The Comoros archipelago consists of four volcanic islands sprinkled over the Indian Ocean, between the northern tip of Madagascar and the top half of the Mozambique coastline. Three of the islands - Grande Comore (Ngazidja), Mohéli (Mwali), and Anjouan (Ndzuani) - make up the republic of Comoros, while the fourth island, Mayotte, remains unrepublic, unrepentant and unapologetically French. The three islands of the republic cover an area roughly 12 times the size of Washington, with the biggest and northernmost island, Grande Comore, shaped like a foot and shinbone. Beneath it is the smaller island of Mohéli, the oval stone that the foot is kicking, and beneath that (and a little to the east), the medium sized island of Anjouan, shaped like a melting map of Tasmania. Mayotte, further south again, is about twice the size of Washington and is shaped like a feisty little seahorse standing on its head.
While Comoros isn't renowned for its weird and wacky wildlife on terra firma (apart from the fact that it's full of drongos), it is famous for being a bit of a Jurassic Park under the sea. In 1938 a local museum curator found a coelacanth in the bottom of a local's fishing basket. This prehistoric "fossil" fish, with limblike fins and cartilaginous skeleton, was thought to have been extinct for over 70 million years and the discovery, according to one professor, was equivalent to finding a live dinosaur. Incredibly, the locals had been catching these "extinct" coelacanths (or gombessas) for years, and taking them home for a bit of a fry up. The find precipitated the Great Coelacanth Controversy that pitted country against country, ichthyologist against ichthyologist, in a drama of passion, intrigue, envy, revenge, and tears. Or so the story goes. Not to be outdone by a mere fish, even a very old one, the president of Anjouan stated that the dodo was still alive and well and living on his island.
The climate is marine tropical, with two seasons: hot and humid from November to April, and cool and dry the rest of the year. In fact, for a significant part of the year Comoros enjoys a near-perfect, balmy 25°C with the scent of ylang-ylang, cloves, cinnamon and vanilla wafting gently in on the trade winds. But when it's not perfect paradise weather, it's tempestuous and surly, with monsoonal winds and cyclones screaming in off the ocean.
It is thought that the earliest inhabitants of the islands were journeymen from Indonesia-Polynesia, but traces of this original Asian culture have blended seamlessly into successive waves of African, Arab and Shirazi immigrants. The most notable of these early immigrants were the Shirazi Arab royal clans, who appeared in Comoros in the 15th and 16th centuries, and stayed to build mosques, set up royal house, and introduce architecture and carpentry.
In 1529 the French Parmentier brothers popped in for a visit, but the first reliable European accounts of this part of the world came from the Portuguese explorers, Diego Dias and Ferdinand Soares. The Portuguese failed to capitalise on being the first to reach the islands, and for the next century or two the islands were used only as a pit stop during voyages up and down the coast of East Africa. In fact, up until the middle of the 19th century, it was not European explorers but pirates from Madagascar that caused the biggest headaches. During this time the number of sultans mushroomed at an alarming rate and at one stage there were no fewer than 12 sultans on the island of Grande Comore alone. This is one sultan per 100sq km (39 sq mi), or, put another way, three squabbling sultans per New York City, which, in anybody's language, is two sultans too many.
From the 15th century to the middle of the 19th, the power brokers happily played musical sultanates between themselves until the French turned their attention to the Comoros islands in the middle of the 19th century. The French finally acquired the islands through a cunning mixture of strategies, including the divide and conquer ploy, chequebook politics, and a serendipitous affair between a sultana and a French trader that was turned to good use. Comoros history from this era reads like a cross between a Walt Disney animated film, a Merchant Ivory production, and a Shakespearean tragedy. Through all the ups and downs, the French kept an iron grip on the islands, quelling peasant unrest and the occasional uprising.
Independence came gradually for Comoros. During the middle of the 20th century the French reluctantly began to accede to reasonable requests, and by 1947 Comoros had became a separately administered colony from Madagascar. In 1961 it was granted autnomous rule and, seven years after the global unrest and left-wing riots of '68, Comoros had broken all ties with France and established an independent republic. From the very beginning Mayotte refused to join the new republic and wed themselves even more firmly to French protection, but the other islands remained committed to independence. The French stepped out of the way, taking the infrastructure and financial resources with them, and watched as the whole house of cards came tumbling down. The first president of Comoros, Ahmed Abdallah Abderemane, lasted a political nanosecond before being ousted in a coup by Ali Solih, an atheist with an Islamic background.
