Madagascar: Antsirabe rice fields

August 7, 2023
Madagascar
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Rice, in Malagasy 'vary', is incredibly important to the people of in Madagascar. The island has one of the highest per capita consumption of rice worldwide: On average, each Madagascan eats 120 kg of rice per year.

The plan for the day was that we were going to a village outside of Antsirabe and take a walk through the rice fields and experience some of rural Madagascar.

We were driven out of Antsiribe into the countryside which gave us a chance to enjoy the pastoral scenes, including a motorbike with a live 300kg pig strapped on the back. Not something you would likely see back in the United States or the UK.

After about 20km, our Madagascar guide Zo pulled over and dropped us, along with José who would be our guide for the day, on the side of the road in a small village.

From there we took some side alleys which brought us out onto a landscape covered in rice fields. We followed some trails that took us along the edge of the fields and into the yard of a farm, where a woman was busy at work while her young children looked on, and of course at us when we arrived. José took the opportunity to stop and give us some insights into this village and the way of life for farming communities like this.

Not too far from the farm was a family tomb. Zo had given us background on the concepts of family tombs and the exhumation of ancestors, but José added more colour and detail, and we soon realised how these exhumation celebrations were a community event and not just for the family. It sounded like a big celebration for everyone to participate in – although culturally very alien to us from the West.

Our route took us along the very narrow paths between the rice fields. Now this sounds like a nice stroll, but these paths were in some place about 15cm across, undulating with a drop of about 2 metres. At times we felt like a gymnast on a balance beam. It was quite stressful walking and not going arse over tit, into a muddy rice field. That said it was beautiful and very enjoyable as we walked along sharing stories with José and learning more about the agricultural practices in Madagascar. We didn’t see many people along the way apart from locals going about their business and one other group of tourists who seemed to be sticking to the wider trails (they didn’t look very steady on their feet!)

Our final stop before lunch was a small, single-building school on the side of a hill overlooking the rice fields below. It looked idyllic but the school building was very basic and had limited resources. It was also very full, with children literally spilling out of it. The teachers, dressed in white lab coats looked like they should be mixing chemicals rather than rounding up children, but the latter is what they were trying to do when we arrived, which made that task impossible! We spent several minutes chatting with the staff and children, who all seem delighted to see us and wanted to practice their English. The school building had been built by the community, whilst the State paid the teachers a measly salary – which we learned was not a living wage and meant not many people wanted to go into the profession. A second schoolroom had been started to accommodate the growing number of children in the community, but they had run out of money. José estimated that it would take the equivalent of another $300 to complete, which seemed too low a value to us, but even so, we started to hatch a plan in our heads about whether we could finance finishing the roof off.

We climbed the hill above the school, which gave us a better view of the school room with the missing roof and reached the summit. From here we had a 360-degree view across the valley, full of rice fields in various states of cultivation.
It was a lovely day, not too hot, and José found us a nice shady spot to take lunch, which he and his wife had prepared. Our favourite part was a fresh, juicy and incredibly sweet pineapple which was sliced up on the spot and quickly demolished.

Refuelled by our tasty lunch we carried on through the rice fields on the narrow trails, which seemed to be getting narrower, higher off the ground and steeper as we travelled along them. But we were loving it.

Finally, we got back to the edge of the fields and paths that didn’t involve slipping off either side into a muddy gloop. The last part of our journey took us back into the village, where high on a hill next to a pretty little church we had a magical view down onto a lake. From here in the distance, we could see storm clouds brewing, so it was fortunate for us that Zo was here and ready to take us back to Antsirabe.

It was market day in the village and things were a lot busier than when we arrived earlier in the morning, so it took a little while to navigate our way through the people and traffic. As we got going, we got behind a car ladened with cages on its roof full of chickens, ducks and assorted poultry. In the back of the car were more chickens plus the odd turkey or two. I would hate to think what it sounded like driving that car back home!

Best time to visit Madagascar

Current Weather Forecasts

Antananarivo

Sunday

76°

few clouds

Clouds20%

Humidity38%

Wind14mph

Mon

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Toliara

Sunday

83°

clear sky

Clouds0%

Humidity56%

Wind11mph

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Morondava

Sunday

82°

broken clouds

Clouds51%

Humidity66%

Wind13mph

Mon

Min74°

Max83°

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The best time to visit Madagascar depends on what you want to do and see. The country is green and fresh after the rain that falls between January and March, with lemurs and reptiles active and easy to spot. While there are some heavy downpours from April to June, these are interspersed with sunshine, while July and August are cool and dry, making this an ideal time for exploring.

The whales arrive on Île Sainte-Marie in July and remain until the end of September. Between September and November the weather is particularly lovely, remaining fine and warm. This is also when jacarandas are in flower and many lemurs have young. While December is hot, lemurs, reptiles and tenrecs are active, which makes for good wildlife viewing.

Month-by-Month

Visiting Maadagascar in January to March

January to March is cyclone season, so we would advise against travelling to Madagascar during this time.

Visiting Madagascar in April to June

Heavy downpours can still be expected in April, May and June, but between these showers the sun will usually shine. Following the rainy season the landscape is lush and green, with wildlife such as lemurs and reptiles often making an appearance.

Visiting Madagascar in July & August

This is a good time to try spotting humpback whales as they begin to arrive in Île Sainte-Marie. The weather is cool and dry, making this a comfortable time to explore.

Events & Festivals

Spot humpback whales (July to September): Humpback whales migrate from the Antarctic at this time of year to calve, making for unforgettable sightings from the shore or on a boat expedition around the island of Île Sainte-Marie.

Visiting Madagascar in September

The weather is fine and warm. Humpback whales can still be seen in Île Sainte-Marie until the end of the month, while lemurs begin to give birth to young.

Events & Festivals

Visiting Madagascar in October

Temperatures begin to increase around the country and jacarandas are in bloom, displaying their vibrant purple flowers.

Events & Festivals

See fossa in western Madagascar: Endemic to Madagascar, fossa are cat-like, carnivorous mammals. October and November are a great time to spot them in the deciduous forests of western Madagascar such as Anjajavy Private Nature Reserve.

Visiting Madagascar in November & December

Temperatures continue to increase around the country, although there is a little bit more in the way of rain. Lemurs, reptiles and tenrecs can often be spotted at this time..

Events & Festivals

Where to stay in Antsiribe

COULEUR CAFÉ

Set in Antsirabe, 500 metres from Antsirabe Train Station, Couleur Café offers accommodation with a garden, free private parking, a shared lounge and a terrace. 18 km from Lac Tritriva and 1.1 km from Cathedral Antsirabe, the property features a restaurant and a bar. The accommodation provides a 24-hour front desk, airport transfers, a concierge service and free WiFi.

Featuring a private bathroom with a shower and a hairdryer, rooms at the hotel also provide guests with a garden view. The units will provide guests with a wardrobe and a kettle.