Most tourists stop in Fianar to board the FCE Railway. Trains depart for Manakara at 7am every Saturday and Tuesday. From Manakara, they return to Fianar at 6:45am every Sunday and Wednesday. The journey takes you through the rain forest, offering very scenic views. For villages along the way, the train is the main link to the outside world. As a result, stations are bustling with activity -- vendors selling fruit, peanuts, crayfish, samosas, wood, animals, etc. It's not the quickest way to get around. The slow journey that takes 12 hours is more about the experience.