Visiting the Comoros: what to do on the three islands

The largest island is home to the capital, Moroni, whose old harbour and waterfront Friday Mosque can be visited in a morning, wearing clothes that cover shoulders and knees. Karthala towers over the island at 2,361 metres: the climb takes one long day or two days with a night on the crater rim, always with a guide. The north has the finest beaches, around Mitsamiouli, about an hour's drive from the capital. Allow four days for the island.

The smallest and wildest of the three islands is largely covered by a land and marine national park. At Itsamia, in the south-east, green turtles nest on the beach all year round, with night outings run by the village. From roughly July to October, humpback whales pass offshore and can be seen on boat trips. Accommodation is simple, in eco-lodges or homestays: plan three nights and bring enough cash. Nature lovers will find the spirit of the Seychelles of a few decades ago.

Anjouan, the steepest island, is known for its deep valleys and fields of ylang-ylang, a flower of which the archipelago is one of the world's leading producers. In Mutsamudu, the medina's narrow lanes climb towards a citadel overlooking the harbour, best explored in two hours with a local guide. Small distilleries can be visited on request, especially in the east of the island. Lake Dzialandzé, perched in a crater, is reached on a half-day hike. Two or three days are enough.

Islam shapes daily life, with a marked slowdown at Friday midday and during Ramadan, when eating in public during the day is frowned upon. The dry season, from July to September, coincides with the season of grand weddings, customary ceremonies that can last several days and bring whole villages together. Visitors are sometimes invited. Swahili culture links the archipelago to Zanzibar and the Tanzanian coast, while nearby Madagascar combines easily in a single trip.