Carved balconies
Old houses with decorated wood.
Torbenbrinker — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Torbenbrinker — CC BY-SA 4.0 · HoneyGaLe — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Torbenbrinker — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Torbenbrinker — CC BY-SA 4.0
Ambositra is a city in central Madagascar on National Road 7, capital of the Amoron'i Mania region and known in the country as the Capital of Woodworking. That comes from the nearby Zafimaniry, a subgroup of the Betsileo with a carving tradition, and workshops and shops spread among its old houses. It lies about 255 km south of the capital by road, on the Isaha River. Its bishop sits at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Rue de Commerce, one of the largest churches in Madagascar, built in the first quarter of the 20th century. On the same street stands the Grand Hotel from 1912 with its red front, along with a memorial from 1947. In the centre you pass colonial houses with carved wooden balconies and workshops, some of which can be visited to watch the craftsmen. Boxes, chessboards, figurines and household goods in wood are sold here. On the edge of town are terraced rice fields, and nuns sell cheese, honey and jam at a red-brick Benedictine monastery. The city lies about 77.2 km from Antsirabe and 186.3 km from Antananarivo in a straight line. It makes a good stop on the road south, so allow half a day. Ask about the source of the wood before buying, and about the rules for taking it out of the country. Ask before photographing people, and dress modestly at the cathedral.
Old houses with decorated wood.
Craftsmen, boxes and chessboards.
Green steps on the edge of town.
Rue de Commerce, Ambositra, Amoron'i Mania Region, Madagascar
Wooden boxes, chessboards and household goods, asking about the wood's source.
Half a day covers the workshops and town centre.