Ambalavao is a highland town south of Fianarantsoa, where Madagascar's central plateau begins to tilt toward the drier south. It is a useful stop on the RN7, but it has more personality than a simple road break: Betsileo houses, craft workshops, a lively zebu market, and mountains rising in the distance.
The town is best known for handmade Antaimoro paper, produced from bark fibres and decorated with pressed flowers. Just south of town, Anja Community Reserve is one of the easiest places in Madagascar to see ring-tailed lemurs at close range, with granite cliffs and boulder caves adding drama to the walk.
Ambalavao works well as an overnight stop between Fianarantsoa and Isalo, especially if you do not want the RN7 to become a blur of long drives. Give it a day and it becomes one of the more satisfying small-town pauses in the highlands.