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Voykit pocket guide · Comoros
Hamavouna
Spend half a day in Hamavouna for lake views and turtle beach; one day is enough.
Hamavouna is a small village on Mohéli with two scenic lakes and nearby turtle‑nesting beaches. A single day covers the main sights and a quick meal.
- Country
- Comoros
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- KMF
- Money
- Currency is the Comorian franc (KMF), pegged to the euro. Cards and ATMs for foreign cards are very limited; bring euros in cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget 15,000–25,000 KMF excl. bed · Mid 25,000–45,000 KMF excl. bed · High 45,000+ KMF excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Comores Telecom (Huri) and Telma Comores sell SIMs in Moroni with passport registration.
- Emergency
- Police 17 · Fire and ambulance 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 220 V · 50 Hz · Power cuts are common; bring a power bank.
- Tipping
- Guide or driver: €5–10 a day.; Restaurant: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; bottled water.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels; basic elsewhere.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meal at a small restaurant (fried bananas and fish) | 250 KMF |
| Motorbike taxi, short village hop | 1,000–2,000 KMF |
| Bottle of water (1.5 L) | 500–1,000 KMF |
| Guesthouse room, basic | 10,000–20,000 KMF |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HAH · Prince Said Ibrahim International (Moroni, Grande Comore)
- Main gateway; then inter-island flight or boat to Mohéli, then road to Hamavouna — check schedules
Typical fares
- Motorbike taxi from Mohéli airport to Hamavouna
- about 5,000 KMF, 30 min (check)
- Shared taxi, Hamavouna → Nioumachoua
- about 2,000–3,000 KMF per seat, about 1 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk for the village and nearby lakes; hire a local motorbike taxi or a vehicle with driver for the coast road. Roads are unpaved and signage is limited.
See and do
Known for
- Estuarine lake
- Larger mountain lake
- Sea‑turtle nesting beach
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nioumachoua | Road along the south coast by shared taxi or hired vehicle | About 1 h |
| Itsamia | Road east along the coast, then local transport | About 1–1.5 h |
| Hoani | Coastal road north-east | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Local guesthouse (basic)
- Simple rooms, limited facilities – check availability
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Salamasa-LA-ma |
| Thank you | Marahabama-ra-HA-ba |
| How much is it? | Ni shifarili? |
| Where is the beach? | Ye pwani iliyo wapi? |
| I would like fish and rice | Nataka samaki na wali |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Long greetings and a handshake (right hand); avoid: Skipping greetings
- Dress: Cover arms and legs in towns; avoid: Swimwear outside hotel beaches
- Photos: Ask first, especially women; avoid: Photographing mosques at prayer time
- Hands: Use the right hand to eat and give; avoid: Left-hand giving
Scams and watch-outs
- Roads are poor and unlit after dark; travel in daylight.
- Bring cash in Comorian francs: cards are rarely accepted and there is no reliable ATM in the village.
- Facilities are limited; arrange meals and any guide through your guesthouse.
- Turtle beaches are nesting sites: keep distance, no lights or flash at night, and go with a local guide.
Hamavouna is a small, quiet village and crime against visitors is rare. The real risks are poor roads, no street lights, limited medical care on Mohéli and sea conditions on boat trips: travel in daylight, keep cash, and ask locally before swimming or boating.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hamavouna yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Estuarine lake
- Larger mountain lake
- Sea‑turtle nesting beach
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Comoros National Tourism Office: www.comoros-tourism.com/
- Wikivoyage: Hamavouna, revision 3880926 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3880926
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Hamavouna
Tafadhali nenda hapa
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Mohéli. Most visitors rely on their embassy in Moroni (Grande Comore) or in Antananarivo, Madagascar; French and other consular offices in Moroni can assist.
Comorian (Shikomori) with French widely used; English is rare. Prices are 2026 estimates in Comorian francs.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hamavouna). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.