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◆ Country guide · East Africa

The Comoros, three volcanic islands between Madagascar and Mozambique

Three volcanic islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, and very few tourists. Grande Comore has Karthala, an active volcano with a summit caldera three kilometres by four; Anjouan distils most of the ylang-ylang that makes the Comoros the world's leading producer of the oil; Mohéli has green turtles nesting all year and humpback whales from mid-July. In 2026 six historic medinas became the country's first World Heritage site.

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People

Region

Best months

Jun · Sep · Oct

Ideal length

10–14 days

Budget / day

Paid in cash; ATMs are few

Language

Comorian

Getting around

Taxis and hired drivers on each island

When to visit the Comoros

Two seasons named after their winds, and the dry one is the one to book.

Full month guide →

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

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Nov

Dec

Best: June, September and October, dry and settled, outside the summer rush Peak: July and August, dry and in whale season, but also the grand mariage season, with the highest fares from Paris Good: May and November, the shoulders either side of the dry season Wet: December to April, the kashkazi, wettest in January and open to cyclones

Quick answer · where to go in the Comoros

Land at Moroni and give Grande Comore three or four days: the harbour medina, the Old Friday Mosque, the inscribed medinas at Ikoni and Itsandra, and the climb toward the caldera of Karthala. Then pick one island. Anjouan is towns and hills: Mutsamudu, Domoni and the ylang-ylang country. Mohéli is the sea: turtles at Itsamia and whales from mid-July. Ten days covers two islands, two weeks all three. Read your foreign ministry first: France and the US both flag sea travel.

Jump toMap Fun fact Stereotypes Famous faces Food FAQ

Fun fact

One number worth knowing

The coelacanth was thought extinct for tens of millions of years until one turned up off South Africa in 1938. The second came from the Comoros: on 20 December 1952 the fisherman Ahmed Houssein caught one on a hand line off Anjouan. Most coelacanths recorded since have come from the same water.

Stereotypes, sorted out

The clichés you have heard, what is actually true, and how to behave once you land.

"The Comoros are a beach holiday, like the Seychelles or Mauritius."

The realityThey share an ocean and a latitude, and little else. The Comoros are volcanic, 98 per cent Muslim and conservative in dress: shoulders to knees, for men and women. In place of lagoon villas there is an active volcano, six medinas with a World Heritage listing, and turtles and whales off Mohéli.

"The Comoros are French."

The realityMayotte is. The Union is not. The Comoros declared independence on 6 July 1975 and Mayotte voted to stay French. The Union still claims it, and the flag's four stars include it. Ties to France are close, with remittances worth about a fifth of GDP in 2023, but the subject is political.

"Coups make it too dangerous to visit."

The realityThe coups are mostly history: about twenty, successful and attempted, most between 1975 and 2000. Current advice is about ordinary risks. The UK calls crime low, the US says Level 2, France says heightened vigilance. All three flag roads after dark, inter-island boats and thin medical care.

"The grand mariage is just an expensive wedding."

The realityIt settles a man's standing in his town, above all on Grande Comore. After the ada he may speak in public, wear the mharuma shawl and enter the mosque by the elders' door. Ceremonies cluster in July and August, when the diaspora flies home, so the islands are busiest and flights from Paris dearest.

Perfume islands and nothing elseBasically part of FranceCoup after coupToo far away to be worth itA cheaper SeychellesVanilla, cloves and not much more

Cultural notes that actually help

Dress from the shoulders to the knees, men and women alike, away from the beach. It is the UK Foreign Office's advice and it is how Comorians dress.
Carry euros in cash. Banks and ATMs are few on all three islands, cards are not widely accepted, and the visa on arrival is paid in cash too.
Do not photograph government buildings, military sites, ports or the airport: it is illegal, and the penalty can include a fine and a confiscated camera. Ask before photographing any person.
The country is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. The public practice of other faiths and proselytising are against the law, and public drunkenness can bring a fine or jail.
Treat Mayotte as a serious subject, never small talk. The island is French, the Union claims it, and the issue still brings people onto the street from time to time.
The pale paste on many women's faces is msindzano, ground sandalwood and coral. The red and white patterned wrap on Anjouan is the shiromani.
French works with officials, hotels and drivers. Comorian, related to Swahili, is what nine in ten people speak at home.

