The thermal baths at Lac Ranomafana (the name means 'hot water') are the feature that established Antsirabe as a health resort in the 19th century and still draw visitors today. The baths offer private cubicles with warm mineral water and basic massage at very low prices — a straightforward, unpretentious thermal experience that feels nothing like a European spa but works well enough.
The lake itself is a small crater lake a short walk from the town centre, and the surroundings are pleasant to wander in the early morning before the heat builds. Several hotels near the baths were built in the colonial period and retain some of that faded elegance. The whole spa quarter has a slightly melancholy charm — grand ambitions that the 20th century overtook.