The Ultimate Travel Guide to Visiting Comoros [Updated 2025]

Comoros is one of those off-the-beaten-path destinations you just have to experience at least once in your life. I’ve been wanting to travel to Comoros for years, and finally made it happen and spent some time backpacking there.

Before I went, I had never met a single traveler who had been there. In fact, most people haven’t even heard of the place! As one of the least visited countries in the world, Comoros is about as remote as it gets — so remote that even in the capital city my phone had no signal.

As Lonely Planet puts it:

“Haphazardly scattered across the Indian Ocean, the mysterious, outrageous and enchanting Comoros islands are the kind of place you go to just drop off the planet for a while. Far removed from the clutter that comes with conventional paradises – sprawling hotels, neon discos – the Comoros are so remote even an international fugitive could hide out here.”

Overview of the Comoros Islands

Comoros consists of three islands: Grande Comore, Mohéli, and Anjouan. There’s also a fourth island, Mayotte, but that’s part of France. Grande Comore is the main island with the smallest international airport I’ve ever been to, and the capital city, Moroni.

Languages in Comoros

The official languages are French, Arabic, and Comorian. Since I don’t speak any of those languages, I sometimes had trouble communivating. I’ve been trying to learn French for years, but it’s hard, and the pronunciation feels impossible for me! But somehow I managed to get by, and I always found people who spoke English as well.

I tried to learn Comorian but only managed to pick up three words: Thank you, water, and hello. I mean, what more do I need? I also found out that most people understand Swahili as well which is a good thing for me because after traveling several months in East Africa, my vocabulary is a bit wider than in Comorian.

Getting In

If you’re traveling to Comoros from mainland Africa, you have a few options:

• Kenya Airways flies daily to Moroni from Nairobi.

• Ethiopian Airlines now as of 2025 flies daily as well from Addis Ababa.

• AB Aviation, the local airline, connects the islands and also flies from Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Mahajanga (Madagascar).

• Precision Air flies a few times a week from Dar es Salaam.

Be aware: AB Aviation’s online booking system doesn’t always work, so it’s best to book through a local travel agency once you’re there.

Visa on arrival costs $50 or €30 — pay in euros to save money.

There’s also an option for a ship. I was initially planning to take the ship from Comoros to Madagascar, but everyone was telling me that it’s not worth it. It takes three to four days, and it’s only a little bit cheaper than flying. You can also take boats between the islands, and apparently, there’s even a ship going to Zanzibar.

Getting Around in Comoros

If you want to travel between the islands, the only option basically is the boat. Yes, AB Aviation flies between the islands, but they cancel the flights all the time. If you want to fly, let’s say from Grande Comore to Mohéli, but there are more people who want to fly from Grande Comore to Anjouan, they only have one flight that day, and it’s from Grande Comore to Anjouan. It doesn’t matter if you have booked your flights, and are already at the airport. I didn’t even bother trying, so I opted for the boat which is described as a death trap in Lonely Planet (more about that later).

Traveling on land, you have options for a taxi, hitchhiking and minibuses. If you want to go to the international airport, you can find shared taxis near Volo Volo market in Moroni. A private taxi to the airport is more expensive and costs 15-20€. Minibuses going to Chindini or other places in the south can be found in front of Hotel Karthala. As always in Africa, you should start traveling early because all of the minibuses and boats leave in the morning.

Cost & Budget

Comoros is more expensive than many East African countries due to its remote location. Budget travelers should be prepared to spend more than expected, especially on accommodation. You’ll struggle to find reliable information online, so factor in a buffer for unexpected expenses.

Where to Stay in Comoros

If you’ve read this post, you know I spent my first night in Comoros sleeping at a house of a local girl I had never met before. My arrival was a bit of a disaster — I missed my connecting flight and had to take the next one, arriving late at night when everything was closed. To make matters worse, my luggage didn’t arrive, and I had no cash on me. You can read the full story here, it was definitely an adventure and worth a read. Still, I was lucky to experience the warmth and hospitality of the Comorian people right from day one. Here’s a picture of the local girl’s place where I stayed that first night:

You can’t book accommodation in advance through sites like Booking.com or Agoda because most hotels in Comoros simply aren’t listed there. That’s why I didn’t have a hotel for my first night. You could try emailing some of the properties, but it’s generally easier to arrive and find a place on the spot. I don’t recommend arriving in the middle of the night like I did — and to be fair, that wasn’t my plan either.

After that first night, I stayed at Jardin de la Paix, which was one of the nicest options I found for the price (€30 for a single room). I checked out other places in the €20–25 range, but they lacked bathrooms and were overall in poor condition. Even Jardin de la Paix felt overpriced, as a similar room elsewhere in East Africa would cost around €10. But as I mentioned earlier, Comoros is an expensive country.

If you’re looking for something more luxurious, consider Itsandra Hotel, which is probably the most expensive property on the island.

Update 2025: Things have changed, and you can now book several hotels online on Booking.com.

These are the best hotel options I found for Moroni:

Itsandra Beach Hotel and Resort

Luxury hotel featuring a private beach, an outdoor pool, and free wifi.

