Madagascar

[Amadeuss]

How to get to Antsirabe? Is it easily accessible from Tamatave?

Why you ask those questions over and over again? You been to Mada, but never gave any input about your trip.

Tamatave to Antsirabe?. Have a look at Google Maps and answer that question yourself.

https://www.google.de/maps/place/Antsirabe, +Madagaskar / at -19.8549618,46.9819987,12 z / data=!3 m1!4 b1!4 m5!3 m4!1 s0 x21 e50 ef0 d3 abe42 the:0 xec5 cb6 c1 e49 c837 e!8 m2!3 the-19.8730077!4 d47.0291162.

[Doc16]

How to get to Antsirabe? Is it easily accessible from Tamatave?

[Amadeuss]

Further south at Fianarantsoa, numerous girls could speak English (learned at evangelical missionaries) and happy to practice with you. Also not too bad hotel infrastructure, otherwise nothing special unless you like to see new places.

True, Fiana on the RN7 is a good place to spend a couple of days as a stopover if you travel further south to Tulear. Take a girl from Fiana to Ihosy park. Great Location.

[Golfinho]

No, I say in 11 USD (36 K) hotel in Tana.
I bought a heat Blower and have crazy sexy hot GF. But honestly it does not my idea of vacation.
Exactly what I have said. January is summer. Otherwise get a nice hotel in Siberia and make sure they have heater in the hotel.

OK, so you've never been there. That explains it. Anyway, the route down the center of the country- Ambositra is pretty bleak, unless $11 hotels is your comfort zone style. Further south at Fianarantsoa, numerous girls could speak English (learned at evangelical missionaries) and happy to practice with you. Also not too bad hotel infrastructure, otherwise nothing special unless you like to see new places.

[LoveItHere69]

In the Philippines, I had a buddy buy a really unique styled street bike (Chinese) that looked great. But he had all kinds of electrical problems which are hard to find. By the time he had it fixed several times he could have simply bought a Yamaha, Honda, or other. His kick starter was only tack wielded in one spot which quickly came off.

I would not want to be out in the middle of nowhere with a Chinese made product. They will break down a lot and you will pay big money to get it fixed when and where you can even find a mechanic. I would stick to renting for awhile first.

I am not comparing street to off road motorcycles. I am comparing Chinese to Chinese. There is a reason Chinese transportation vehicles are not sold in 1st world countries. Only 3rd world.

[Member #4178]

We moved from island to island by tiny boat with the Moto on it.

[Member #4178]

To DonOmar: I saw this scooter with wide tyres on your photo.

Are they any good on sandy roads? Because a normal scooter is quite hopeless on a sandy road and even on a motorbike it is sometimes difficult to stay upright.
( I'm talking about Mtwapa roads )

But that scooter is Mada model non exist in Mtwapa.

Foe Mtwapa just buy the 200 CC Halk Haojin from the shop next to Posta Mtwapa. Its 135 K bob +two helmets.

http://www.chinamotorrider.com/test-...j200gy-3-hawk/

The stability on sand etc come to play due to various factors.

1. Weight of the Moto (lighter is better) that's why all of them are single cylinder to keep the weight down.

2. wheels diameter- Front tire size: 21 and rear 18. Bigger is better as more grip and fraction.

3. off road tires.

But my scooter has balloon tires and believe it or not I passed in places that Pro Enduro rider fail and he beg for help. So Don with his Pathetic scooter rescue the guy. So my point is that a pro Enduro rider can not beat a pro Monger. (30 degree slope wet mud). But me and my GF also ride on the beach sand on Saint Marrie.

[Zimzam]

To DonOmar: I saw this scooter with wide tyres on your photo.

Are they any good on sandy roads? Because a normal scooter is quite hopeless on a sandy road and even on a motorbike it is sometimes difficult to stay upright.
( I'm talking about Mtwapa roads )

[Member #4178]

As you stay in $20 hotels that don't have WiFi,

No, I say in 11 USD (36 K) hotel in Tana.

the kind of hotels you prefer evidently don't have heating either.

