Mayotte

Introduction

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Mayotte, though very much a part of the Comoros, separated itself from its brothers by maintaining ties with France following independence in the 1960s. The association with France has seen the island prosper to a greater extent than the rest of the Comoros and recent changes in legislature have seen the island woven even tighter into the French fabric.

That is the politics. To the politically-unaware observer, however, Mayotte would rightly appear just another island in the Comoros Archipelago. Grand Terre, the main island, is surrounded by a coral reef that boasts excellent snorkeling and diving potential. It is this waterfront attraction that makes Mayotte, like the rest of the Comoros, a fantastic but underrated destination.

Brief History

In 1500 the Maore or Mawuti sultanate was established on the island. In 1503, Mayotte was observed by Portuguese explorers, but not colonized. In 1832, it was conquered by Andriantsoly, former king of Iboina on Madagascar; in 1833 conquered by the neighbouring sultanate of Mwali; on 19 November 1835 again conquered by the Ndzuwani Sultanate but in 1836 regained its independence under a last local Sultan.
Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other Comoros in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in referendums in 1974 and 1976 to retain its link with France and forgo independence (with 63.8% and 99.4% of votes respectively). The Comoros continue to claim the island, and a draft 1976 United Nations Security Council resolution supported by 11 of the 15 members of the Council would have recognized Comororian sovereignty over Mayotte, but France vetoed the resolution. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a series of resolutions on the issues, whose tenor can be gauged from their title: "Question of the Comorian Island of Mayotte" up to 1995. Since 1995, the subject of Mayotte has not been discussed by the General Assembly.
A referendum on becoming an overseas department of France in 2011 was held on 29 March 2009. The outcome was a 95.5 per cent vote in favour of changing the island's status from a French "overseas community" to become France's 101st département. It will then get the same healthcare and welfare system as France but will also pay more taxes. The non official traditional Islamic law that is still applied in some aspects of the day to day life of some people will be progressively abolished and be completely replaced by the already existing uniform French civil code.

Geography

Islands

Two main islands make up Mayotte.

• Grande-Terre (or Mahoré) is the main island.
• Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi) is a small island to the east of the main island.

Several small islets are located around each island.

Towns

• Bandele
• Dzaoudzi, once the capital of the Comoros, is on a rocky outcrop on the island of Petite-Terre
• Mamoudzou is Mayotte's capital and is located on Grande-Terre
• Sada

Sights and Activities

Mont Choungui

Go hiking to the top of Mont Choungui and enjoy the fantastic views of the island and the surrouding ocean. When the weather is clear you will be able to see other islands of the Comoros as well.

Diving

Mayotte might not be the world's most famous spot to go diving, but there are some spectactular spots to enjoy the reefs, corals and numerous colourful species of fish here. Of course, just relaxing and snorkelling is equally as pleasant.

Wildlife

For such a small place, the island and its waters have a diverse habitat. Sea turtles on the southern beaches, calving humpback whales in August and September and lemurs and makis in some more remote parts of Mayotte.

Moya Beach

A beautiful stretch of white sand and turquoise waters, Moya Beach used to be the place where three old craters were. Nowadays, one is a sulphuric lake and the two others are immurged in the sea to form Moya Beach itself.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Mayotte has a warm and humid cliimate, with some relief of the heath by breezes from the Indian Ocean. Temperatures generally are around 30 degrees Celsius during the day, and still above 20 degrees Celsius at night. November to April is slightly warmer, May to October a bit cooler. Rain is present during all months, but is more and heavier from November to May. August to October is the driest period and temperatures are fine as well, making this the best time to travel to Mayotte. Hurricanes are possible from December to February, so it is best to avoid this time.

Getting There

By Plane

Dzaoudzi Pamandzi International Airport (DZA) receives all international flights. Comores Aviation flies to Moroni, Corsairfly to Paris and Kenya Airways to Nairobi. Air Austral flies to and from Paris, Madagascar (Nosy Be), Reunion and Moroni in the Comoros.

By Boat

Other than cargo ships and yacht, there are no official passenger services to and from Mayotte.

Getting Around

By Car

Car rental is available on Mayotte but relatively expensive. Most roads are tarred but some are potholed. Traffic drives on the right and you need an international driving permit.
Renting a bike is also possible.

By Bus

Taxi-brousses are the way to get around Mayotte. They are cheap and abundant and a great way to meet locals.

By Boat

Ferries ply the waters between Petite-Terre (where the airport is located) and Grande-Terre.

Red Tape

Roughly the same conditions as for France, though of course the Schengen Visa doesn't apply here.

Money

See also Money Matters

As an overseas collectivity of France, Mayotte has adopted the Euro (ISO code: EUR, symbol: €) as its official currency. One Euro is divided into 100 cents, which is sometimes referred to as eurocents, especially when distinguishing them with the US cents.

Euro banknotes come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500. The highest three denominations are rarely used in everyday transactions. All Euro banknotes have a common design for each denomination on both sides throughout the Eurozone.

The Euro coins are 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, €1 and €2. Some countries in the Eurozone have law which requires cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest 5 cents. All Euro coins have a common design on the denomination (value) side, while the opposite side may have a different image from one country to another. Although the image side may be different, all Euro coins remain legal tender throughout the Eurozone.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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