Le Dhow
Nice and clean looking apartment with a garden and terrace.

And for Mohéli:

Mohéli Laka Lodge

Moheli Laka Lodge is a beach resort in National Marine Park of Moheli in Nioumachoua. All of the rooms have a private terrace and ocean view, direct access to the beach and a private bathroom. This is the best choice in Mohéli.

Safety 

Honestly, I’ve never felt safer in Africa. Of course, I always try to be careful and avoid walking after dark, and I also take a good care of my belongings. But in Comoros, I never felt scared to take out my camera and take pictures, which is something I definitely didn’t do in Antananarivo for example. I also felt safe to hitchhike. The local people are so warm and friendly, and I haven’t heard anyone getting robbed there.

But as always when traveling, a good travel insurance is necessary – especially when you’re traveling to remote places like Comoros. I highly recommend World Nomads or SafetyWing travel insurances because they are great for long-term travelers and you can also buy them when you’re already on the road.

Talk to the Locals

I have to say, Comorian people are some of the warmest and most welcoming I’ve ever met! They went out of their way to help me in every situation — from my very first night when I didn’t have money for the visa, had no place to stay or food to eat, and my luggage didn’t arrive, to the time I was traveling to Mohéli and my new friend Ridjal did everything to help me (you can read the story here).

So, talk to the locals! They’re not going to rip you off or ask for money like in some other countries — they genuinely want to help you and spend time with you.

Religion

Comoros is a Muslim country, but a rather liberal one I would say. Not all women covered up their hair, but no one wasn’t wearing a mini skirt either. I made sure to dress conservatively — most of the time I wore a long maxi skirt with a T-shirt that covered my shoulders.

I had a normal bikini when I went swimming, and it was fine because usually there was no one around. You can have a beach all to yourself in Comoros! I also had a swim T-shirt and shorts with me just in case, but I never felt uncomfortable in a bikini.

Although Comoros is a Muslim country, alcohol is available in some restaurants and nightclubs, but it’s very expensive.

Things to Do in Comoros

I spent half of my time in Grande Comore and half of the time in Mohéli. Check out my Mohéli post here.

Moroni

Moroni is the capital city of Comoros, but compared to other capitals in East Africa, it feels more like a small village. You can wander through the Volo Volo market (if you don’t mind the strong smells and piles of garbage), stroll along the coastline, visit the Friday Mosque, or head to the beach.

You may need to take a taxi to reach the beaches, but fares are quite affordable. There are two nice options: Itsandra Beach and a larger public beach located just before it when coming from Moroni. The public beach doesn’t seem to have an official name on Google Maps, but if you look up the restaurant Le Sim Sim, that’s exactly where it is. And speaking of Le Sim Sim — if you’re looking for a great place to have dinner, I highly recommend it! Otherwise, you’ll find plenty of restaurant options in Moroni’s city center.

The Beaches

When it comes to beaches, Comoros is full of unspoiled, secluded stretches of sand. One of the best can be found in the north of Grande Comore — and while you’re up there, you can also visit Lac Salé.

Itsandra Beach technically belongs to the hotel of the same name, but it’s not truly private. I went there many times, and no one minded. The owners of Jardin de la Paix head there almost every afternoon and recommended it to me. It’s usually very quiet, with hardly any people around — perfect if you’re looking for a peaceful spot to relax.

The other main beach in Moroni is larger, public, and offers a livelier atmosphere, making it a great place to experience local life.

Iconi

Just a short ride from Moroni is the historic town of Iconi, home to the famous Ikoni Mosque and dramatic sea cliffs where, in the early 19th century, women are said to have leapt to their deaths rather than be taken by Malagasy pirates.

You can also hike up a nearby hill to see a volcanic crater — a short and easy trek. I did this hike with my new local friend Ridjal, and we even “hired” a few local kids to guide us along the way.

Hike Mount Karthala to See an Active Volcano

This volcano is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. I really wanted to do this hike, but it was rather expensive (100€). I really wanted to do the trek, but at €100 it was quite expensive. What ultimately made me skip it, though, was the rainy season. The trails would have been more challenging — and potentially unsafe — plus the humidity was close to 100%. I was sweating just standing still, so climbing a mountain didn’t seem too appealing at the time.

If you’re traveling to Comoros during the dry season, I highly recommend doing it! The hike takes almost a full day — you’ll start very early in the morning (around 4–5 am) and return after dark. There’s also an option for an overnight trek, though it’s even pricier.

If you love hiking volcanoes, you might also enjoy reading about my experience climbing Mount Nyiragongo in DR Congo.


See the Beautiful Nature in Mohéli

Getting to Mohéli was so complicated, and the adventure really deserves its own post, so check out my other post here if you want to know how was the trip taking boats Lonely Planet describes as death traps.

I share more details about Mohéli in that post, but I have to include it here on the list of things to do in Comoros. The island’s nature is stunning and truly unique. You can witness giant turtles laying their eggs, spot Livingstone’s fruit bats (the largest bats in the world!), admire ancient baobab trees, and see whales and dolphins. And of course, Mohéli is dotted with pristine, picture-perfect beaches.

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