I bought a heat Blower and have crazy sexy hot GF. But honestly it does not my idea of vacation.

Most recent visit to Antsirabe --January 2016 -- was beautiful weather.

Exactly what I have said. January is summer. Otherwise get a nice hotel in Siberia and make sure they have heater in the hotel.

[JstWanagetLaid]

................Mongering is harder everywhere in the world. The Girls getting professional and no more interesting for me. So I can stay in Pattaya getting the best for my money. Travel around the world I did for 30 years and getting tired of it. Spend a lot of money for lausy hotels / flight and medium quality girls.

This directed not only at Beno69, but also DonOmar and South Easter, as they have also commented on this post. 15 to 20 years ago, mongering was easier, and now it definitely seems to need more cash and more effort to achieve regardless of where you are. But I am wondering is that as a result of girls getting more professional? Or is it a case of us becoming older and therefore not as desirable as before to the younger monger bait? In my opinion, it could be a case of the latter. I browse through quite a few forums on ISG and whenever young studs are posting, mongering seems to almost seem like multiple affairs being carried on at once rather than the slog we sometimes have to go through to get laid. Mongering does seems to get harder with age, because of our age and not a change in the scene. Just my thoughts. Care to comment anyone?

[Golfinho]

With Elevation of 1,500 m (4,900 ft) your ass will be cold as ice at night most of the year. Make sure you come on summer.

As you stay in $20 hotels that don't have WiFi, the kind of hotels you prefer evidently don't have heating either.

Most recent visit to Antsirabe --January 2016 -- was beautiful weather. It's no wonder the French during colonial times chose this area as place to build nice homes for to live, or else to have a place outside of Tana.

[Member #4178]

A new service from Telma is 4 G mobile network operated from last month. I was curious to know how fast it is so I have test it using Android APP. I got both 8 Mbps Upload / Download when the server was all the way in Thailand. That's a very fast internet connection. (Same test in Mombasa is 1 Mbps).

Connecting your laptop to the phone hotspot is not recommended for longer period of time since windows OS will download updates in the background and eat your bundle.

Why not to use hotel / Caffes free WiFi? Well, Hotels under 20 USD don't have WiFi or the connection is not operational. La glacier / Pizza Gastro is more Miss that hit. My usage was 6 GB for a month which cost about 75 K.

So just reload your SIM in the airport with the appropriate bundle.

[Member #4178]

Less talked about (although touristic) is Antsirabe with its very strong French colonial presence and nice weather

With Elevation of 1,500 m (4,900 ft) your ass will be cold as ice at night most of the year. Make sure you come on summer.

[SouthEaster]

Wow. Have not seen this amount of negativity on Mada in some time. Someone who was considering a trip must surely be rethinking it by now. I have only been twice but have not yet given up and will go once more in a few months so will see for myself just how bad things are getting. It's hard to figure out sometimes just what people are thinking / meaning. DonO loved St Marie and seemed to really enjoy Tana but would not recommend Mada as a destination. Beno has seen the good times and they are no more. Golfinho seems more upbeat but figures the Chinese have fucked up Tamatave or are on the way to doing so.

As someone who has seen Sihanoukville slowly being taken over by them I can fully understand his concern. They are taking over everywhere these days.

PB are you willing to share some thoughts about your perspective on your latest trip? Would really like to know what you think.

I have never been to Antsirabe but after a quick look on google I think I will have to give it a miss. Too bloody cold!

Southeaster.

[Beno69]

Mada is a problematic place for retirement but also for tourism..

Thanks Don Omar, this is a very good Post. And we stop fighting. 555 - I just wondered, because you changed your opignon every some month before.

Mongering is harder everywhere in the world. The Girls getting professional and no more interesting for me. So I can stay in Pattaya getting the best for my money. Travel around the world I did for 30 years and getting tired of it. Spend a lot of money for lausy hotels / flight and medium quality girls.