Travel to Mayotte Islands

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Mayotte Islands, Mayotte

Stuck between two giants, Mozambique and Madagascar - the small French island of Mayotte (4,025 sq ft) lies to the south-east of the Comores archipelago. It became a French department following a referendum and it will officially become a DOM in 2010. Some 6,500 mi from the French capital, it is comprised of two islands, the aptly named 'Petite- Terre' and 'Grande- Terre' (small and big land). There is a sea shuttle service that enables you to cross over from one to the other without even having to paddle! Most of the tourist attractions are on Grande-Terre though: crystal-clear lagoons with sea turtles, dolphins, and humpback whales, never-ending sandbanks, lush forests inhabited by friendly lemurs, authentic villages, mountains to be clipmbed, eco-museums, etc. Most of the hotels are therefore on Grande-Terre, but luckily for her sister island, the international airport is on Petite-Terre and offers microlight outings and excursions around its beautiful lake.

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pros

•  The beauty and diversity of the landscapes (forests, turquoise-blue lagoon, typical villages)
•  The exceptional fauna: indigenous animals, such a the little maki lemurs or megabats, sea turtles, whales, dolphins, etc.
•  The plethora of activities: trekking, diving, long naps on sand banks, sea excursions, watching the turtles lay their eggs at nightfall, eco-museums, etc.
•  The local culture combined with the advantages of Metropolitan France: the French language, modern hospitals, the Euro, etc.
•  Deserted beaches far from the crowds of tourists

cons

•  There are only 7 proper hotels on the island
•  The various stop-overs that add hours and sometimes thousands of mi to the journey
•  The air-fare is very expensive
•  The infrastructures: several roads could do with a little refurbishment and some additional signposts would be welcome

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map Mayotte

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Visit Mayotte Islands

• To see

  You will also meet all sorts of four-legged, feathery, or scaly creatures that will do all they can to impress you... You will be sure to see small lemurs, called makis, megabats, sea turtles, dolphins, and, if you're lucky, the odd humpback whale. The postcard landscape is as beautiful as it is varied with its lush forests, turquoise lagoons and typical villages. The local population is equally beautiful: they are proud of their origins and look splendid in their multicoloured clothes. You will notice, also, that many of the women cover their faces with sun-screen sandalwood beauty masks, which provides the opportunity for you to bring back some splendid photos!

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  To do

  You won't have a second's rest here with the plethora of activities on offer: forest excursions, climbing up Mount Choungui, diving off the coral reef, sea excursions with whale spotting and snorkelling, watching sea turtles lay their eggs at night, visiting eco-museums, or simply visiting villages to meet the locals. All this can be done without being bothered by the crowds of tourists that flock to every spot with a palm-tree. You sometimes get the feeling that you are the last person on earth, with the white sand beaches stretching into the distance. Of course, there is always the option of doing absolutely nothing all day long!

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  To think about

  Remember that the seasons are back-to-front in the southern hemisphere! In the summer, there is plenty of rain and high temperatures, whereas in the winter season, it is dryer and cooler... but still very pleasant. As Madagascar acts as a protection for Mayotte, cyclones are fairly rare.
  Try to learn a few words in the local language as this is generally a much appreciated effort!
  Remember to take your passport with you, as it will be requested if you have a long stop-over on foreign land (Madagascar or Kenya).
  

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• To avoid

  Drivers beware: you must be extremely careful, especially when you drive through the villages. The local children have the disturbing habit of darting across the road without looking, not forgetting the stray animals which wander aimlessly across the road... There is even a special zebu and goat pound! As far as the signalling and infrastructures are concerned, there is still some room for improvement; the general state of the network is decent enough, but some of the roads could do with being resurfaced and some additional signposts would be welcome.Try not to take pictures of the local inhabitants without asking for their permission first, as they are particularly averse to sneaky photos. Generally speaking, it is best to adopt an unobtrusive attitude, especially in the more remote areas and do not forget that Mayotte is a Muslim department.
  When you go on an excursion out to sea, be careful not to step on the grass that the turtles feed on, or the coral reef. You should also avoid touching the turtles and other sea dwellers...

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  To try

  The local cuisine can hardly be described as gourmet food, but it's certainly very tasty, with simple and nourishing dishes of fish and meat (more expensive), bananas, manioc, rice and a plethora of exotic fruit that you can lay into with a vengeance. Even the names of the dishes are deliciously inviting: mataba, matsidza, kangué, batabata, mtsolola, pilao, etc. All of this is served with very hot and spicy sauces! An increasing number of restaurants offer more elaborate dishes that mix local products and Western cooking, hence the very tasty 'Cannellonis with Banana tree flowers' which you can try at the Jardin Maoré.

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  To bring back

  Don't forget to bring an empty memory card for your camera, as it would be a pity to run out of photo space! Indeed, photos may be your only form of souvenir as there is very little handicraft in Mayotte and most of the products on sale come straight from Madagascar. Besides the postcards with their local colours, you can buy essential oils of ylang and vanilla, shells, woven baskets, local dolls (Comores), and a few carved wooden objects (knives, for example, made of bamboo, baobab or coconut wood). We recommend the few shops in the centre of Mamoudzou and in certain villages (Hagnoundrou, Boueni, etc.).

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Country guide

Mayotte, All you need to know!

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• Useful Addresses 
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Mayotte Islands in pictures

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