Despite the long journey from the capital to the City of the Sun, vacationers are flocking to discover Toliara and its surroundings. A couple from Antananarivo on the dunes of Andaboy, the "Dubai of Toliara." Final stretch. Before the school year begins, vacationers and tourists are making the most of their last days of vacation under the Toliara sun. Seats in national transport cooperatives and companies, both outbound and return between Tana and Toliara, are fully booked for the next ten days. The 968 km connecting Antananarivo to Toliara is no longer a deterrent for travelers. "We are a family of five, including two young children. But the long journey did not discourage us. We want to enjoy the beautiful tourist sites we see on the Internet," says the Rakotoson family, who traveled in one of the vehicles of the new Soatrans transport cooperative, which currently serves Toliara. It has been nearly full since opening its Tana-Toliara line on July 24. Cotisse transport company, which offers the same range of services and vehicles, continues to be fully booked daily with four to six vehicles per day. Not to mention the traditional cooperatives which sometimes take advantage of the large number of passengers to increase transport fees. The Sombin'ny Aina family, composed of eleven people, came from far away to discover Toliara. They arrived from Canada and prepared their stay nearly a year ago. Another image of the South. "We especially wanted to see the beautiful beaches of Ambatomilo with their turquoise waters and we did everything to discover them. We also visited renowned sites such as Sarodrano and the baobab forest at Mangily. We have no regrets," explains the mother. Another Antananarivo family says they now have a different image of the South after spending a week in the tropics of Mangily, Saint-Augustin and the dunes of Andaboy. "I really saw a flamingo! I enjoyed the lobsters!" says Tsiky Brunelle. She emphasizes that it was a real joy. "Toliara deserves better than the cliché of dry land that is too often attached to it. I imagined Toliara as an essentially dry, arid and dusty region. What a mistake. I discovered surprisingly lush vegetation there, luxuriant landscapes I did not expect to see in the South," she adds. The city of Toliara continues to welcome vacationers and tourists, given the crowds at the Jardin de la Mer, in craft shops, restaurants and fast-food outlets, as well as the number of specially rented "Sprinter" vehicles circulating in the City of the Sun. Just a week ago, some ten thousand women from the Lutheran Church gathered in Toliara. Only the Maître Kira stadium could accommodate so many people for their meetings, which lasted a week. The city's high schools, CEGs and EPPs served as reception and accommodation centers.