Bursting forth from the rolling rice paddies and verdant highlands of the Vakinankaratra region in a kaleidoscopic show of ice-cream coloured homes and painted rickshaws, the soulful city of Antsirabe is right at the heart of Madagascar – and not just geographically! It’s a place where visitors can still spy out layer upon layer of the historical influences at work in this multicultural nation; where ageing Art Deco palaces erected by French jet setters in the 19^th century abut bamboo lean-tos or curious gothic church spires with a Scandinavian veneer. There are also bubbling hot springs ready for bathing and bustling marketplaces awash with quartz and gemstones, local craft goods and rows of fresh fruit stalls—all set to an ever-pleasant highland climate of cooling breezes and year-round warmth. Antsirabe tour guides also often tout walking excursions through the historic churches and sites of the town, boating trips down the meandering stretches of the Tsiribihina River, or hiking outings to the breath-taking gorges of the Tritriva Lake higher in the hills.