Seniors Discover The Comoros

Senior travelers discover that the Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is a sovereign archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel off the eastern coast of Africa between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar.

Other countries near the Comoros are Tanzania to the northwest and the Seychelles to the northeast. Its capital is Moroni, on Grande Comoros where they use the Comorian franc. So now that you know where they are, let’s go for a visit. They were recently selected as a “must visit” in the local newspaper.

There are an estimated 1,000,000 folks who call the Comoros home. Lonely Planet notes that while the islands are haphazardly scattered across the Indian Ocean, the mysterious, outrageous and enchanting islands are the kind of place you go to just drop off the planet for a while.

It is thought that early inhabitants of the Comoro Islands were people of Malaysian and Polynesian origin. For years the Comoros was a trading center for spices and slaves.

 Seniors Enjoy The Scents of Ylang-Ylang and Cloves

The island of Mohéli, boasts the sleepy town of Fomboni. Anjouan is the beautiful sister among the already fascinating cluster of islands often called Paradise. Bananas and palms are in abundance and senior visitors will catch the scent of ylang-ylang and cloves in the sea breezes.

Grande Comore (Ngazidja), Anjouan, Mohéli, and Mayotte (which is not part of the country and retains ties to France)—constitute this archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 190 mi off the coast of Mozambique. Senior visitors will find Mount Karthala, one of the world’s largest active volcanoes that last erupted in April and November 2005.

Rich in Swahili culture, and devoutly Muslim, the inhabitants of the Comoros come from a legendary stock of Arab traders, African slaves, Portuguese pirates, and Persian sultans. Sound like an adventure to me!

Seniors Meet Livingstone’s Flying Fox

If you like bats, like all members of my family, these mountainous islands have diverse microecologies with spectacular scenery, exotic plants and rare animals. Several species of animals are unique to the Comoros. One, Livingstone’s Flying Fox, is a fruit bat that soars on wings spanning more than four feet.

Visitors will discover an abundance of sea life encompassing the Comoros that includes giant whales, huge manta rays, sailfish, sunfish, large sharks, yummy lobsters, crabs and shrimp. For senior gourmands, the local restaurants abound in rich seafood.

65% of perfume essences come from the Comoros, processed from the blossoms of ylang-ylang, jasmine (my favorite) and orange blossoms. Spices, including pepper, cloves, vanilla and nutmeg grown in the Comoros provide flavor for gourmets throughout the world.

 Seniors, visit with your travel agent, and make plans for an adventure in the Comoros. You will need a Visa to visit the Comoros, so don’t forget that. -jeb