๐งญ Comoros: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Comoros feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 30 written places.
Deeply Muslim and elaborately courteous; greetings are long and clocks are advisory.
โ Considered polite
- Open with Salam aleikum and let the greeting run its full course
- Cover shoulders and knees in towns, especially Moroni and around mosques
- Use your right hand for eating and passing anything
- Ask before photographing people, especially women
โ Better avoided
- Drink alcohol in public - it is sold quietly and consumed privately
- Schedule anything for Friday midday - shops close for the main prayer
- Wear beachwear away from the sand
- Expect punctuality - ferries, taxis and meetings all run on island time
๐ก Worth knowing
- Cash only in Comorian francs - ATMs are scarce and unreliable, so bring euros
- A few hotels and restaurants around Moroni serve beer and wine at a premium
- Tipping is not obligatory - 5-10% in restaurants is generous
- Shared taxi-brousse minibuses are the main way between towns
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list the kind of gear we would pack ourselves.
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.