The royal palace is built on the peak of Analamanga, the city's highest hill, which dominates its skyline.
Nineteenth-century trano gasy houses predominate in the historic haute ville.
Lake Anosy was created in the 19th century to provide hydraulic power to industrial factories.
Laundry in Madagascar
The first king Andrianampoinimerina's (XVIIIe century)
Royal Hill of Ambohimanga
Hill and traditional fortified royal settlement
The Fidasiana-Bevato esplanade is shaded by sacred aviavy trees and attracts pilgrims who come to make sacrifices to the ancestors
Gateways into Ambohimanga include the main gate Ambatomitsanaga, which features a traditional stone disc door (vavahady), and a natural passageway called Ambavahaditsiombiomby believed to be the most ancient entrance to the site.
Wednesday 22 May 2019: Antanananrivo - Ambohimanga Palace
Departure 8:30 to Ambohimanga Palace that is 20 km north of Tana, but will take us 1,5 hours to go there. But we first stopped at a huge market near our hotel and bought 4 different "Number 1" or Lamba one (13.000 ar/each). Lamba is the traditional garment ladies wear in Madagascar. The Lamba is worn differently depending on the emotional and physical needs of the wearer to: protect from cold, hide timidity, show action and determination, or indicate mourning. It also serves as a: blanket, apron, scarf, belt, bedding, turban, kitchen cloth, bag/ suitcase, tent/ shelter, awning, baby carrier or cradle (cf. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamba_(garment)). We then drove to Ambohimanga is a hill and traditional fortified royal settlement (rova) in Madagascar, located approximately 24 km northeast of the capital city of Antananarivo. The hill and the rova that stands on top are considered the most significant symbol of the cultural identity of the Merina people and the most important and best-preserved monument of the precolonial Merina Kingdom. The walled historic village includes residences and burial sites of several key monarchs. The site has been politically important since the early 18th century, when King Andriamasinavalona (1675–1710) divided the Kingdom of Imerina into four quadrants. 77 years of civil war ended with King Andrianampoinimerina, who successfully undertook negotiations and military campaigns that reunited Imerina under his rule by 1793. After that we drove back to Tana and stopped at a nice restaurant: Le Grand Orient where we had lunch with our guide Mamo (102.000 ar, very nice). Then drive to the handicraft market Marché Artisanal de la Digue with 300 shops (!), too many with pretty much the same stuff. Mamo drove us up to the King's Palace for the view over Tana, but we didn't go in, as they were asking 30.000 ar for just to go at the look-out. Back to the hotel. Then we walked through the busy city up to Antaninarenina at the Place de l'Indépendance where there was a nice Malagasy handicraft market, ending our tour with a glass of wine on the nice terrace of our hotel restaurant (20.000 ar).
Thursday 23 May 2019: Flight TNR-ADD-FRA
At 10:30 our guide Mamo drives us to the airport. Our flight was at 14:50, arrival in Addis Abeba at 19:15, wait in the Cloud9 for almost 4 hours to catch our flight at 23:40 to Frankfurt. Arrival in Frankfurt on 24 May 2019 at 5:50.