Comoros travel guide

Wedged between the mountain and the sea, the small city of Mutsamudu is the most charming of the Comoros. Yes, it’s dirty and dishevelled, but boy does it have character! The old medina takes up a good area of the city and is a wonderful maze of crooked alleys, mosques and half-demolished (or half-built) buildings, some with old Swahili wood-carved doors. People here are friendly and the women are beautiful, with sandalwood paste on their faces. The old citadel built in the 18th century overlooks the city and offers splendid views of the mountains and the sea. And since fairly cheap accommodations abound in the city (a rarity in the islands), there is no reason to pass on this gem.

Though Nioumachoua is the second largest town on Moheli, it's still just a large village. It's beautifully located on a hill that slopes down to a long pretty beach. There are splendid views from everywhere over Moheli Marine Park and its uninhabited islands. During the day, the kids play football under the big baobab tree, while in the afternoon the fishermen come to shore with their catch and turn the beach into a lively market. For a bit of exploration, it's possible at low tide to pass the rocky outcrop at the eastern end of the beach and get to the mangroves on the other side.

Little Ouallah 2 is a very refreshing place. The quiet village on the southern side of Mohéli is by a little bay with a picturesque beach. It's also by far the village with the best "bungalows", those basic rooms managed by local organisations throughout the island. The villagers here have really put an effort and the wonderful layout and landscaping are only bested by the food cooked by a very talented local lady. What's even more interesting is the pristine condition of the village: you'd be hard-pressed to find any trash around, houses are well kept and the infrastructure is well maintained. You wouldn't think it was worth mentioning in a travel guide, but among all the other towns and villages, we assure you this one stands out!

The best place to see sea turtles lay their eggs on the Comoros is the beach at Itsamia village. The sea turtles (mostly green sea turtles) come in every night year round to nest. Some nights only one or two turtles come ashore, while other nights there might come twenty or even more. Though the beach is long, the number of nesting turtles is so huge (more than 3,000 per year) that they bump into each other or accidentally dig each other's nests up. The village has a turtle program where they educate both locals and visitors. Apparently the people of Mohéli don't eat turtle meat or eggs, but unfortunately the people of Anjouan do, but the protection program seems to have been fruitful against the poachers from Anjouan. Watching nesting sea turtles is an unmatched experience and it's hard to contain your excitement when spotting a female dragging itself out of the water. Hatching of baby turtles can of course also be watched, if you're a bit lucky. Use a local guide from the turtle program, who knows what to do and not do.

If tourism were a well established thing in the Comoros, this would be the place where backpackers would be seen chilling. The view from this little bay is absolutely superb, and there are a few pristine beaches nearby. But it's the vibe that surrounds the place that's most appealing. Locals hanging at the entrance of the bay greet visitors in a low-key, extremely friendly manner. There are no hotels, just a few (somewhat rundown) spots with cabana-style lodging, or camping options, offering home cooked meals. A few more upscale villas are the property of rich foreign people, but it doesn't affect the "hippyesk" ambiance. The area used to receive more tourists, and there are plans to get back to the level that once were, but whether it happens or not, this bay is definitely not to be missed!

Below the village of Miremani splashes this rather small waterfall almost straight into the sea. In words it might sound amazing, but the reality is more modest. The locals charge a small fee, which seems reasonable since they made a staircase down to it, and it's the only cut they get from the small trickle of tourists to the area. The waterfall lies a 20-minute walk from the village of Ouallah 2/Sambadjou Beach.

A few kilometres inland from Ouallah 2 is a very pretty and secluded waterfall. The source of this waterfall is a lake much further uphill that is also the source of drinking water for all the villagers. The easy trek to the waterfall brings you through jungle-like forest and is very interesting in itself, but the reward is the view at the foot of the fall, with its abrupt drop and small pond and its foot. Should you be able to withstand the cold water, you can swim in the pond before going back to the village.