Fianarantsoa

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.

Get in
Fianarantsoa has a, however, as of November 2017, there are no scheduled flights.

The city is connected by rail to the port city of Manakara. Most visitors arrive from the North (Antananarivo) or the South (Toliara) and travel the rail road down to Manakara. It is not a reliable mode of transport due to the bad technical state of the equipment.



Fianarantsoa is a transportation hub where several national roads meet. They all have in common that they are narrow, wind themselves through mountainous territory and offer many scenic views. The roads to Antananarivo, Manakara, Ambalavao-Toliara and Ranomafana are all paved, as of November 2017, there were quite a few damaged stretches on the NR7 between Ambositra and Fianarantsoa. To get in and out from Fianarantsoa by road:

For all other destinations, you have to rely on your own car or taxi-brousse, which start from the near the train station. It is busiest in the early morning.

Get around
The area of interest in Fianarantsoa is small enough to be explored by walking.

The city's taxis have no meters, agree the fare before entering the car. Expect to be quoted 5,000 Ar for a taxi trip in town. There are a few Taxi-be lines operated by old and smoky Mercedes-Benz TN. There is no plan of the route system, nor is there a time table. They cost 500 Ar for a trip.

Buy
There are three banks with ATMs BFV-SG, BOA and BNI on.

The city center turns into a large market on Tuesdays selling everything a local family needs.

Connect
The main, which reportedly also has a few operational computers for internet access, is opposite to the train station.

Go next

 * If you are on your way further south (Toliara or Fort-Dauphin), then Ambalavao is the next logical stop. Even if going South is not your intention, it is worth to visit Ambalavao and Anja Community Reserve on a day trip.
 * For Ranomafana National Park, you can take a taxi-brousse towards Manakara. Plan to stay there at least two days.
 * If the FCE train is not en panne, you can travel on this line to Manakara or get off at one of the stations in between. Note that this is not a mode of transport for tourists, but an adventure for the lovers of railways.
 * If you are on your way back to Antananarivo, consider to stop in Antsirabe.
 * For Ranomafana National Park, you can take a taxi-brousse towards Manakara. Plan to stay there at least two days.
 * If the FCE train is not en panne, you can travel on this line to Manakara or get off at one of the stations in between. Note that this is not a mode of transport for tourists, but an adventure for the lovers of railways.
 * If you are on your way back to Antananarivo, consider to stop in Antsirabe.