Things to Do at Andafiavaratra Palace

Perched on one of Antananarivo's highest ridges, Andafiavaratra Palace tends to catch first-time visitors off guard. You'll spot its pale stone walls and that distinctive domed roof from halfway across the city. They glow pink in the late afternoon light when the haze settles over the rice paddies below. It's a curious building. The original timber palace burned down in 1976. What stands now is a rebuilt shell housing what might be the most important collection of Malagasy royal artifacts anywhere. The smell of old wood polish and faint mustiness hits you as soon as you step inside. The wooden floors creak in that way that makes you feel you're somewhere consequential. This was the home of Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony. He effectively ran Madagascar through three successive queens in the late 1800s. Worth noting: the palace sits just downhill from the more famous Rova (Queen's Palace). Most visitors hit both in one go. The exhibits feel less polished than a European museum. You'll find handwritten labels in French and Malagasy and glass cases that have seen better decades. That's part of the charm. The crown jewels recovered after the 1995 Rova fire are here. They include an impressive silver crown that catches the dim light from the windows. As you'd expect from a building this old and this high up, the views from the terrace are something else. The red-tiled rooftops of Antananarivo's haute-ville cascade down toward Lake Anosy.

The palace sits in the haute-ville on Antananarivo's central ridge. The approach is part of the experience. Taxis from most central hotels run cheap and will drop you at the gates. You'll need to negotiate the fare beforehand since meters are basically nonexistent. If you're feeling adventurous, the walk up from Independence Avenue takes about 30 minutes. Narrow cobbled streets lined with crumbling colonial-era houses. It's seriously steep and you'll be winded. Taxi-be (the local minibuses) don't come up this high. Most tour operators bundle it with the Rova visit. That's the path of least resistance.