INDIAN OCEAN
Discover Mayotte from 777 €
Formalities
- A valid ID card (for French nationals)
- or a valid passport
Information on customs and security formalities is provided as a guide. Under no circumstances may Corsair be held responsible if your official documentation is not in order.
To prepare your trip, we suggest you contact the island’s tourist office:
Mayotte Tourism Office in Paris
16 rue de Saint-Pétersbourg 75008 Paris
01 81 69 69 09
email: antenneparis@mayotte-tourisme.com
Worth knowing
No specific vaccinations are required. Be sure to take the usual health precautions regarding food and water. There are risks of malaria. Your GP will be able to advise you on an oral anti-malarial treatment.
On site
Shopping hours
The shops are generally open from 08:00 to 16:00, and on Saturday morning.
Transport
You can hire cars, motorbikes and scooters locally. However, since some roads are in a bad condition, driving can be difficult. The cities have “taxi-ville” taxis and rural areas have “taxi-brousse” (bush taxis): these are minivans that can pack in up to 15 people, a cheap way to get around.
Security
Mayotte is a relatively safe island, where you can stroll at night without any security concerns. However, be aware that some areas are more dangerous than others at night.
Services
Banks and post offices are open from 07:00 to 16:00 Monday to Friday, and sometimes on Saturday morning.
Celebrations and public holidays on Mayotte
- Easter Monday
- FATMA (festival of traditional art)
- Commemoration of the abolition of slavery, on April 27th
- Labour Day, on May 1st
- Victory Day, on May 8th
- Ascension Day
- Eid al-Adha
- Ide El Kébir
- Assumption of Mary, on August 15th
- Achoura
- All Saints' Day
- the Carnival of Dzaoudzi-Labattoir at the end of the year
The essentials
Mayotte has one of the biggest and most beautiful lagoons in the world, bordered by a long coral reef. Be sure to check out the traces of ancient volcanic activity on the island and the coastline deeply divided into capes, the peninsulas and white sandy islets, the deep bays bordered by mangroves, and various forest reserves (Manjimbini, Songoro Mbili, Mount Benara, Choungi de Sohoa reserve).
The island has fairly exceptional fauna and flora. You can find “maki” lemurs and a great variety of lizards. All year round there are dolphins swimming near the coasts, as well as humpbacked whales, which can be spotted between April and October.
Moreover, you need only put on a simple mask and snorkel to get a look at the turtles, which can often be found not far from the coasts. The island also blooms with a wealth of exotic plants.
Gastronomy
The local cuisine is fairly basic, with the same staple foods often used again and again in traditional dishes: rice, manioc, bananas or breadfruits.
You can try out some fine barbecued fish near the beaches, as well as rougail, a Reunion dish with a spicy tomato sauce. As far as drinks are concerned, you can sip a delicious baobab juice or trembo, a juice extracted from the palm or coconut tree.
It is preferable to drink bottled water, especially in the bush.
Culture
Between the last day of Ramadan, the Coconut Tree festival in M'ronabeja (October-November), Murengue (nighttime festival), Wadaja (traditional dance performed by women) and Deba (a traditional singing competition between women from different villages), there will be no lack of opportunity to discover and experience Mayotte culture.
As regards sports and leisure, the Mamoudzou tyre race (14th July) and the Mahoraid (an original sporting event held across the island) will delight enthusiasts.
Finally, the Medina of Moroni, the wonderful mosque and the ancient Bangoua Kouni and Iconi royal palaces are hot spots of Mayotte’s history and culture.
Climate
Mayotte enjoys a tropical climate characterized by warmth and humidity throughout the year. If the average temperature ranges between 24°C to 31°C (75°F and 88°F) each year, the island experiences two distinct seasons:
- a wet season from November to April with heavy rainfall, which nourishes the lush vegetation and leads to vibrant landscapes.
- a dry season from May to October, where the island experiences reduced rainfall, lower humidity, and refreshing trade winds.
Our other destinations in the Indian Ocean
Flights to Reunion Island
Flights to Mauritius
Flights to Madagascar