Famous Comorian faces

The names behind Comorian politics, letters, sport and music. Pick a field.

Ahmed Abdallah

First president in 1975, ousted, restored by mercenaries in 1978 and killed in 1989.

Azali Assoumani

Army chief who took power in 1999, elected in 2002 and again from 2016. AU chair in 2023.

Mohamed Toihiri

The first Comorian novelist, author of La République des imberbes (1985).

Ahmed Houssein

Anjouan fisherman who caught the second coelacanth known to science, on 20 December 1952.

Ali Soilih

Head of state from 1976, ran a socialist revolution until mercenaries ousted him in 1978.

Ahmed Abdallah Sambi

Cleric from Anjouan whose 2006 election was the first peaceful democratic handover.

Ikililou Dhoinine

President from 2011 and the first from Mohéli, after an election judged free and fair.

Mohamed Bacar

Anjouan strongman who held the island until troops landed in 2008, then fled to Mayotte.

Salim Hatubou

Novelist and collector of Comorian tales. Start with Les Démons de l'aube (2006).

Soeuf Elbadawi

Poet bringing the spoken word into Comorian writing in French: Un dhikri pour nos morts.

Ali Zamir

Novelist refused a French visa in 2016, the summer Paris published Anguille sous roche.

El Fardou Ben Nabouhane

Red Star striker who scored first in the Cup of Nations win over Ghana in January 2022.

Myziane Maolida

Scored the only goal as the Comoros beat Ghana in Moroni on 21 November 2023.

Said Hachim Sidi Abderemane

Wrote the words and co-wrote the music of the national anthem, adopted in 1978.

Soprano

Marseille rapper of Comorian descent, from Psy 4 de la Rime to a solo career.

Must-try Comorian food

Coconut, cassava leaves, lobster in vanilla and a chilli sauce on every table. Pick a category.

Langouste à la vanille

Lobster in island vanilla sauce, usually named the national dish. Order it once in Moroni.

Mataba

Pounded young cassava leaves cooked in coconut milk with fish or meat. Everyday comfort.

Pilaou

Rice cooked with meat and plenty of spice, a pilaf that came across from Zanzibar.

Ntrovi ya nazi

Green bananas in coconut milk with cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, served hot.

Ambrevades au coco

Pigeon peas simmered in coconut milk, a crop Anjouan is known for.

Mabawa

Spiced chicken wings grilled at market skewer stands run by the mamas brochettis.

Putu

The table hot sauce of chilli, tomato, onion and lime. Ask for it with grilled food.

Mkatra foutra

Unleavened bread made with coconut water, fried and topped with sesame (foutra).

Mkatra siniya

Rice-flour and coconut cake for weddings, national holidays and family feasts.

Ladu

Balls of ground rice, sweetened and spiced. Small, dense and made for sharing.

Know before you go

The essentials for planning a Comoros trip, starting with cash, the visa and the crossings.

Currency

Comorian franc (KMF)

A franc-zone currency pegged to the euro. The economy runs on cash: there are very few banks or ATMs on any of the three islands, so bring euros in notes and change them as you go.

Language

Comorian, French, Arabic

All three are official. Comorian, related to Swahili, has a variant on each island and is what nine in ten people speak at home. French covers administration and most of a visitor's needs.

Emergency

Police 17 · Gendarmerie 18

The numbers the US State Department gives for reporting a crime. Serious medical emergencies cannot be treated in the country, so evacuation insurance matters more than the number.

Visa

On arrival, about €30

Issued on arrival and paid in cash, valid for 45 days on a single entry. Your passport needs six months' validity. Carry a return ticket and your accommodation address.

