Antsirabe (ant-sira-bay) is a memorable town to visit if only to experience the constant badgering of the ‘pousse-pousse' drivers. A pousse-pousse is the Malagasy equivalent to the rickshaw and Antsirabe is infested with them. The urban oasis in a rural desert in an almost elegant place where the fresh air, cool climate (nights can be freezing) and therapeutic springs led Norwegian missionaries to build a health retreat in the late 1800's. When the French came to town, Antsirabe became a chic spa getaway for wealthy colonists wanting to escape Antananarivo's hustle. You can do the same today: Just a few hours drive from Antananarivo, you can experience the thermal-spring ambiance of the town with a stay at one of the many Antsirabe accommodations.
Today the city thumps to a unique Malagasy beat - it's colourful, chaotic, cluttered, gritty and poor. Brightly painted rickshaws crowd wide palm-lined boulevards, there drivers hustling hard for enough fares to feed their families, and gangs of scraggly children and young mothers with furrowed brows beg on the streets.
From the moment you arrive by taxi-bousse you will be swarmed by pousse-pousse drivers desperate for your business. They will take you anywhere in the town and because competition for your patronage is extreme, it is possible to negotiate a reasonable price before climbing on board, but remember, if you want to get to your hotel or destination quickly try to pick a young driver...there foot is a little heavier on the accelerator than some of there older counterparts!
Antsirabe is a lovely town and a stroll around its streets will bring you in contact with some fantastic little shops selling Malagasy artefacts and handicrafts. The shop owners really go after their sales so try not to be talked into buying something that you don't really want. Prices are negotiable and bargaining is a part of the shopping experience in Madagascar for visitors and locals alike so don't be scared to hold out for a better deal.
If you're looking for Madagascan Art, Antsirabe is definitely worth the three hour drive from Antananarivo. The town has numerous artisan workshops with quality handicrafts - in some cases the attention to detail on even the smallest metal bicycle is truly amazing. To check out these places, help the community and gain a unique Madagascan experience, visit the shops with a pousse-pousse tour - these will start from as little as Ar400 for one stop. On the activities front, Antsirabe is the best place to find a tour operator for a three-day run down the Tsiribihina River in Western Madagascar.
Antsirabe is also a centre for selling precious and semi-precious stones and numerous street vendors and stalls are willing to sell you some souviner stones. In some places you can watch them being cut and polished. A popular spot in Antsirabe is the thermal springs and baths, located next to Lac (lake) Ranomafana (hot water). The complex provides private cubicles and body massages at bargain basement prices.
The countryside around Antsirabe is worth exploring, especially the lakes to the west of the town. Lac Andraikiba and Lac Tritriva are well visited locations and are relatively easy to get too. Many visitors hire mountain bikes and ride out to the lakes (approx 20 kms to Lac Tritrivia, 7 kms to Lac Andraikiba).
Despite the Lonely Planet guide saying that it is an easy ride, it isn't. Although worthwhile, the roads are rough and sometimes treacherous, with many long, steep uphill sections. It is a hot and tiring ride with only a couple of refreshment stalls along the way selling unrefrigerated drinks and snacks. Start early!!!
Good quality bikes can be hired for a small fee from a vendor set up on the footpath near the Hotel de Eau on the Avenue de L'independence.
Lac Andraikiba is a large lake that is suitable for swimming with many quiet areas for resting (especially if you are mountain biking). Lac Tritiva is smaller but more scenic and busier. A fee is payable at the boomgate that blocks the road leading to the lake area.
The small town of Betafo is a little further on from Lac Tritiva and is a typical example of a Merina village. It is visited by many tourists taking day trips from Antsirabe. It is easily reached by taxi or bicycle from Antsirabe (following the mostly flat main road). There are many places to stay and eat in Antsirabe.
