Antananarivo (Madagascar)
According to Babyinger, Antananarivo is the capital of Madagascar. The city is located in the central mountainous part of the island in a valley at an altitude of 1276 m. Antananarivo was founded in 1625. The locals call the city Tana for short. The French spirit is everywhere in Antananarivo, here you can find colonial-style mansions and narrow streets, like in European cities. The city is built on three levels. The main attraction of Antananarivo is located in the Upper Town and immediately catches the eye. This is a monumental ensemble of Ruwa Ambuhimanga palaces. The ensemble includes the “double palace” Mandzakamiadana of the 17th century, the palaces of Mahitsilafandzaka, Tranavaluna and Manampisoa built in a later time, and the tombs of Madagascar monarchs. In the 19th century, the residence of the Merina dynasty was located here. Now you can learn about the royal family at the Historical Museum, which is open in Ruwa Ambuhimanga. The center of the Lower City is Independence Street with the shopping quarter of Analakeli. The most popular place in the area is Zuma Market, one of the largest open-air markets in the world. It is also worth visiting the handicraft market in the Andruvuhangi quarter. Of the architectural sights, one can single out the Presidential Palace, the Prime Minister’s Palace, the buildings of the National Library and the Izutri Municipal Theater. AT Antananarivo has the Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological Park. Several species of lemurs live here, including “ai-ai”, herons, crocodiles, Aldabran and Malagasy tortoises and other rare species of animals and birds. The Malagasy Academic Museum is open in the park, where skeletons and fossilized eggs of the ancient bird Aepiornis (its height reached 3 m), skeletons of giant lemurs, white rhinoceros and dugong, and household items of Malagasy are exhibited. Ambuhimanga hill is located 20 km from Antananarivo. with the fortress and palace of King Andrianampuinemerin, which were built in the 18th century. In the past, the fortress was the main fortification of the Merina, its main gate is a huge stone disk, which took 40 people to install. This place is considered a cult place, it attracts Malagasy pilgrims and pilgrims from other regions of the world. Perinet
Nature Reserve is located 140 km east of the capital. Indri’s short-tailed lemurs, the largest of the lemurs, live here, as well as many species of orchids. The reserve is also famous for the fact that the largest variety of frogs in the world – more than 100 species – and the huge Parson’s chameleon live on 810 hectares of land. Night excursions are also offered to tourists in Perinet.
Antseranana (Madagascar)
The city of Antseranana is located in the very north of the island of Madagascar. Until 1975 it was called Diego Suarez. It is a major port and one of the main industrial centers of the country. The city itself will not be very interesting for tourists, its main attraction is the sandy beach Ramena Beach. However, sharks often swim here.
Not far from Antseranan is the northernmost point of the island – Cape Amberg, and 37 km south of the city is the National Park of Mount Amberg. The park extends within the volcanic massif for 18.2 thousand hectares. It was established in 1958 to protect the rain forests that cover the slopes of the mountain, where you can meet the crowned lemur and Sanford brown lemur and see many orchids. The waterfalls and lakes of the park are very beautiful. La Grande Falls forms a picturesque lake where tourists can swim.
Mahajanga (Madagascar)
Mahajanga is one of the most ancient cities in the country. It is located 560 km northwest of Antananarivo on the banks of the Mozambique Channel in the delta of the Betsiboka River. Mahajanga was once the capital of the Buyna kingdom. The city impresses with a large number of churches and mosques. Here is the sacred hill of Duani, where you can see the personal belongings of the four kings of Buyn, the ruins of the royal fortress of Ruva, the House of Crafts and the Regional Center of Malagasy Art Crafts.
Mahajanga is famous for its resort areas. Here on the beaches of Gran Gavua d’Amburuvi, Kacepi, the beaches of the nearby island of Radama and the bays of Bueni are visited by tourists from all over the world.
Morondava (Morondava) (Madagascar)
The city of Morondava is located north of Toliara on the west coast of the country. This is a popular beach resort in Madagascar. For several kilometers along the city and beyond, deserted sandy beaches stretch, which are surrounded by baobabs. These trees are interesting because they can store up to 120 thousand liters of water, because in the conditions of the local climate, when sufficient moisture is observed only four months a year, they accumulate water during the rainy season and then live on this reserve. In the vicinity of the city you can see a lot of baobabs, and 20 km north of Morondava is the Alley of the Baobabs. They surround the road, towering majestically above it. During the day they create a shadow, so the Avenue of the Baobabs is a great place to relax and walk. But it is best to come here at sunset, when you can see the silhouettes of huge baobabs against the red sky.
