• Witness the distinctively French flavour and atmosphere of the capital, Antananarivo, often abbreviated to Tana. French is widely spoken, and road and shop signs are mostly in French. The city is built on three levels.

• View the capital's national monument, the Queen's Palace and associated Royal Village or Rova. It was once the residency of the Merina Dynasty which, in the 19th century, united all of Madagascar for the first time.

• See the birthplace of the Malagasy state, Ambohimanga. The citadel's structures reveal its heritage as an important Merina stronghold. Its main gate is an enormous stone disc which needed 40 men to roll it into position. Known variously as ‘the blue city', ‘the holy city' and ‘the forbidden city', it is surrounded by forests.

• Glimpse Madagascar's second-highest mountain, Tsiafajovona, from the country's main industrial centre, Antsirabe, also known as Andasibe. The town has a thermal spa and is surrounded by volcanic hills that are dotted with crater lakes.

• Enjoy the views in the Hauts Plateaux, a chain of rugged, ravine-riven mountains that run from north to south down the centre of Madagascar, in the Central Highlands.

• See how the lush north is dominated by great mountains, including Tsarantanana, the island's highest at 2,880m (9,450ft), which is covered with the giant ferns and lichens peculiar to high-altitude rainforests.

• Take in the vibrant sights of Madagascar's lively markets. Toamasina is the country's main port and a provincial capital with several busy markets, including the Bazary Be. In Antananarivo, the daily Zoma Market claims to be the second-largest in the world.

• See the wonderful arts and crafts in Fianarantsoa, an important centre for wine and rice production and a good base for exploring the southern highlands, and the Zafimaniny village, where intricate marquetry products are made.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.