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!
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.
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.
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.
Passport and Visa information 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.
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.
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 Spoken The 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 theGetting 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 theGetting
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 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.
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
A
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D
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G
H
I
J
K
L
M
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Q
R
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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
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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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
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.
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 Bookshelfto 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.
iTravelto.comoffers 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
