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 Wood cars, tiny bicycles, stalls on Tana-Antsirabe by Norali | Go shopping in Madagascar with recommendations, reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and locals. Map |
 | Madagascar Shopping | Tips 1 - 10 of 25 |  |
It is rather about a range of products than about shops.
Zafimaniry peoples are traditional woodcraftsmen. Zafimaniry villages are located in what used to be the Fianarantsoa province. S-E forest, far from industrialized world. Though buyers, tourists use to flock in to buy, order items. Wood sculpting (jewel boxes, bonbonera, huge wood box, minimalist- style chairs...) is their specialty. They perform well with abstract motives as well as landscape, flowers. As for types of wood, it may be palissandre, rosewood..
While visiting their villages, you will notice nicely sculpted shutters, they cannot be exported.. Just admire the beauty...
This is, however, a proceeds that leads to exterminate forest and its rare and precious diversity (along with other worse proceeds, such as burning trees and soil) as trade of those wooden jewels expands. Many NGO, the government and Malagasy people are more and more aware of the uniqueness of their flora and fauna. Thus, programs to counter deforestation apply. You will see, alongside roads, eucalyptus and pinewood trees that line up in quite regular rows. Those are results of those "green projects". And you know what ? Zafimaniry is now classified "world's intangible cultural heritage" by the UNESCO. Check the website to know more.
If you cannot have a Tana-Fianarantsoa or a Big South Journey that passes through Ambositra area, go to CENAM - Andavamamba (Tana), and to Andravoahangy market in Tana
Woodcraft (boxes, statues, home furniture..) in a whole range of wood types.
I don't remember of the prices Leave a Comment
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One of classical but beautiful gifts you may buy in Madagascar is a wood and stones board game (solitaire game, for instance).
The set includes 37 semi-precious stones' spheres and, sometimes, their list included. The board is made from selected hardwoods.
Buy them in Andravoahangy market (Tana) or at CENAM- Andavamamba (Tana). CENAM is a permanent exhibition of artcraft. Items there range from woodwork, carpentry, golden jewels, woodsculptings, paintings, semi-precious items (eggs, spheres, ashtrays...), woven fabrics (silk, cotton, raphia, rabane)...
Since my best friend and my granny bought me solitaire games (a big ands heavy one that stays in Madagascar and a smaller one a friend, RKAB, gave me), I bought there something else. Wood stylish statues, watercolour paintings of a coastal landscape... But my dream is to buy one of those Bivouac paintings. Those are of typical Malagasy countryside and road scenery.
Depends on who painted and where you buy them. :-) And the size of paintings. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: CENAM (Andavamamba, Atelier Jacaranda (North Tana)
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You will see, while shopping in markets, price displays that use amounts in Ariary (A) or in Francs malgaches (Fmg) or combinations of the two them.
Know that:
- Ariary is now (since 2003) the (only) national currency. In supermarkets, prices are rightly given in Ariary both on shelvings display & on your bills. It's when shopping in markets (the Chinese pavillions in Analakely, for instance) that one has to really watch out the combinations of Ariary & Fmg displays.
In doubt, ask the equivalent amount in Ariary as on banknotes, Ariary amounts are the only that are clearly written whilst amounts in Fmg are in small police size, hardly visible. 1 Ariary = 5 Fmg.
- Some history
Iraimbilanja - Ariary system, where 1 Ariary = 5 Iraimbilanja, is the traditional one while the French implemented "Franc malgache" name. Franc malgache has same value as Iraimbilanja: 1Fmg = 1Ia. No mention of Iraimbilanja amount anymore on our banknotes. But since the last change is so recent, it's still difficult for the many urban folks to get used to Ariary again. Countryfolks- who make up for 80% of our population- are the ones which are really at ease as they had never left the Ariary system despite colonials implementing the Franc system.
Just remember how long it took some to get used to Euro at its implementing some years ago! I lived in Belgium back then...
-Artcraft:
tiny can cars; board games with several semiprecious-stone-spheres; sculpted wood statues; paintings...
-Cotton tablecloth for everyday life, bed sheets with landscape, Malagasy flower embroideries.. As for cotton fabrics, my preference goes to drawn-thread embroidery (elegant white embroidery on white cotton/ linen fabrics), especially for special events (higher pricing).
-Natural silk fabrics
See my Tana shopping tips for details... Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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Madagascar grows the best vanilla in the world. The hugely fragrant pods smell right through the packet!
I paid 25.000 MGF (about 4 Euro) per packet of 5 pods. But then you'll have the freshest, biggest, most succulent, most fragrant vanilla pods ever. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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This was a gift from our hosts in Madagascar. There is an amazing variety of (semi)precious gemstones here inclulding a rare dark blue aquamarine, but also all sorts of quartz, garnets, moonstone, amazonite etc. The largest crystal ever found came from Madagascar and weighed more than 380 tons.
You'll find 100s of varieties of these ashtrays and eggs in all sizes, colours and perfection. Leave a Comment Theme: Jewelry
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It is quit funny to see that TinTin is popular in Madagascar. It was a surprise to us. They use images and covers of this popular strip figure and give it a title with Madagascar in it. These images are made of different sorts of wood. That wood is almost peeled in tiny slises and the differences in color are used to create the image.
We found them in shops all over Madagascar , but noticed that they were the cheapest on Nosy be (15 dollar more in Diego is quit a huge amount of money on Madagascar). You'll find them in Tana too and the most expensive they are in the airport (40-50 dollars) Leave a Comment Theme: Gifts
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Meat is kept and sold simply in the open air. Given the temperatures, around 30 degrees Celsius, I would not advice westerners to buy!
Eh, nothing! Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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Lots of toys, especially cars, made of tins and cans. All sorts of Deux Chevaux, other Citroën cars, Peugeout, Renault and taxi brousse in all sizes and colours. Leave a Comment Theme: Toys and Games
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A veritable health hazard for the European.
Nothing is cooled, the temperature is nearly 30 degr. Celsius. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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Along the roads you'll see thousands of these stalls where the locals buy their groceries.
Better not try it yourself (maybe the fruit is ok) or you'll be sick. But it is fascinating nonetheless. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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on September 12, 2007
on September 18, 2002
on November 25, 2005
