Visit Antananarivo

Antananarivo is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. It is located in the central highlands and is home to nearly 1.5 million people. It has a unique mix of French colonial architecture, local markets, and bustling street life. The city offers a variety of historical sites to explore such as Rova Palace, which was formerly the royal palace of the Merina kingdom, and Ambohimanga Hill which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One popular tourist activity in Antananarivo is visiting its vibrant markets where you can buy handmade goods from local artisans or sample traditional Malagasy cuisine like Vary Sosoa or Romazava. For nature lovers, nearby Tsingy de Bemaraha Reserve provides stunning views and great opportunities for bird watching or hiking with lemurs!

Before modern times, Antananarivo was an important trading hub between East Africa and Asia as part of the spice trade route along with Fort Dauphin on Madagascar's east coast. Today it remains a strategic port for international maritime shipping making it an important gateway to both commercial trade as well as tourism in Madagascar!