Solih began with a set of solid socialist ideals that were designed to take the islands kicking and screaming into the 20th century, and bury a moribund society that annointed the wealthy and privileged as its apparatchiks. Property was nationalised, womens' veils came off, and costly grand mariages and traditional funeral ceremonies were abolished. Unfortunately Solih became over zealous and socialism soon turned into tyranny, which turned into economic free fall. Solih's response to the crisis was to develop a full-blown messianic complex, which didn't help matters at all. Things were already looking messy and dark, when the whole shebang took a left turn into the plot of a potboiler by Frederick Forsythe. A French mercenary by the name of Bob Dénard, already having done covert tours of duty in Nigeria, Angola, Yemen, and Zaire, arrived in Comoros at dawn on 13 May 1978 (along with his right hand man, Mad Mike, and a few other dogs of war), and liberated the entire country before breakfast. Solih was shot while allegedly "trying to escape", Abdallah returned to the fold, the mercenaries were given key positions in the ministry, and there was a genuine attempt to clean up the ruins left by Solih's reign.
But this being Comoros, leaders being leaders, and mercenaries being mercenaries, things did not go smoothly for Abdallah. In the four years between 1985 and 1989 there were no less than five coup attempts, all of them, bar one, being quelled by the mercenaries. The last one ended with the assassination of Abdallah by his bodyguards and there were whispers of scorpions following their nature with Dénard's involvement in the plot being far from clear. In 1990, Saïd Mohamed Djohar became the first freely elected president of the Comoros but this was followed by another round of coups and counter coups as mercenaries, rebels, and government troops all joined in the melée.
When the dust finally settled in late 1992 Djohar was re-elected president but had to survive yet another coup attempt led by his old nemesis, Dénard. The present incumbents, President Tadjidine Ben Said Massounde and Prime Minister Abbas Djoussouf, have, so far, not had to deal with the man sometimes referred to as the "White Devil" but they've had troubles of their own. Both the islands of Anjouan and Mohéli declared independence in 1997, leaving Grande Comore as the sole remnant of the glorious Comoros republic. As of 1999 tense negotiations between all sides concerned in the dispute are being periodically disrupted by civil unrest and rioting on the island of Anjouan.
The architecture alone would warrant a visit to Comoros. In the old Arab Quarter, or medina, Comoros' Swahili origins come to life, with two-story buildings that bristle with arcades, balustrades, meticulously carved wooden latticework doors, and shutters. It's a look that's got that whole exotic Zanzibar thing happening. These elaborate buildings are in contrast to the bangas, most often found on Mayotte. Bangas are ramshackle sheds constructed by teenage boys - a place away from the eyes and ears of parents - and are individually postered, graffitied, and decorated, in the manner of rebellious and misunderstood teenagers the world over.
Comoran cuisine is a blend of Indian, Arabic, French, and African cooking. Most standard meals include a combination of rice and meat, beefed up with any of the locally produced spices such as vanilla, cardoman, coriander, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Fish and seafood, such as tuna, grouper, and octopus, get used in a lot of meals, along with other meats like chicken, goat, and mutton. The combination of French cuisine and fresh, cheap local produce makes Comoros a gourmand's paradise, particularly for French travellers. If you're not on a tight budget, splash out and try the local delicacy at least once: langouste àla vanille is lobster cooked in vanilla sauce.
Money & Costs
Currency:Comoran franc (CF) in Comoros, and the French franc (FF) in Mayotte.
Relative costs:
- Budget meal: US$5-10
- Moderate restaurant meal: US$15-20
- Top-end restaurant meal: US$30-40
- Budget room: US$10-25
- Moderate hotel: US$35-60
- Top-end hotel: US$250 plus
(These figures apply to Comoros. Mayotte is considerably more expensive, with the cheapest accommodation starting at US$60 a day, and snack type meals beginning at about US$4.)
The tourist industry on Comoros is woefully underdeveloped, and the Comoran franc still hogtied to the Euro dollar. This makes basic accommodation both overpriced and underwhelming, and the islands one of the more expensive destinations in the region. If you can camp, or find a modest pension, and are willing to exist on pastries, and cheap Comoran food from the local cafes, you can get by on as little as US$25 a day. Staying at self-contained bungalows, and dining on European dishes in restaurants will set you back about US$70 a day. If you go the whole paradise enchilada and stay at the boutique resorts with swimming pools, casinos, private beaches, dining rooms, and lah-di-dah service, you'll be looking at upwards of US$350 per day.