Travel advisory

Heightened vigilance · US Level 2

The UK warns of overloaded ferries, protests over Mayotte and cyclones from January to May. The US says Level 2. France urges heightened vigilance and says never board a kwassa-kwassa.

Getting around

Taxis on land, planes or ferries between islands

Use taxis or a car with driver, and avoid roads after dark. Between islands, domestic flights run when a carrier operates. Take only licensed ferries: overloaded boats have capsized.

Health

Basic care; insure for evacuation

Care is basic: poor in Moroni and non-existent on Anjouan and Mohéli, by French account. Malaria, dengue and chikungunya are present. Bring all your medicines and insure for evacuation.

Religion and dress

Sunni Muslim; shoulders to knees

98 per cent Muslim, overwhelmingly Sunni. Men and women should dress loosely from the shoulders to the knees, and the UK notes that practising Shia Islam is not permitted.

Local laws

Stricter than they look

Photographing government buildings, military sites, ports and airports is illegal. Drug offences carry at least five years, public drunkenness a fine or jail, and same-sex relations are criminal.

Volcano

Karthala is active

The volcano behind Moroni last erupted in 2007. An eruption in 2005 forced thousands of people to evacuate and fouled drinking water with ash. Check the current alert level before you climb it.

Tipping

Discretionary

There is no service-charge convention to plan around. Reward a guide or driver who has given you a full day, in cash.

Connectivity

Mobile first

There are more mobile subscriptions than people, but only about a third of the population uses the internet and fixed broadband barely exists. Plan on mobile data.

Comoros travel FAQ

Do you need a visa for the Comoros?+

Yes, and it is issued on arrival. At Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport and the other entry points a visitor visa costs about 30 euros, paid in cash (euros, US dollars or Comorian francs), and French consular advice describes it as valid for 45 days on a single entry. Your passport needs at least six months of validity on arrival, and you should carry a return or onward ticket and the address where you are staying. Check with the nearest Comorian embassy or your own foreign ministry before flying, because the rules can change with little notice.

Is the Comoros safe to visit?+

For most visitors, yes, with specific precautions. The UK Foreign Office calls crime low and street robbery rare, while noting that walking alone at night raises the risk and that anti-French demonstrations over Mayotte happen from time to time. The United States holds the country at Level 2, Exercise increased caution, citing crime, unrest, health and piracy against small craft at sea. France keeps the whole country at heightened vigilance, advises great care on the roads at night, and tells travellers not to board the small kwassa-kwassa boats. The bigger gap is medical: French advice describes care as unsatisfactory in the capital and non-existent on Anjouan and Mohéli, so take insurance that covers evacuation. Read your own foreign ministry before booking.

When is the best time to visit the Comoros?+

May to October, the cooler and drier kusi season, when the southeast trade winds blow. June, September and October are the pick: dry and settled, and from mid-July to October there are humpback whales off Mohéli. July and August are just as dry but are the grand mariage season, when the diaspora flies home and flights from Paris cost the most. The hot, wet kashkazi runs from November to April, January is the wettest month, and the UK Foreign Office puts the cyclone risk at January to May.

How do you get between the three islands?+

By air when a domestic carrier is flying, and by boat when it is not. Inter-island airlines have come and gone (Int'Air Îles stopped flying in February 2024, and newer operators have announced routes since), so ask a hotel or agent in Moroni which one is operating that week. Ferries run, but the UK Foreign Office warns they can be overloaded, in poor condition and without life jackets, and that overloaded boats have capsized in Comorian waters with heavy loss of life. France advises against the small motor boats called kwassa-kwassa altogether. Leave slack in the itinerary, because a missed crossing is the usual way a Comoros trip changes shape.

Is Mayotte part of the Comoros?+

Geographically yes, politically no. Mayotte is the fourth island of the archipelago, but when the other three declared independence in 1975 its residents voted to remain French, and France now runs it as an overseas department. The Union of the Comoros still claims it, and the fourth star on the Comorian flag stands for it. For a traveller the practical point is that Mayotte is entered under French rules, not on a Comorian visa, and that the dispute is a live political subject on the other three islands.

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