Thursday , 28 March 2024
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Ampefy has refound its historic tourist importance. Tourists are showing keen interest in this area whose potential has yet to be tapped.

Ampefy relights the tourist beacon for Tananarivians.

Still the choice vacation site for Tananarivians is Ampefy 120 km to the west, made again more desirable by roadwork that has improved access to this interesting area waiting to be rediscovered. Besides its lakes brimming with fish, a visitor might contemplate the splendid waterfalls of Lilly at Antafofo (9 km), or pay a visit to the Isle of the Virgin (6 km) down the road to Soavinandriana where sits the majestic statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking vast lake Itasy (47 km2). Geomorphic curiosities such as the ancient volcanic craters and geysers only add to the interest of this location. The same applies to other equally interesting places situated here at the geographical center of Madagascar. This tourist hive of activity will soon be embellished by three new hotels bearing witness to the renewed interest in the area.


More and more the tour operators? include Ampefy in their daily charters as we see their vehicles stuffed full of tourists passing through in ever increasing numbers. However local operators are convinced we can do better. For the renewed tourist interest to be fully realized, improvement of the roads is an absolute necessity. 


If the road to Faratsiho towards the south were to become practical, one could then make the grand tour from Tana, through the middle west, Antsirabe, and the whole of the south. The same would apply for a trip from Tana to Ampefy and then Tsiroanomandidy, and Maintirano if only the roads closest to that side of the capital were made more passable.