Ambositra
A handicraft capital of the Betsileo region, famed for fine wood carving and marquetry, and a must-stop town on the RN7 south of Antsirabe.
Ambositra lies on National Route 7, about 90 kilometers south of Antsirabe. It is the center of the traditional Zafimaniry woodcarving trade, and its streets are lined with carving shops selling everything from marquetry pictures and jewelry boxes to furniture. You can visit workshops and watch craftsmen assemble patterns from a range of natural wood tones. The town has a colonial-style old street, a cathedral and a monument to the 1947 uprising. From Antsirabe it is about a two-hour drive, and it works well as a lunch stop on the way to Ranomafana. When buying wood carvings, avoid products made from endangered rosewood.
Opening hours
Shop approx. 08:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Zafimaniry Villages
- Lake Tritriva
- Pousse-pousse Ride & Handicraft Workshops
- Cathedral of Our Lady of La Salette
- Asabotsy Market
- Antsirabe Station & Grande Avenue
- Antsirabe Thermal Baths & Hôtel des Thermes
- Lake Andraikiba