Comoros Archipelago

May 2009

The Comoros Archipelago comprises four main volcanic islands situated between Mozambique and Madagascar at the north end of the Mozambique Channel. Running from east to west, the most easterly and the oldest is Mayotte, followed by Anjouan, then Mohéli the smallest, and finally Grand Comore, the largest with an active volcano, Mt Kathala, considered one of the largest craters in the world.

Anjouan, Moheli and Grand Comore form the Arabic Union of the Comoros, while Mayotte is French owned and a popular tourist island. The Arabic Union of the Comoros is considered one of the poorest nations in the world and proved logistically difficult to get around.

This was compounded by the non acceptance of credit cards for any payment including hotels and inter-island flights, no means to draw cash, and everything had to be paid in cash currency. The islands were surveyed for potential fossil sites but proved unsuccessful. For getting away from the comforts of home, however, this is the place to visit. Sites worth seeing are Mt Kathala, the Arab Quarter in Moutsamoudou, and the Chaoueni coast.

Here are some more images from this expedition.