The Banque Internationale des Comores (BIC) is an efficient bank that exchanges all currencies, but the best currency to carry around and exchange is French francs. There are several branches of the BIC in both Moroni and Mutsamudu, but the only bank on Mohéli is the bank-in-a-satchel, which flies in and out of the island every second Monday. Don't get caught there without cash because it might be a long time between withdrawals. Except in upmarket hotels and restaurants, which also exchange money at vastly inflated rates, credit cards are next to useless.
In Mayotte, money can be changed at the Banque Française Commerciale Océan Indien in Mamoudzou or Dzaoudzi. The more upmarket restaurants, and most hotels, travel agencies, and car hire firms accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Diners Club credit cards. If you have the right kind of card, you can even withdraw money from an automatic teller machine. And you'll need plenty of it if staying in Mayotte for any length of time.
Bargaining is something of a tradition in Comoros (less so on Mayotte) and the idea of a fixed price as strange as a three dollar note, but there is an etiquette that goes with the bargaining. The process should be unhurried, and conducted in a spirit of mutual admiration for your opponent's bargaining prowess. Hostile or agitated offers will only increase the price of the item. Tipping is not the norm except in the more Frenchified environs of Mayotte, but tipping staff for good service is appreciated.
Grande Comore (Ngazidja)
Moroni, also known as Port-aux-Boutres, is the capital of Comoros and is on the island of Grande Comore, the youngest but largest of the Comoros Islands. The port lies on the west coast and is one of the island's best assets. With its stone jetties and boats pulled up in parallel lines, it seems more Mediterranean than African, and makes a great foreground setting for the sun that sets in a spectacular blaze of oranges, reds, and maroons. Set back from the port is the medina with its maze of small winding streets, shop fronts, lane ways, and wall-to-wall buildings dating back to Swahili times.
Moroni is fairly spread out but, with the exception of the Arab Quarter, easy to get around. From the north a couple of main streets converge at Ave des Minstères which then winds its way around the lip of the port, before shooting out in a couple of different directions on the south side of town. Many of the hotels and bungalows are situated north of the city, with the restaurants and cafes equally divided between the north and south of the city. Unfortunately, only one or two dining places in the city centre have harbour views.
The coastline on the east side of Grande Comore is wilder and more untamed than on the west. If you have time to spare, a camping trip round the east coast is always a good idea. Beginning in the north east corner the first beach is Bouni, once the sultanate of Hamahame, but now a sleepy village with two stunning beaches. Next down the coast is Chomoni. This sheltered bay has an unusual mix of chequered black lava and white sandy beaches, and bungalows with basic facilities for hire, which is probably the best accommodation option. Down the south east corner is the town of Foumbouni, the third-largest community on Grande Comore. The sands are whiter and brighter than anything you'll find in Moroni or Itsandra and is one of Comore's best kept secrets. Few tourists come here and the locals are still a little bamboozled at the sight of foreigners. Right at the southern tip of the island is Chindini, another airy beach with fabulous views. There are a few bungalows around, but there is also any number of places to pitch a tent.
The best way to get to all these beaches, from either Moroni, or between them, is by taxi-brousse or, if you get lucky, by hitching a ride with a vehicle going in your direction. The distance between Moroni and Bouni is 27km (17mi); between Moroni and Chomoni, 18km (11mi); between Moroni and Foumbouni, 30km (19mi); and between Moroni and Chindini, 35km (22mi)
The island's interior is studded with grassy plains and the remnants of a rainforest, as well as Mt Karthala, an active volcano that's still belching and burping away. The plains roll down to the coastline where palm trees, beaches of black lava or white sand, and young coral reefs, fringe the shores. The west coast has all the chichi resorts with suites and casinos, ambient bars and Frenchified restaurants.
Mohéli is the smallest, wildest, and least visited of all the Comoran Islands so getting around the island is haphazard at best. Due to its size and remoteness, Mohéli tends to be something of shrinking wallflower, and is often overlooked when it comes to receiving government goodies. Even the interior rainforests, white beaches, and blissed out solitude don't make up for what Mohélians perceive as a lack; lack of industry, lack of consumer goods, lack of development, and lack of government attention.
