Ambalavao is a city in the Fianarantsoa Province of Madagascar.

Understand

Ambalavao [amˌbalaˈvaw] is a city (commune urbaine) in Madagascar, in the Haute Matsiatra region. The city is in the most southern part of the Central Highlands, near the city of Fianarantsoa.

Ambalavao is situated at the Route Nationale No. 7 Fianarantsoa-Ihosy-Tuléar at 160 km from Ihosy and 56 km from Fianarantsoa. An airport serves the town.

Ambalavao has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa).

Get in

From the north, Ambalavao can be reached from Fianarantsoa. A 2-hour taxi brousse costs 5,000 Ar. From the south, it can be reached from Ihosy. A 2½-hour taxi brousse costs 8,000 Ar.

Get around

• By car: Ambalavao's roads are almost all of very low grade . Many roads are studded with potholes and are quagmires in the rainy season. Travel by road will almost always take much more time than you would normally expect. Hire of a 4WD vehicle can reduce this problem but the cost will be higher but still very cost effective if you are not travelling alone and able to split the rental fee between the members of your group (at least US$70/day/car as of October 2014). In nearly all cases a car rental will include the cost of a driver and his accommodation, but verify when booking your rental; most companies will not rent a car without a driver, and in many cases the driver can act as your guide and translator as well.
• By bicycle:

Ambalavao is a great place to tour by bike and staying there along the way gives a real sense of what the city is all about. A mountain bike or heavy duty tourer at least is required as the roads can be in poor to terrible condition. In the rainy season some roads can become impassable, possibly leading to a two-day walk - over soft sand in one section - this is not an easily rideable route. Generally there is little to no traffic which makes cruising around a great pleasure. The people are amazingly friendly and you'll be greeted with crowds of children shouting 'Vazaha' in every village.

There are few or no facilities for cyclists, so be prepared to camp rough (ask if it is somebody's land and never too near a family grave) or sleep in very basic guesthouses. Likely you will be invited to stay in people's houses. Bring a spare tire, puncture kit, chain, brake or gear cable, derailleur and all the tools you need.

See

• 1 Anja Reserve (Catch a taxi brousse from Ambalavao for 2000 Ar). This reserve 12 km southwest of Ambalavao is well worth a visit. Three mountain-sized boulders provide a beautiful backdrop for a forest that is full of ring-tailed lemurs. You'll see dozens within a half hour. Entrance fee is 10,000 Ar. A guided 2-hour walk that includes lemurs, caves, and a 1000-m viewpoint costs 36,000 Ar. Shorter and longer options are available and are priced accordingly. Consider staying a night on the premises -- it's home to some nice bungalows that start at 50,000 Ar. Restaurant available. 
• Zebu Market (South of town on RN7). Madagascar's largest zebu market is sure impress every Wednesday and Thursday morning. 

Do

Ambalavao is the gateway town for Andringitra National Park. A 4x4 is required to make the 47-km bumpy journey to the park. Transportation and tours can be arranged from Ambalavao.

Connect

International phone calls and 4G Internet via data can be done via cell phone companies such as Airtel, Orange or Telma they work off prepaid phone cards. International phone calls using Telma to Europe cost 900 Ar per minute. There are also Internet cafes in the major cities and most large towns. Electricity may be erratic. Many areas have either mandatory shutdown hours or rationing. It's best to bring an openline smart phone and buy a SIM card when you get to Madagascar. It's also useful to have a powerbank. Most hotels now also have Wi-Fi.

You can also easily buy a SIM card from anyone of the cell phone companies and get a data plan. The process is fairly easy compared to other countries and SIM cards can be bought directly in the airport with the whole activation and buying process being done in less than 10 minutes. As of December 2018, a 12GB data plan good for 30 days is 75 000 Ar.

Do not expect a data connection everywhere on the island, but when you do have data connection, the fast 4G network is fairly impressive. Telma sell their SIM cards for 500 Ar. Orange sell their SIM card for 2000 Ar.

A stamp for a postcard to anywhere in Europe costs 1100 Ar.

Go next

Fianarantsoa, commonly abbreviated as Fianar, is a city in the Fianarantsoa Province of Madagascar. Due to its central location, it is a gateway city for transportation to many other places in central and southern Madagascar and many tourists visit to take the FCE train to Manakara. It is the centre of Madagascar's Betsileo ethnic community. The city can serve as a basis for numerous activities and day trips in the surroundings.