Ambositra

Ambositra is the centre of Malagasy woodcraft, a hillside town of houses with carved wooden balconies and painted shutters where the workshops of the main street sell marquetry boxes, inlaid panels, carved doors and Zafimaniry-style geometric work. The tradition comes down from the Zafimaniry villages in the forest east of here, and much of what is sold in the town is made there or by carvers trained in the same idiom. Quality varies enormously between shops, from genuine hardwood inlay to quick softwood work aimed at passing traffic, and the difference is worth learning before buying. The town also has a Catholic mission and a monastery, and its architecture of tall narrow houses with ornamented balconies is characteristic of the Betsileo highlands.

What you actually see

• Marquetry workshops - inlaid boxes, panels and furniture being made.
• Carved balconies - the town's characteristic house fronts.
• Zafimaniry-style work - geometric carving in the forest tradition.
• The main-street shops - dozens of outlets side by side.

When to go

April to November for dry travel on the RN7. Workshops work on weekdays. The town is a standard overnight stop between Antsirabe and Fianarantsoa.

Honest expectations

Much of what is sold is aimed at tourists and quality ranges widely; the cheapest pieces are softwood and will not last. Sales pressure on the main street is persistent. Rosewood and other protected timbers are sometimes offered and buying them is both illegal to export and damaging. The town itself has few sights beyond the shops.

Nearby

The Zafimaniry villages lie east; Fianarantsoa is south.