Fianarantsoa Safari Trips & Tours

If there’s one thing you might not expect from Madagascar, it’s the highland town of Fianarantsoa. Split into upper and lower town, it’s the old quarter, with its attractive red-roofed buildings, schools, bookstores and traditional churches, that really captures the imagination. Stroll around the vertiginous streets, then head out to the surrounding valleys and vineyards (really!) to see an entirely different side of Mada. And there’s the famous Fianarantsoa railway line. The steepest in the world, it winds its way through forests, along cliff-edges and down dramatic descents. If you don’t have time to embark on the full 163-kilometre adventure (including all 48 tunnels and 67 bridges!), make the 25-kilometre journey to Sahambavy and visit the beautiful tea plantations instead.