Studding the lndian Ocean between the African mainland and Madagascar, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte offer an amazing diversity of people and cultures. Despite a succession of political coups and civilian riots, the islands boast cobblestoned medinas, ports bustling with dhows, tropical moonrises over white-sand beaches and blazing ocean sunsets that set the sky on fire. All this is wrapped in the fragrant aroma of ylang-ylang oil, African warmth, French chic and Arabic aesthetics and a colourful history of sultans, eloping princesses and plantation owners.

May to October (dry season)-or in the 15 th and 16 th and 16 th centuries when Shirazi Arab royal clans arrived building mosques and royal houses

Discovering the coral reefs and white sandy beaches at Chiroroni Breathing in the scents of the ylang-ylang distillery at Bamboa Walking through the croumbling palaces at Hari ya Moudji Wandering the maze- like lanes of the medina at Moroni Fishing diving and boating in the waters of Mayotte Finding the perfect hand-crafted souvenir at Mitsoudje Green sea turtle-watching at Chissioua Ouenefou Hiking past majestic waterfalls and beautiful deserted beaches Swimming in the pristine waters on Anjouan

Read The Comoros lslands: Struggle Against Dependency in the lndian Ocean, by Malyn Newitt, which outlines the turbulent recent history of the region

Listen to a performance by the Maalesh Group, a group of musicians led by Comoran-born Maalesh who sing songs of injustice and hope in Comoran, Swahili and Arabic

Eat langouste a la vanille (lobster cooked in vanilla sauce) or rice and meat infused with cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, or fish with coconut

Habari or salama (‘Hello’ in Comoran)

Magnificent blue-green clear ocean waters; fidlds of ylang-ylang jasmine, cassis and orange flower; blazing sunsets; white beaches; beautiful rainforests; political turmoil; excellent seafood; mosques; scuba diving; big-game fishing

Swahili-inspired architecture with arcades; balustrades and carved wooden latticework; Comoran woman with faces applied with a yellowish paste of sandalwood and coral (m’ sidzanou)

A unique Comoran tradition is the grande marriage which translates as, yes, the Big Wedding. But we’re talking just yards of frou-frou and taffeta, and a ten-tier wedding cake here. We’re talking big. We’re talking bigger than Ben Hur. lt’s usually a prearranged union between older man and a younger woman, and the man must pay for the two-to nine-day public festivity (toirab) that caters for the entire villahe.