Ambositra

2 to 3 hours by taxi brousse or car from Antsirabe (which itself is 3 to 4 hours from Antananarivo by the same means of transportation)

Most tourists prefer to take a "Push-Push," which is a colorfully painted rickshas.

The town is terribly pleasant to walk about in and watch people.

Ambositra is well known for its many handicrafts and is possibly the best place in Madagascar to do one stop shopping of sorts. Small stores mingle all about the town and one can safely stroll amongst these shops and get what one needs. Everything from furniture, Antaimoro paper, handicrafts, and souvenirs can be found.

• Motel Violette

  phone: +261 20 47-710-84
  address: Route d'Antsirabe
  Five nice bungalows, and a restaurant with nice views of rice fields surrounding the town. The rooms in the main building are noisy and ate reported to have bugs.

There are taxi brousse stations on both the North and Southern parts of town dependent upon which way you wish to go. Buses go between Tana and Fianar all the time so you can always try to sneak a ride in an empty seat.
Beware some, not all, of the pousse pousse drivers. They can con you into a "free" ride but then make a scene afterwards. Be sure to be clear before you accept a ride.