Your stay — La Colongette
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The Property — La Colongette
La Colongette is a modest three-star with a faded colonial charm: think high ceilings, a worn parquet floor in the small lobby, and a sense of quiet that feels miles from Antsirabe's main drag. Its USP is the decent thermal pool and the back garden where bougainvillea climbs a stone wall. It suits budget-conscious travellers who want a clean base near the town centre without pretension. Standing in the lobby, you smell floor wax and woodsmoke from the fireplace in winter.
Chronicles of Antsirabe
Antsirabe was founded in the 1870s by Norwegian missionaries who recognised the cool highland climate as ideal for a sanatorium. Its architecture is a mix of colonial villas, art deco facades and, increasingly, concrete boxes. The city became a railway hub in the early 20th century, connecting it to Antananarivo and the coast. Today, Antsirabe is known for its thermal springs, pousse-pousse rickshaws, and a relaxed pace that contrasts with the capital's chaos.
Best Time to Visit
Full Antsirabe guide →Best months
MayAugustSeptember
Peak / festival surge
July is peak season – the austral winter is dry and cool, with clear skies. Local tourism spikes during school holidays (July–August). Hotel prices at La Colongette typically rise 15–20% over shoulder rates. The Fête du 26 Juin (Independence Day) sees some crowds but no major festival in Antsirabe itself.
Budget shoulder season
April and November are excellent value: April is end of rainy season with green landscapes and lighter crowds; November is start of hot season but still quiet, with hotel rates 10–15% cheaper than peak.
Weather & packing
Antsirabe sits at 1,500m and winter nights can drop to 5°C while daytime hits 20°C – a serious swing. Pack a fleece, a windproof jacket, and reliable sunscreen for the strong UV at altitude.
Live City Briefing — Antsirabe
- A new pedestrianised zone on Avenue de l'Indépendance, just a 5-minute walk from La Colongette, opened in late 2025 with café seating and shaded benches, making the central market area safer to explore on foot.
- The RN7 highway north to Antananarivo is undergoing resurfacing between Antsirabe and the capital; expect delays of 30–60 minutes on weekdays, especially on Fridays when traffic is heavier.
- Antsirabe's weekly Saturday morning market at Marche d'Andravoahangy has added a dedicated section for handicrafts and local vanilla products – arrive before 9am to avoid the midday heat and crowds.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to La Colongette, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on the first floor or higher at the rear of the building, away from the street. These rooms will be quieter and may offer a view of the garden or courtyard, depending on the hotel's layout.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid ground-floor rooms and any facing the street, as Antsirabe's address suggests possible traffic noise from the main road. Ground-floor rooms may also have less privacy and potential noise from the reception or dining areas.
Best views
Rooms at the rear of the hotel may overlook a garden or courtyard. Antsirabe is known for its colonial architecture, so upper-floor rooms facing the street could offer views of the town, but with more noise.
Quietest floors
First floor and above, particularly rooms at the back of the property.
🔊 Noise notes
As a 3-star hotel on a main road in Antsirabe, expect some street noise during the day and evening. There may also be noise from the hotel's common areas (bar, dining) on the ground floor.
Insider tips
Request a room on the first floor at the back of the hotel for the best balance of quiet and view. If arriving by car, ask about secure on-site parking, as street parking may be limited. Check if the hotel has a garden; if so, a room overlooking it is worth requesting.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — La Colongette
Free Wi-Fi throughout; average speed 5 Mbps; no login required
No lift; all rooms on ground floor (single-storey building)
No digital newsstand or physical newspapers available
Standard 14:00-22:00; early bag-drop available from 10:00; late check-out until 13:00 for 30,000 MGA (subject to availability)
Available free of charge at reception during stay hours
No step-free access; wheelchair entry not possible (one step at main entrance and narrow doorways)
Free on-site parking for up to 10 cars; nearest public car park is 500 m away at Marché d’Antsirabe (2,000 MGA per night); no EV charging
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: None
Deposit & card hold: 50% advance deposit required at booking; 50,000 MGA incidental hold on credit card at check-in
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: Lovasoa Cross-cultural Competence Center (192 m · ~2 min walk)
- Church: Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette (386 m · ~5 min walk)
- Mosque: Mosquée (646 m · ~8 min walk)
- Place of worship: Soeurs de Saint Joseph de Cluny (863 m · ~11 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Ravitsara — 1.0 km · ~13 min walk
Musée de la propriété intellectuelle — 1.3 km · ~16 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 64 m · ~1 min walk
Mahasoa — 764 m · ~10 min walk
Le Comptoir des Hautes Terres — 803 m · ~10 min walk
SOTRATE-COTIS — 400 m · ~5 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Malagasy Ariary, MGA
Change cash at banks or exchange bureaux in Antsirabe town centre; avoid airport or hotel desks, which give poor rates.
Visa/Mastercard accepted in better hotels and some restaurants; most shops and street vendors are cash-only; contactless is rare.
Not expected but appreciated: round up taxi fares (10% max), leave 5-10% at restaurants if service charge not included, and tip hotel porters a couple of thousand ariary.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Street-side coffee from a thermos vendor or small kiosk – around 500-1000 MGA.
Plate of rice with a simple sauce and meat/fish at a local market stall – roughly 3000-5000 MGA.
Main course of grilled meat or fish with rice at a local eatery – about 5000-8000 MGA.
Look for food stalls along the main market on Rue de l'Indépendance; brochettes (skewers) and fried dough are common cheap eats.
Shop at Shoprite or the local supermarket chains like Supermarché de l'Indépendance; basic staples are cheap.
