Ambalavao

Ambalavao sits where the highlands break towards the south, a town of tall balconied houses below granite domes, and it is known for three things. Antaimoro paper is made here from the bark of the avoha shrub, pulped, spread on frames and set with pressed flowers, a technique brought from the southeast coast and now the town's signature craft, with workshops open to visitors. Wild silk from the tapia forests is spun and woven into lambamena, the shrouds used in highland burial ritual. And on Wednesdays and Thursdays the zebu market fills a field on the edge of town, with herds walked in from the south over days, traders in straw hats, and a great deal of noise and dust. Wine is also made nearby, which is unusual for Madagascar.

What you actually see

• Antaimoro paper making - bark pulp spread and dried with pressed flowers.
• The zebu market - herds, traders and dust on market days.
• Silk weaving - wild silk spun and woven into burial cloth.
• Granite backdrop - the domes that mark the edge of the highlands.

When to go

April to November for travel on the RN7. The zebu market runs Wednesday and Thursday and is the reason to time a visit; it starts very early and thins by midday.

Honest expectations

The paper workshops are geared to visitors and end in a shop. The zebu market is a working livestock market, crowded, dusty and not staged for tourists, which is its appeal but also means it is not comfortable. Photography there needs care and permission. The town itself is small.

Nearby

Anja reserve is just south; Andringitra lies southeast.