Antananarivo - Post Report Question and Answers
Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
For single people no. For families ok if you are ok with spending a lot of time at home. - Jul 2020
It's definitely a great post for families with kids... there seems be a lot going on for kids 4 - 13(ish?). But I wouldn't rule it out as a couple or single, there's really a lot to do here if you're open to exploring. - Mar 2017
Plenty of singles, some night life. Plenty of families with younger kids. Tougher for high school aged kids... not much to do without transport, few places to 'hang out' - Jun 2016
Singles and couples seem to do okay. Families with older kids who have built-in social circles through the American/French school seem to keep themselves occupied. Families with babies and toddlers seem to suffer, as there is not much here to do, especially with the restricted mobility that comes with having little kids. Not to mention the constant illnesses and terror that come with a minimally verbal ill child and complete lack of basic healthcare services. - Oct 2015
Speaking as a single, this is a great post for singles. I've made lots of local friends, which is of course the best way to get to know the place. Nightlife here is a lot of fun. There's European style techno, hip-hop and pop music clubs, lots of clubs that play Malagasy + African music, lots of live cabarets, piano bars, and even the occasional concert featuring an international artist. There are tons of great restaurants serving all kinds of cuisines, pool halls, karaoke, dance/spoken word/theater etc events at the Centre Culturel Albert Camus or Centre Germano-Malagasy, an upcoming American Cultural Center that will have a movie theater in it, lecture series at the university and hosted by various NGOs, art galleries, several public pools, plenty of places to watch or play sports (rugby is an especially big sport here), all kinds of exhibitions, hira gasy and other traditional events... there's plenty to do if you know where to look to find out about it. - Mar 2015
To be honest, Tana can be a "boring" place to live. There is not much to do if you're looking for nightlife. So I think families tend to fare much better - especially if they have kids in the American School. We have found that we have made lifelong friends here - both within the embassy and without. I think that if you're not connected with the school it would be a lot harder to find things to do, and in that sense it would be more difficult for singles or couples without children. - Apr 2013
I think this is a great city for everyone. Heterosexual single men have many dating opportunities. Women and non-heterosexual men might be frustated with the scene. That said, with a good group of friends, there are boundless opportunities. There are many excellent restaurants and several clubs and bars. There's a lot of hiking to do in and out of the city. There are several tennis courts and two larger clubs with pools, equestrian facilities, etc. - Apr 2010
Both. There are not many "quick" weekend getaways though due to lack of roads, but a lot to do. - Dec 2008
