Trip report for Comoros

I (female traveller, Canadian) went on all three islands of Union des Comores for three weeks in July 2014 with a travel mate (male, European).

Comorians are very welcoming people, and the tourism infrastructure was better than we expected. I wouldn't say it's an easy country to travel to, but it certainly is not very difficult to travel around if you have some time and patience. Since most tourists in the Comoros come from Mayotte, Reunion or continental France, locals expect foreigners to speak French. The Comoros being a former French territory, it's also the main foreign language they learn at school. It's of course possible to travel without speaking French, but the fact that I spoke French certainly made it easier.

The Comorians are very devout Muslims, but are also very moderate and tolerant. As a woman, I never felt the obligation to cover my head, although I tried to wear long sleeves, even when I swam in the ocean. We spent our three weeks right in the middle of Ramadan. This period makes things a little trickier (less buses and taxis, most restaurants closed during the day, difficulty to find isolated corners just to drink some water without offending anyone, etc.), but it is still very easy to get by and in all the places catering for travellers, even the more modest ones, they will feed you during the day.

Most travellers need a visa to go to the Comoros, but it can be easily acquired upon arrival at the airport. Funnily, we were offered to pay for our visas in either euros or USD by the border officer, for the same amount: 50. Needless to say, we chose 50 USD, knowing the exchange rate between both currencies, but it's the only time we used USDs in the Comoros.

The Comoros are not a budget destination. We spent quite a lot on lodging and food compared to other African destinations. Most Comorians will quote prices to foreigners in euros, but all will accept the official money, the Comorian franc. Euro is the only hard currency worth carrying in the country (except for the visa, see above info about visas).

USDs can be changed in banks, but you'll get a much better exchange rate with euros. There is no ATM at Hahaya airport, but a few downtown Moroni. ATMs can also be found in Mutsamudu, Anjouan island, but you should make sure you have all the francs you need before arriving to Moheli island. You can change money at the Hahaya airport (if the booth is open, which I suppose it is for every incoming international flight).

There are a few international flights going to the Comoros. We flew from Tanzania with Precision Air. Just know that this airline is infamous for not getting all the luggage on every flight. I had to do without my checked in luggage for three days, because my minuscule bag didn't make it. Fortunately, I had anticipated this situation and I had half my belongings in my cabin luggage. Still, we had to stay longer in Moroni than expected because of this.

The three islands have something to offer and all three are worth a visit. We flew between the islands, but I understand it's also doable by ferry, although it might be more difficult for a foreigner to arrange. It is not necessary to book the flights between the islands before arriving in the Comoros, unless you are on a tight schedule (which is a situation you should avoid in this part of the world). When we were there, two airlines flew between the islands (we flew with AB Aviation), but it could have already changed, as airlines go bankrupt, lose their permits or cease their operations quite regularly around there. A helpful person was the travel agent next to Hotel Jardin de la Paix in Moroni. She booked the tickets for us and advised us on the airline to choose.

Flight schedules are irregular and can change at a moment's notice. We were advised to call one day prior to our planned departure to make sure the time hadn't changed. Boy were we happy we did! Two of the three flights we took between the islands had changed schedule. This is where speaking French gets in handy. Flights can also be cancelled due to winds (or other reasons), so planning some "buffer time" in the itinerary is always a good idea.

Travelling around in the islands is fairly easy and cheap by minibus or shared taxi. The locals are always very helpful to help find where to catch the right taxi and always seem to know what the cost of the ride will be, which is always helpful, although we never felt we were offered the 'tourist price' except for taxis at the airport. A private taxi from Hahaya airport to downtown Moroni is usually between 3000 and 5000 francs (depending on whether you arrive at the domestic or international flights terminals), but a shared one hailed by the road in front of the airport will cost 500 per person. There is not point in paying more, unless you want the car all to yourself.

Accomodation is surprisingly easy to find in most cities and towns, but we had to shop quite a lot to find more affordable rooms.

On Grande Comore, in Moroni, we stayed at Jardin de la paix. Not the cheapest, but very decent rooms with hot water (but not always working). They are the makers of the best red guava juice in the whole island if it's in season. I really wish you it is.

On Grande Comore island, in Trou du Prophète (close to Mitsamiouli) : if tourism takes off in the Comoros, this is where all the backpackers will be spotted chilling. For now, it's almost empty, but with a cool vibe, with the possibility of renting a tent or a small bungalow. I don't remember the prices but it's fairly cheap (and basic). Beaches are superb and deserted. We didn't stay there, but we wished we had found this place sooner in the trip.

On Mohéli island, in Fomboni : there is no reason to stay in Fomboni as it's not a remarkable city, but should you get stuck here, Les Abous is reachable by foot from the airport and has the best wifi and breakfast in all of the Comoros.

On the rest of Mohéli island, in 4 or 5 villages, the villages' associations have built small and very basic bungalows right by the beach. They organise visits to the main attractions and arrange for home cooked meals. A great experience and the proceeds go back to the community 100%. The main villages with such organisation (you can call in advance to reserve but we just dropped by (the bus driver took us directly) are Itsamia, Nioumachoua, Ouallah 2 and Ouallah 1, although the latter is rather sketchy compared to the other three.

Also on Mohéli, in Nioumachoua, if you want to splash out, there is Laka Lodge. The site is great and well maintained. I don't remember the price (they offer full board only), since we didn't stay there.

On Anjouan island, in Mutsamudu : there are a lot of possibilities. We stayed at Comptoir de l'île. In my opinion, one of the best deals in all the Comoros. Clean rooms overlooking the ocean, hot water, wifi, centrally located very near the city hall.

On Anjouan, in Moya, we stayed at Le Sultan. Good restaurant with vanilla sauce lobster.

On Anjouan, in Domoni : there's a pension that offers one room with a double bed on the same road up the hill from Motel Loulou. They don't advertise it, but if you ask people in the area, they'll show you. It's a much more interesting option than Motel Loulou (who, at the time we were there, looked more like the Overlook Hotel from The Shining).

The food in the Comoros was great. Of course, we ate a lot of fish meals when we were on Mohéli in the village bungalows. Being from a former French territory, the Comorians also know how to make good bread.

Our overall experience, however, was not as good as it could have been because of the Ramadan period. I'm sure it's even better when all the restaurants are open.

As mentioned above, all three islands are worth it. Each has a different vibe and feel. It is sad that most traveller only go to Grande Comore.

On Grande Comore island, I particularly enjoyed the volcano hike (you need a guide to do it, as it's not that easy to find the path on your own, but if you spend some time in Moroni, a guide will find you and offer his services. We also regretted not spending a night or two in Trou du Prophète, on the northern tip of the island. It seemed like a very cool place to relax.

On Mohéli island, the turtles nesting every night of the year on Itsamia beach are not to be missed. And the super cute village of Ouallah 2 is great. The best view on this island however is in Nioumachoua, but the infrastructure isn't as good.

On Ajouan island, I fell in love with Mutsamudu. It's not a clean and perfect city by any means, but it's just full of life and the citadel high up is gorgeous.

This is probably one of the safest countries in Africa. The usual precautions apply, but we never felt in danger or even cheated.

This report is an amended and corrected version of a Lonely Planet Thorn Tree post I wrote when I came back from the trip.