Lost between the coasts of Tanzania and those of northern Madagascar, the three islands of the Comoros (four with Mayotte remaining French) make up one of the wildest archipelagos less frequented by international tourism, nestling in the paradisiacal waters of the Indian Ocean.

Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli are volcanic islands. They have all the ingredients to become a tourist destination of excellence, but they still present themselves as a small, unexplored natural Eden of crystal-clear sea and lush land, inhabited by a friendly population, very attached to their traditions and strongly Islamicised, whose origins are a meticulous kaleidoscope of African (Bantu, Swahili, Malagasy) and Arab, but also Indo-Eastern cultural influences.
The ‘Islands of the Moon’, as they are called by the locals according to Arab tradition, each have their own special characteristics that make them unique. Amidst the paradisiacal beaches and vast tropical plantations, the echoes of epic pirates and ancient sultanates resonate, while the French colonial presence is felt in the language spoken, although local Shikomor, Malagasy and Arabic are more widespread.

An archipelago of primary forests, coffee plantations and essences (including ylang-ylang, a prized inflorescence from which the essential oil that forms the basis of Chanel No. 5 perfume is extracted), white beaches fringed with coconut palms and volcanic creeks, where ancient salt lakes are embedded, the Comoros open onto a turquoise sea, inhabited by sea turtles, whales and explosive underwater life, especially in the wild and virgin Moheli, whose fauna of lemurs and endemic bats has attracted the interest of UNESCO, and which was the seat of a last, all-female sultanate.

It’s a paradise that preserves intact its primordial charm, primeval nature and deserted beaches that would make the most famous international tourist destinations pale in comparison, yet still undiscovered.