Things to Do in Comoros

About Comoros

The air on Grande Comore smells of ylang-ylang and sea-mist at the same time; it hits you the moment the cabin door opens at Prince Said Ibrahim Airport. Drive south on the RN1 and the black lava road snakes through clove groves until the Indian Ocean appears like a blue wall above the next ridge. In Moroni’s Medina Kandza, women in salouva wrap skirts sell small bananas for 50 KMF (0.11 USD) beside stalls stacked with vanilla pods thicker than cigars; the call to prayer from the Friday Mosque floats above tin roofs and the faint hum of scooters. Head north to Itsandra Beach at sunset and the sand squeaks underfoot like fresh snow while boys grill lobster over coconut husks — 1,000 KMF (2.20 USD) for a whole tail, smoky and sweet. Chomoni’s white crescent hides tide pools warm as bathwater; climb the 20-minute trail up Dos du Dragon and the trade wind tastes of salt and cinnamon. The catch: domestic flights run only three times a week and the 10-hour ferry to Moheli can pitch like a washing machine, but those who ride it dive with humpback whales inside Moheli Marine Park and never regret the bruises. Comoros isn’t polished; it’s raw, scented, and stubbornly itself — and that’s precisely the reason it stays under your skin long after you leave.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Taxis from the airport quote 6,000 KMF (13 USD) to Moroni center; bargain to 3,000 KMF (7 USD) or walk 200 m to the road and flag a shared minibus for 300 KMF (0.70 USD). Grande Comore’s RN1 circles the island in 90 minutes on a rented scooter (10,000 KMF / 22 USD per day). Ferries to Moheli leave from Chindini jetty at 7 AM on Monday, Wednesday, Friday; buy the 8,000 KMF (18 USD) ticket the day before because seats sell out fast and the queue turns into a rugby scrum. Flights on Int’Air Iles to Anjouan cost 40,000 KMF (88 USD) and occasionally get cancelled for ‘technical reasons’—always have one buffer day.

Money: Comoros franc (KMF) is king; the only ATM that reliably accepts foreign cards is Banque pour l’Industrie et le Commerce on Rue de la Corniche in Moroni (withdraw in multiples of 20,000 KMF to avoid empty-machine frustration). Euro bills get better street rates than dollars at the Bureau de Change opposite Volo-Volo Market—expect roughly 485 KMF to 1 EUR. No one breaks large notes after 6 PM, so hoard small change for street food and shared taxis. Credit cards work at Itsandra Beach Hotel and the Galawa resort, nowhere else.

Cultural Respect: Shoes off before entering any home or mosque; carry socks if you’re squeamish about dusty floors. Fridays are prayer days—shops in Moroni close from 11 AM to 2 PM, so stock up on water and snacks early. When greeting, offer a soft handshake followed by placing your right hand over your heart; women may nod instead. Photographing people in Salimani and Tsidjé villages is fine if you ask first—offer 500 KMF (1.10 USD) as thanks. Topless sunbathing is a hard no on any beach; cover shoulders and knees outside hotel grounds.

Food Safety: Eat where the line is longest: the brochette stand outside Volo-Volo Market grills goat and fish over charcoal for 250 KMF (0.55 USD) per skewer and turns inventory every 15 minutes. Stick to bottled water (500 cl, 300 KMF / 0.70 USD) and avoid ice in roadside sodas. Coconut bread from the boulangerie on Rue du Commerce is baked at 5 AM and sells out by 9—still warm, it smells like vacation. Skip salads at beach shacks unless you see the greens rinsed in boiled water. Grand Maré’s Sunday night seafood buffet at 15,000 KMF (33 USD) is the splurge that won’t leave you sprinting for the toilet.

When to Visit

April to November is the sweet spot—days hover at 27 °C (81 °F) and the Indian Ocean stays 28 °C (82 °F), perfect for snorkeling off Chomoni Beach without the sweat-soaked nights of December–March when the mercury climbs to 32 °C (90 °F). Rainfall drops to 50 mm a month from May to October, so jungle hikes on Karthala volcano won’t turn into mud wrestling. Hotel prices in Moroni dip 30 % in October and April; expect 45,000 KMF (100 USD) for a double at the Itsandra versus 65,000 KMF (143 USD) in July–August when French holidaymakers arrive. Flights from Nairobi on Kenya Airways jump 25 % during European school holidays—book two months out or fly in shoulder seasons. Whale season runs July to October in Moheli Marine Park, coinciding with drier weather and calmer ferries; humpbacks breach within 50 m of your pirogue for the park fee of 15,000 KMF (33 USD). Ramadan shifts earlier each year—2025 sees it in February–March when daytime dining is limited and nightlife shuts down. December trade winds bring world-class kitesurfing to Mitsamiouli Beach but also 3-m swells that cancel ferries for days. Budget travelers should target late October or early May: rooms drop another 15 % and you’ll share Karthala’s crater rim with more goats than people.