Travel Comoros
- The Comoros,
an island in the Indian Ocean, is located off the eastern coast of
Africa on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel. It lies
between the northern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. This
island nation is officially known as the Islamic Federal Republic of
the Comoros. The Comoros is the third smallest African nation by
area with an estimated population of 798,000, one of the highest
population densities in Africa. Its name was derived from the Arabic
word qamar, which means moon. It is known as one of the
poorest countries in the world. Additional information can be found
at
http://www.travelcomoros.com.
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Travel information and tips on Comoros and Mayotte including passport information, accommodations, transportation to and in
Comoros and Mayotte, attractions and things to see and do, restaurant suggestions, tours, and much more. "Getting Away With Jim Bruner" - your first stop for travel information on
Comoros and Mayotte!
Click on any one of the following below for specific information on getting around
Comoros and Mayotte; attractions, museums, tours, and other places
to go and things to see and do; some ideas for accommodations and dining; and some of my favorite
things in Comoros and Mayotte.
Books, Maps and Other Resources |
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Quick Overview
on Comoros and Mayotte
The Comoros islands will provide you with an
interesting and colorful history of sultans and soothsayers, along with
customs brought to the are with plantation owners. All around you will
find a fragrant blend of
ylang-ylang oil and Arabic aesthetics. Visitors can enjoy
the warmth of African warmth blended with
French chic.
Comoros and Mayotte is one of the world's poorest areas. Comoros is made up of three islands that, although have a young and rapidly increasing population, has very inadequate transportation links. The country also has few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes about half of their income and employs 80% of the labor force, as well as providing most of the exports of the country. The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government - which is hampered by internal political disputes - is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, improve health services, diversify exports, promote tourism, and reduce the high population growth rate.
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Passport
and Visa information When to go Travel Insurance Language Currency Electrical Information Weather Time Zone - Country Dialing Code - Weights & Measures Travel Warnings It should be remembered
that the islands are largely Muslim and
visitors should respect local traditions and sensitivities, especially
during the month of Ramadan. Women in particular are advised to dress
conservatively, covering shoulders and legs when away from the beach. |
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All visitors are required to hold a valid passport. Be sure that your passport is good for at least six months after your last day in country. Visa requirements vary by country. Travelers are advised to check their entry requirements with their embassy or consulate.
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Passport Visa Express specializes in obtaining Passports for United States Citizens who wish to travel internationally within the next 30 days. We work directly with the U.S. Passport Agency assisting you in expediting your passport application in as fast as the same day! Our passport consultants have many years of direct experience working with the Passport Agency. |
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When to go
The wet season is between November and April
and this would not be the best time to visit. Not only is it a
particularly healthy time to visit Comoros, but you may have
to contend with dehydration, oppressively
humid conditions, and you might even find yourself caught in a
monsoonal wind ( kashkazi ), or cyclone. The best
months to visit is during the cooler months between May and
October. In July and August are expensive times to visit. Plane tickets to the Comoros are
expensive and hard to come by, and other travel expenses can
be high thanks to expat Comorians
returning from Europe for their annual holiday. You may also
want to put off visiting during
Ramadan as the shops are open for only a couple of hours a day in this period
and many restaurants, bars and discos are closed.
Travel Insurance
Travelers are advised to bring their own personal medical
kit, and comprehensive travel insurance. Don't depend upon your regular
insurance policy to cover your expenses if you should become injured or ill. There is a risk of malaria throughout the year, and dengue fever
outbreaks occur. Protection against Hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid are
recommended. Cholera outbreaks also occur. Many travelers suffer from diarrhea
and food and water precautions are recommended; tap water should be treated or
boiled before drinking. Medical facilities are very limited and medications may
not be available.
I recommend that all travelers have a comprehensive travel insurance policy which covers you for repatriation to your home country. Check the Getting Away Insurance pages for information on how to obtain the proper insurance and medical coverages you might need. Click on Health and Safety Tips For Travelers for additional information.
Languages SpokenThe official languages of the country are Arabic and French. I have found that it helps to know at least a little bit of the language as I travel in other countries. You do not have to be able to be a fluent speaker, but knowing a few things will help. I have found that, although almost everywhere I go I can find someone who speaks English, that if I can communicate a little bit, it still helps. And, it lets others know I am at least interested in their language. The Getting Away Language Learning Center page contains places where you can get help in learning another language, or how to purchase books, dictionaries, electronic translators, software and more.
