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From 13 to 15 November the Toamasina Lychee festival took place. It was organised by the youth federation of Toamasina, ‘Ino Mareseka’. The highlights were a carnival and a demonstration of martial arts. Many of the Toamasina schools participated in the carnival, one group even more originally dressed up than the other, all inspired by the lychees, that are ripening now and will soon be shipped to cheer up Christmas dinners in Europe. Nicest was of course the whole town was making merry.

Toamasina

On Friday October 16th the International Tourism Day was celebrated in Toamasina.

It was modest but lively event on the Esplanade, underneath the Palm Trees. All the touristic highlights of the region where presented to the public.

Local titbits could be tried and the most popular drink was fresh coconut juice. In the afternoon it became more serious: a debate on how to better develop tourism in the region. An important issue as the tourist potential of the region has not yet reached its full growth. You’d better come now, before mass-tourism sets in!

From Toamasina to Mananjary, lakes, lagoons, streams connected by canals dug out at the end of the 19^th Century, totalling up to 600 kilometres of waterway, known as the Pangalanes Canal.

Pangalanes Canal

The Canal runs parallel to the Indian Ocean. The strip of land between the salt and the sweet water measures just a few dozen metres.

The purpose of the canal was transport between Toamasina and the many villages and towns along the canal. Until this day the canal serves as such.

It is easy to navigate a boat on these waters, and it is very worthwhile.  The canal and its banks are a rare combination of an ecological system dominated by the Indian Ocean and that of the tropical forests more inland.

On the inland-shores there are areas where the plants are abundant, especially in the remaining pockets of tropical forest. There are little villages to visit and several tourist destinations, like a lemur park, a nature reserve, an agro touristic site, a distillery of essential oils, an orchid garden, …. too much to mention.

Centre Lambahoany is situated in the heart of Toamasina city.

Our centre has 7 bungalows, a bar, a large garden and often there are cultural activities organised, such as music, dancing and art.

June 26th is an important day in Madagascar, the day the country became independent after almost seventy years of French colonial rule.

Traditionally in Toamasina, this day is commemorated with a parade on the Avenue de l’Indépendance, where all kinds of social groups present themselves. On the urgent request of the Poekoelan students of Centre Lambahoany, the Poekoelan School participated in the parade. After waiting for several hours, the students paraded the Avenue where Important People and ordinary people were watching. Together with representatives of other Martial Arts they formed a colourful procession.

Centre Lambahoany was mentioned twice by the announcer: Poekoelan of Centre Lambahoany and Capoeira of Centre Lambahoany!