The central market (Marché d'Antsirabe) sells second-hand clothing and local textiles; fast-fashion is limited.
Shared taxi-brousse (bush taxi) or pousse-pousse (rickshaw) for short trips – pousse-pousse costs about 2000-4000 MGA per journey; to/from airport use a shared taxi-brousse or negotiate a fixed price with a taxi driver (~10,000-15,000 MGA).
1) Withdraw cash from bank ATMs (avoid private ATMs with high fees). 2) Eat at market stalls for cheap filling meals. 3) Negotiate pousse-pousse fares before you ride.
Emergency Contacts
AntsirabeDial 124 from a Telma mobile for general emergencies. In Antsirabe, the police station is on Avenue de la Gare, near the train station. The main hospital is Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Antsirabe (CHU), on Route d'Ambatofotsy. For fire, contact the local brigade on Rue de l'Indépendance. English is rarely spoken; have a French or Malagasy speaker assist if possible. Keep these numbers saved offline, as mobile coverage can be spotty outside town.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Antsirabe, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at La Colongette
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 64 m · ~1 min walk — pharmacy · Mahasoa — 764 m · ~10 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Ivato International Airport (TNR) → Pension de Famille Sulby Sulby, Antsirabe
💡 Negotiate the fare before you set off; drivers at Ivato often quote 200,000 MGA. Book through your hotel – Sulby’s owners can arrange a reliable driver for around 120,000 MGA, avoiding airport touts.
Gare Soarana, Antananarivo → Gare Antsirabe
💡 A scenic, slow ride through highlands – great for photos but not for punctuality. Bring snacks and water, as the onboard canteen is unreliable. Sulby Sulby is a 15-minute uphill walk from Antsirabe station, so if you have heavy luggage, grab a pousse-pousse for 2000 MGA.
Antananarivo (Gare Routière d’Ambohimanambola) → Antsirabe (Gare Routière – near market)
💡 Get to the station early – taxis-brousse fill fast. Bring small change for exact fare, wear a mask (dusty route), and keep bags on your lap. For Sulby Sulby, it’s a 10-minute walk or 3000 MGA pousse-pousse ride from the Antsirabe drop-off point.
Pension de Famille Sulby Sulby (local runs) → Antsirabe market, Tritriva Lake, or nearby villages
💡 Ask the pension owners for a trusted driver – they know English-speaking guides. Dont pay upfront; settle at the end of the trip. For short hops (e.g., to the gare), use a pousse-pousse – 2000–3000 MGA within town.
About Antsirabe
Wikipedia ↗
Antsirabe (Malagasy pronunciation: [anˌtsiraˈbe]), also known as Ville d'eau (lit. 'City of water' in French), is the third-largest city in Madagascar and the capital of the Vakinankaratra region, with a population of 265,018 in 2014. In Madagascar, Antsirabe is known for its relatively cool climate...
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at La Colongette?
Request a room on the first floor or higher at the rear of the building, away from the street. These rooms will be quieter and may offer a view of the garden or courtyard, depending on the hotel's layout.
Which rooms should I avoid at La Colongette?
Avoid ground-floor rooms and any facing the street, as Antsirabe's address suggests possible traffic noise from the main road. Ground-floor rooms may also have less privacy and potential noise from the reception or dining areas.
Is La Colongette noisy?
As a 3-star hotel on a main road in Antsirabe, expect some street noise during the day and evening. There may also be noise from the hotel's common areas (bar, dining) on the ground floor.
Which rooms have the best views at La Colongette?
Rooms at the rear of the hotel may overlook a garden or courtyard. Antsirabe is known for its colonial architecture, so upper-floor rooms facing the street could offer views of the town, but with more noise.
What are insider tips for staying at La Colongette?
Request a room on the first floor at the back of the hotel for the best balance of quiet and view. If arriving by car, ask about secure on-site parking, as street parking may be limited. Check if the hotel has a garden; if so, a room overlooking it is worth requesting.
What time is check-in at La Colongette?
Check-in at La Colongette is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does La Colongette have Wi-Fi?
Free Wi-Fi throughout; average speed 5 Mbps; no login required
Is there a city or tourist tax at La Colongette?
None
Where can I eat cheaply near La Colongette?
Plate of rice with a simple sauce and meat/fish at a local market stall – roughly 3000-5000 MGA.
What is the cheapest way to get around from La Colongette?
Shared taxi-brousse (bush taxi) or pousse-pousse (rickshaw) for short trips – pousse-pousse costs about 2000-4000 MGA per journey; to/from airport use a shared taxi-brousse or negotiate a fixed price with a taxi driver (~10,000-15,000 MGA).
When is the best time to visit Antsirabe?
MayAugustSeptember
Top Attractions in Antsirabe
💡 If you time your visit for a weekday morning, you might catch a train arriving from Antananarivo. The shed workers are usually happy to chat if you speak French or Malagasy.
💡 Head to the covered section near Avenue de l'Indépendance for good-value woven baskets and raffia items. Bring small change and bargain politely but firmly.
💡 Order a coffee or a plate of mofo gasy (Malagasy rice cakes) in the garden café for about 1000 MGA. The terrace has a decent view of the surrounding hills.
💡 Bring your own food and drink—there are no stalls, only a few women selling grilled corn on weekends. The path takes about an hour to walk round at a slow pace.
💡 Go early on a weekday to avoid crowds. Hire a local guide at the entrance for a small fee (around 2000-3000 MGA) to hear the stories and see the hidden caves.