The capital of Mohéli is Fomboni but it's more a sleepy backwater than a bustling metropolis. Nothing much happens in the city and foreigners are still rare enough to elicit curious attention and cries of mzungu (the Comoran word for a European or light skinned visitor). There are only two choices of places to stay, but it's a bit of a Hobson's choice, really. One is terrible and the other is ridiculously overpriced. This is where a tent would really come into its own and justify the trouble of lugging it around. There are any number of fine camping beaches, including Kavé Hoani, Domoni, Miringoni and Nioumachoua.
Flights to Fomboni are possible although infrequent. Most air trips to the island are detours from the regular Anjouan-Grande Comore flight. Getting there by boat is, again, possible but sea trips are not regularly scheduled. You may need to ask around at the Mitsamudu (Anjouan) and Moroni (Grande Comore) ports to find a local boat going in your direction. Apart from good ol' shank's pony, taxis and taxi-brousses are the only ways to get around the island. It's about 80km (50mi) from Moroni to Fomboni.
In some ways, Anjouan is a poster child of the Indian Ocean. With its forests and rivers tumbling in a sea of green and blue down to the ocean below, and its fields of exotic essential oils - ylang-ylang, jasmine, cassis, basilic, palmarosa, and orange flower - scattered throughout the island it really could be an advertisement for tropical island living. In reality it is the most densely populated of all the islands, and is feeling the effects of deforestation and soil erosion. In other ways it retains a typical island lifestyle, being more small town curiosity than big city brashness. As one Peace Corps volunteer put it, "If you don't remember what you had for breakfast, just ask anyone on the street".
The capital of Anjouan, Mutsamudu, consists of two main parallel streets connected by a maze of alleyways, lanes, shops and shabby buildings. Near the Mosquée du Vendredi is the Sultan's Palace, and within easy walking distance of the city centre is the Dziancoundré Waterfall. There are plenty of hiking opportunities on the island, the most interesting ones being the cross-island routes. You might also want to check out the coral reefs and white sandy beaches at Chiroroni, and the ylang-ylang distillery at Bamboa, or take a walk around the old town, Hari ya Moudji, in Domoni. Hari ya Moudji is full of crumbling, decaying palaces built by sultans in the 16th to 18th centuries. Descendants of these sultans still live in the palaces, albeit in genteel and shabby decrepitude.
Getting to the island is not a problem. Flights from Moroni leave almost daily, although flying direct from Mayotte to Mutsamudu is not possible. Anjouan has a large accessible port so catching boats to the island is always an easy option. Once there, you can get around by share-taxi, taxi-brousse, or rented car or taxi. Mutsamudu is about 165km (102mi) from Moroni, as the crow flies.
Mayotte is currently the only Comoran island that's unequivocally French territory, and its people part of the European Community. Although Mahorais (as natives of Mayotte are known) seem quite happy to be French, particularly for the financial and political advantages it affords, Mayotte is not just petite French, it's petite, petite, and if you scratch the surface of a Mahorais you'll find more Comoran than French underneath.
Mayotte actually consists of three islands: the largest, with the capital city of Mamoudzou, is Grande Terre; Pamandzi, or Petit Terre, is about 20 times smaller than the big island; and the smallest of the islands, the rock of Dzaoudzi, is little more than a poor man's Rock of Gibraltar connected to Petit Terre by a highway. Unlike the Arabic influences seen in the rest of the Comoros, Mayotte has no straggling winding medinas. Instead you'll find wattle-and-daub or tressed coconut-frond huts ranged along the wide, open streets.
Because it is the oldest of the islands and is therefore ringed with coral reefs, Mayotte is a popular place for fishing, diving, and boating. In fact any activity with water as the main ingredient will be available on Mayotte. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's an expensive getaway destination with everything, apart from public transport, bound to make your wallet that much lighter. Visitors don't even have the down-market option of camping, as it has been virtually outlawed.
Incredibly, the only air flight to Mayotte is on international carriers flying between Grande Comore and Mayotte, and there are no flights whatsoever between Anjouan and Mayotte. This means the boats that sail between Anjouan and Mayotte, and Grand Comore and Mayotte are always heavily booked, so get in early. The distance from Moroni to Mamoudzou is about 240km (149mi).
Facts at a Glance
Environment
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Economic Profile
Culture
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Facts for the Traveller
When to Go
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Off the Beaten Track
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Getting There & Away
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