Antananarivo Warnings Or Dangers Tips by Norali Top 5 Page for this destination

No metro neither tub in Tana

If someone tells you that there is a "metro" or "tub" in center of Tana, beware! It does not exist there. This used to be a bad joke about sending tourists in a presumed metro/ tub station. In fact, it is a place of underground public toilets that used to be in center of then Analakely great market, late Zoma market... Up to now, no problem with that, except that it is a bad joke. In fact, the problem is that toilets there used to be so dirty and smelly... It's a bit mean from my compatriots' part but that's life!!
For years, so many tourists have been trapped by this joke!
Malagasy people use to be respectful of others but this one, I don't understand !

I was told that this is irony regarding poverty... as if the only tub Tana has is underground toilets.

[Update March 2005: anyway, you wouldn't fall into this trap anymore since the big Zoma market on Analakely doesn't exist anymore, only few stalls resisted. Then, you wouldn't really visit the area, the art market has moved away, so has the flower market, what is left is a plain market as the many the city counts. Those ochre tiled-roofed pavillions are parts of the market.

Besides, if you're looking for public toilets, you would find clean ones there, with dame-pipi whom you should pay off course.]

Money in several pockets

Walking in streets in urban cities, and especially Tana, used to be not as safe as it seemed. People are nice, smiling. But pickpockets are there.

However, locals (vendors, shoppers..) and Tana authorities undertook actions to clean markets, or at least, make them safer. This is one reason why so-called Zoma market (Friday market, that used to hold on Friday in Analakely area) was abolished. There are several stalls that "survived" from the cleaning. The area began to be dangerous for shoppers and vendors as professional pickpockets (sprinters) operated there, especially at wealthy women and tourists' expenses.

It may be safer, even nowadays and while wandering in other streets, to spread your banknotes in separate pockets of your clothes (and not in your bag neither in your traditional "banane" or bum bag). Don't wear things too expensive, such as your golden jewels. They are really "attractive"... Though Tana at night is not more dangerous than Paris or any other city.

Don't give money to beggars

No mystery, begging is everywhere in Tana, especially in urban areas.
It may sound weird that I recommend you not to give money to beggars. In fact, two reasons for that:
- First, if you give to a person, be sure that others will not come afterwards as they are spying each other, and you will soon be surrounded by beggars. Beggars use to fight each other if everybody is not equally treated;
- Second, one says "The hand that gives is always above one who receives". If really you have to give, give food to kiddies, not to adults...
Or even better, participate as volunteers in development programs, or assist NGOs that try to give poor families possibilities for better children's education, for instance.

Thanks !

For road trips, rather travel with other bikers

While preparing your internal trip(s) to see other parts of the island, I find it interesting to have road trips rather than fly.
If you choose this option:
* Get informed of the type of road you/ the driver will drive in as sometimes, a 4*4 is needed.
The island offers this possibility for motorbikers to escape from crowded Tana to empty areas.
* My warning though, don't travel as a sole biker, rather travel with a guide and other bikers. This applies for safety reasons: in case of accident, sickness, breakdown, other guides and drivers may help yours... but applies to the risk of encountering local highwaymen as well. The more travellers and guides are in a caravan, the better it is.
Efforts are made by authorities to tackle highwaymen problem but regions are too large to be entirely covered and secured.
If I am not wrong, even 4*4 often travel as part of a caravan.