Anjouan

Anjouan, or Ndzuani, is the most mountainous of the Comoros, a rough triangle with three ridges running out from a central massif, deep valleys between them and the steepest terrain in the archipelago. Ylang-ylang, the flower that goes into perfume, is distilled across the island. Mutsamudu is the main town with its medina, and Lac Dzialandze and the waterfalls sit in the interior. The island holds around a third of the country's population on a fraction of its land, which is why the pressure on the slopes has been so severe.

What you actually see

• The three ridges - the mountain arms giving the island its triangular shape.
• The ylang-ylang - the flower distilled across the island for perfume.
• The valleys - the deep cuts between the ridges.
• The interior - the central massif holding the lake and the falls.

When to go

May to October is the drier and cooler season. The rains run November to April with cyclone risk. Ylang-ylang is harvested through much of the year.

Honest expectations

Roads are steep, narrow and in poor condition. Deforestation on the slopes has been severe and the landscape shows it. Facilities outside Mutsamudu are minimal.

Nearby

Domoni is southeast, and Grande Comore is northwest.