viewpoints in the Haute-Ville.
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Libanona Beach
What luck for locals to have this fine beach right in the city! Its known for its surfing, both board and wind. Dont leave your belongings unattended on the sand or they may just disappear. And dont even think about wandering around here at night.
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Zoma
Fianar is a market town, with at least one small market open every day. The largest is the Zoma, where you’ll find everything under the sun. It’s held every day along Ave de lIndépendance and Rue de Verdun, although Tuesday and Friday are best.
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Ranomafana Arboretum
Located about 2km east of Ranomafana, this stunning arboretum is worth visiting for its scenic location alone. There are hundreds of species of tree here, many of which are extremely rare. There’s a self-guided walking trail in English, with lots of explanations.
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Maison de l’Isalo
The buttons dont work at this once-interactive little museum, but its still a good introduction to the history, culture and geology of the park. If youre staying in town, combine it with a trip to La Fenêtre, or pause on your onward journey towards Tuléar.
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Soavoanio Coconut Plantation
This enormous coconut plantation extends across 50 sq km, where the trees march away into the distance in strict lines. On the two-hour visit you will see germination, seedlings and processing of the nuts into copra and coconut oil. Beehives produce coconut-flavoured honey.
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Andranokoditra
Thanks to Man and the Environment , the village of Andranokoditra is a tourist-friendly destination. Besides being the jumping off point for MATEs canal trips and hiking trails in Vohibola, there is an essential oil distillery and a small market for local jewellery.
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Katsepy’s Lighthouse
About 8km southwest of Katsepy, Katsepy’s Lighthouse has sweeping views of Bombetoka Bay and Mozambique Channel. It’s a hot, two-hour walk to get here from Katsepy. Otherwise you can charter a taxi-brousse to take you there and back (Ar45,000, with 30 minutes at the site).
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Ethnographic Museum
This museum illustrates tribal life around Madagascar with exhibits including model tombs, hunting and fishing tools, modern wooden carvings, and information about magic and religious rituals. A knowledgeable guide will show you around; a tip of Ar2000 to Ar5000 is appropriate.
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Parc des Orchidées
This little park is at its most attractive in October to December when the orchids are in bloom. By late summer it’s almost completely dried up. There’s no signage so you need a good guide to fully appreciate it. Entrance is free if you are visiting the Parc National Andasibe Manta
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Domaine d’Ambohimanitra
Meaning hill of a thousand perfumes, the Domaine dAmbohimanitra produces various types of vanilla along with coffee, cinnamon, pepper, ylang-ylang and cloves. On a four- to five-hour visit you will learn about production and processing. Lunch at the gracious colonial farmhouse is i
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Hôtel des Thermes
Once the Grand Dame of Antsirabe, the Old Lady just ain’t what she used to be. Everything is falling apart, something even the creepy lighting can’t hide, making the accommodation prices laughable. It’s too bad: once you get past the surreal lobby, you can sense the grandeur that o
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Gare Soarano
Tana’s old train station doesn’t see much passenger traffic these days, so the lovely building has been converted into a small, upmarket shopping centre. There are regular art shows of works by Malagasy artists, as well as chichi boutiques and a couple of more prosaic shops (airlin
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Analakely Market
Antananarivos main market is a shadow of the former zoma (market), for which the capital was legendary, but it’s still a packed, teeming place, selling clothes, household items, dodgy DVDs and every food product you could imagine, plus a few you probably couldn’t. Dont bring any va
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