Click here for language helps, dictionaries, electronic translators, language software and other helps for learning a foreign language. Being able to speak at least some of the language in the country you are visiting will help you have a better time and enjoy your trip more. Jim.
Currency
The local currency is the
Comoro Franc (Code: KMF -
Symbol: F) The Comoros Franc is divided into 100 centimes. Its value is tied to
the Euro and many major tourist establishments accept Euros as payment. In
towns, foreign currency can be exchanged at banks on Ngazidja, but banking
facilities are limited on the other islands. I always advise travelers to arrive
in the country with either some of the local currency or some euros. The Banque Internationale des
Comores (BIC) is the only bank that will change travelers checks. To avoid
additional charges take travelers checks in Euros. There is no bank on Mwali.
Banks are open on weekday mornings only. The acceptance of credit cards is
limited to a few up market hotels.
Tips of 10% are appreciated for good service. Current Exchange Rate:
Check Today's Exchange Rate
Electrical
Information
The electrical current is
220V 50Hz,
and the electrical plugs are like the symbol below.
You will need adapters for your electrical
appliances. It is not recommended that you plug your
laptop into the local current. Find the converter you will need in the
Getting Away
Travel Store. Additionally, you will find just about anything and
everything you will need when you travel. Across the state, country, or
to a destination on the other side of the world, you'll find what you
need in the Getting
Away Travel Store!
Weather
The climate of Comoros and
Mayotte is mainly marine tropical. There are basically two
seasons: hot and humid from November to April,
and cool and dry the rest of the year. The
country enjoys a near perfect 25°C (77°F) for most of
the year. When you add the fragrance of
the scent of ylang-ylang, cloves, cinnamon and
vanilla wafting gently in on the trade winds,
you almost feel you are in paradise weather. However,
when the weather is bad it can be very
tempestuous and surly with monsoonal winds and
cyclones screaming in off the ocean making it a
paradise lost.
Time Zone - Country Dialing Code - Weights & Measures
The time zone in Guinea is GMT/UTC 0. The country dialing
code is +269. Guinea is on the metric system.
Travel Warnings
This area has had a pretty violent
past. Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence
from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared
independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power in a
bloodless coup, and helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing
agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and
each island maintains its own local government. AZALI won the 2002 Presidential
election, and each island in the archipelago elected its own president. AZALI
stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI took office. Since 2006, Anjouan's
President Mohamed BACAR has refused to work effectively with the Union
presidency.
Although the islands are relatively crime-free, visitors should be aware that muggers and pickpockets will target those who look like they are carrying valuables. you should not walk around at night, especially alone and particularly in the town centers. Cyclones are possible between January and April, and Le Kartala volcano on Ngazidja is active and erupts periodically. It is advisable to check on the situation before visiting that part of the island. Foreign governments currently advise against travel to Anjouan due to the unstable political situation.
Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff. The countries listed below meet those criteria. Additionally, the State Department issues Country Specific Information for every country of the world with information on such matters as the health conditions, crime, unusual currency or entry requirements, any areas of instability, and the location of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject country. Check with the U.S. State Department for Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets & Public Announcements.
If you have something you think should be added to this section of Getting Away, please contact Jim at Getting Away. mailto: jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Getting To and AroundGetting There
Getting Around
Getting There
Visitors have the advantage of flights direct from Europe, non-European cities and other islands in the area. Normally they arrive at either Moroni, on Grande Comore island, or Mayotte. Once in Mayotte, inter-island flights on local airlines are possible, but very expensive.
Visitors have the advantage of flights direct from Europe, non-European cities and other islands in the area. Normally they arrive at either Moroni, on Grande Comore island, or Mayotte. Once in Mayotte, inter-island flights on local airlines are possible, but very expensive.
The airport at Moroni, Hahaya, is a little over 12 miles north of the city centre. After paying for your on-the-spot visa you can get to the city centre by taxi. In order to keep from paying a lot for the taxi ride, be sure to arrive in country with some of the local currency as there is a lack of money-changing facilities at the airport and the drivers will attempt to get as much as they can in dollars, pounds or euros. Planes flying into Mayotte land at Petite Terre (Pamandzi), and getting to the mainland of Grand Terre requires catching a share taxi to the ferry terminal at Dzaoudzi, and then catching another taxi, or walking, to your hotel, at the other end. There are no money-changing facilities at Pamandzi airport either, so fly in with euros already in your pocket.
