This country located off the African East Coast is actually an archipelago formed by 4 volcanic islands. These islands have often been referred to as “perfumed islands” on account of the fact that the plants here are fragrant and also key to making perfumes. Other than that, little is known about this country blessed with an abundance of scenic beauty, so, let’s change that!
Interesting Facts:
1. At 7,746 feet, Mount Karthala the highest point of the Comoros which happens to be an active volcano. It has had 20 eruptions since the 19th century! Thankfully the last one was over a decade ago in 2007.
2. The capital Moroni gets its name due to its proximity to Mt. Karthala because Moroni means “in the heart of fire”.
3. It isn’t just standing on a former volcano its government is also quite the political volcano. While the last decade saw peace, up until then this small country had witnessed over 20 coups in just 40 years!
4. It is an archipelago not just geographically but also metaphorically for the number of cultures and diversities that it comprises of. However, the first ever inhabitants of this island country were from Melanesia and Polynesia, long way from home.
5. Within the archipelago it was only 3 island that voted for independence in 1974, so, Mayotte is the only island here which still remains an overseas French territory to this date.
6. 146 species of birds are found in this country. Of these 6 were introduced by man while 140 are actually endemic.
7. With such a big number of birds, in stark contrast the country only has marine mammals and bats amongst species of mammals, due to the volcanic activity. Some have even been introduced. Also, the mongoose Lemur though migrated from Madagascar, is today found only on 2 islands of Comoros.
8. It first declared an area to be protected only in 2001 when the Moheli Marine Park was granted this status for being home to the nearly endemic coelacanth fish, humpback whale and sharks.
9. Here’s a catch 22 – it has one of the smallest populations in the world but also one of the densest populations at the same time! This is because of the small size of the country.
10. They are the world’s largest producers of ylang ylang, an essential oil with both fragrant properties (causing it be used a base of many perfumes) and medicinal properties. They are also the second largest producers of vanilla and also major producers of cloves. These crop exports led to the aforementioned “perfume islands” name being coined for them.
11. When you picture a volcano crater what do you usually image it to be like? Maybe with orange or red lave if its active or maybe rocky when its dried. But here in Comoros there is a crater with a lake inside it! Yes, Lac Sale is a saltwater lake which made home inside a crater itself.
12. The country’s military and police forces both have only 500 personnel each! This makes it for one of the smallest forces in the world.
Author’s Recommendations:
1. It has one of the largest coral atolls in the world with hundreds of fish, turtles, corals, manta rays, whale sharks and shells, making this a dream destination for scuba diving and snorkelling.
2. When you’ve heard of the magnificence of Lac Sale you must head on over to the lake. The lake is not open for diving as two divers attempted this some years back and never returned. But don’t worry because there’s a hilly area nearby which you can climb to view this unique lake.
3. Make the most of the beauty of this place. Head to the beach and just head back again! If you had been dreaming about the island life, well, this is the perfect location to get that with the blue waters inviting you over and over again. One such place to do is Ndroude beach accompanied by Turtle island on the side.
4. That said, easily one of the prettiest beaches awaiting you for your time in Comoros is the Mitsamiouli Beach which can compete with any world-famous beach for being the more jaw-droppingly gorgeous one.
5. If you’re someone who enjoys getting a taste of the local culture, then walk around the capital or Moroni and also head to Nouvelle Mosquee de Vendredi. The mosque is a symbol of the local architecture and has been standing tall since way back in 1427.
6. You can also spend an afternoon at Trou De Prophet, a beach spot which the locals believe was visited by the Prophet himself. They will tell you that he came and sat between two large rocks. It has remnants from back when sailors would anchor their ships here. And this history and folklore adds to the charm of the view in front of you.
7. Comoros Islands are the dream destination for the ones who just cannot get enough of the water!
How to reach:
You can fly in to Moroni, Anjouan or Moheli but generally there are more flight options to Moroni. Take a flight from Mumbai which with a layover in Nairobi will thereafter get you on another flight to Moroni.
For Visa:
For the visa requirements, kindly refer to the following page on our website:
https://wordpress-825601-2838871.cloudwaysapps.com/visa-comoros/