You can sometimes get a berth on ships sailing from mainland Africa to Madagascar, and they'll drop you off at either Grande Comore or Anjouan on the way. This method requires diligence and patience, as there are no ready-made systems to handle foreigners from the mainland traveling to Comoros by sea.
Getting Around
All the islands of
Comoros have taxi-brousses to take you from destination
to destination. This is probably the best way to get
around, although the frequency and efficiency of the
service can vary from place to place. Share-taxis
operate in well-populated areas, so you are often
traveling with strangers. These tend to be rare in the
more remote villages. Cars can only be hired on the
larger island of Grand Comore, but for most travelers
it's still cheaper and easier to stick with a
taxi-brousse.
Island hopping can be done by plane, but flights originating in Mayotte are limited and very expensive. Traveling on cargo boats or ferries is usually the cheapest method of getting from island to island, but it's time-consuming and uncomfortable. Once in Mayotte, inter-island flights on local airlines are possible, but very expensive.
Cities, Towns and Areas of Comoros and Mayotte
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If you have something you think should be added to this section of Getting Away, please contact Jim at Getting Away. mailto: jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Suggestions for Accommodations in Comoros and Mayotte
Coming Soon.
Things to See and Do in Comoros and Mayotte
Arab Quarter
Mt NtinguiIt
Nouvelle Mosquée de Vendredi
The
Arab Quarter
The medina, or Arab Quarter, is located in the neighborhood around the port.
This is also the location of the Ancienne Mosquée de
Vendredi (old Friday mosque). The area is a convoluted medina with narrow
streets lined with buildings that date back to Swahili times. It is
often compared as a miniature version of Zanzibar's Stone Town and
almost as intriguing. Watch for the elaborately carved Swahili doors
found on many houses.
Mt NtinguiIt
It is a very hard, steep and a difficult climb from Lac Dzialandzé up to
the summit of the almost 5300 foot high Mt Ntingui. If
you decide to make the journey, you should be forewarned that you will probably
be doing it for the climb as the mountaintop is often covered with cloud.
However, it is the highest point on Anjouan and on a clear
day, it affords a view over all four islands of the
archipelago.
Nouvelle Mosquée de Vendredi
To see the interior, you have to be male, appropriately dressed in long trousers
and have washed your feet beforehand. Friday worship takes place in the magnificent new Friday
mosque next to the port. In between prayers, the steps
outside the mosque serve as a meeting place for the
town's men folk, many dressed in the traditional kanzu
(long white robe) and kofia.
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If you have something you think should be added to this section of Getting Away, please contact Jim at Getting Away. mailto: jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Suggestions for Dining in Comoros and Mayotte
Coming Soon. In the mean time, if you have something you think
should be added to this page of Getting Away, please contact Jim at Getting
Away.
mailto: jimbruner@gettingaway.com
Some Favorites in Comoros and Mayotte
As I have never been to Comoros and Mayotte I do not have any "favorite things." Therefore the favorites listed here are
favorites of others.
Coming Soon. In the mean time, if you have something you think
should be added to this section of Getting Away, please contact Jim at Getting
Away.
mailto: jimbruner@gettingaway.com
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Books, Maps and Other Resources
My favorite guidebooks when I am traveling is
Fodor's. I find them to be quite complete, easy to use, and almost always on the
money with helps and tips for traveling in the country I am visiting. Click on
Fodor's Travel Guides
to find the perfect guidebook for your travels.
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I always research the destinations to which I intend to travel with books and maps. I normally use Fodor's as I find their guidebooks very informative and easy to read and understand. Click on the Amazon logo to search for travel books and maps. If you don't find what you are looking for, click on the Getting Away Travel Bookshelf to find some of my favorites! Still can't find what you need? Contact me. mailto:jimbruner@gettingaway.com |
Travel Comoros - The Comoros, an island in the Indian Ocean, is located off the eastern coast of Africa on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel. It lies between the northern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. This island nation is officially known as the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros. The Comoros is the third smallest African nation by area with an estimated population of 798,000, one of the highest population densities in Africa. Its name was derived from the Arabic word qamar, which means moon. It is known as one of the poorest countries in the world. Additional information can be found at http://www.travelcomoros.com.
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iTravelto.com offers a comprehensive African travel search engine (especially for South Africa) with lots of good information along with bookings for exciting travel packages to key tourist destinations in South Africa and the world. |
If you have something you think should be added to this page of Getting Away, please contact Jim at Getting Away. mailto: jimbruner@gettingaway.com
