Boat from Madagascar to Comoros - official and available!
There are two official regular boats, one of them leaves more or less once a week from Mahajanga and costs 300.000Ar per person (you might be asked to pay extra if you have loads of luggage, but we managed to avoid it even having a bicycle and several bags each). The shipping company is called "Mohoro shipping" and their office is very close to the main gate of the port. There are two boats moving between Madagascar and the Comoros - one is a passenger boat "Hidaya express" (brought from Scandinavia), another - cargo "Mahajanga" (but they take passengers as well) and we were lucky to get on a fast boat, even luckier we were for the calm sea - when it is wavy, the boat is so swingy that everybody gets really sick...It takes around 20 hours with the fast one and a bit longer with the slower one. "Hidaya express" is comfortable - has chairs, fans, TV and even food (well, very very basic one - rice with meat for dinner, a baguette with a cup of tea for breakfast and two peaces of some potato-like root for lunch - no sauce, nothing). The boat was half empty so more or less everybody got 1 row of chairs. All the luggage goes inside too, so many good seats (under the fan) get occupied by luggage - be the first to find a place for yourself. We were last, as we had a lot of stuff and actually we got a bit drunk in the port so were not in a hurry at all :). But it happens, when you are told to come to the port at 7am, and finally they start the embarkation at 6 pm!
You need a Comorian visa in advance if leaving from Madagascar
It was the Easter period when we came to Mahajanga so everybody was on holiday and we didn't know if we would make it on time (even though we "extended" a visa for 10 days more). But, when the shipping companies office opened, we found out that the boat leaves in two days.
After that we went to the Comorian consulate (it was not easy to find it, most people don't know where it is, but you should continue north along the coastal road after passing the baobab, then the road winds right, becomes bad,, winds left then you reach some kind of petroleum company on the left, so the consulate is between this company and the hospital, somewhere in between, on the small road to the left - ask local people).
Here we found out, that we need to make a visa in advance. We thought we didn't, but the guy said that everybody, who comes from Madagascar, needs a visa in advance! The normal one costs 100.000Ar and takes up to 4 working days, the fast one - 130.000Ar and you can get it the next day.
What to bring to the consulate:
2 copies of passport;
A copy of madagascarian visa;
3 photos of your beautiful face;
An onward ticket from Comoros to somewhere;
and VOLA (money).
They might also ask where you would stay in Comoros, but that's not a big deal, just look up for some hotel name in Mutsamundu before comming.
After that we went to the Comorian consulate (it was not easy to find it, most people don't know where it is, but you should continue north along the coastal road after passing the baobab, then the road winds right, becomes bad,, winds left then you reach some kind of petroleum company on the left, so the consulate is between this company and the hospital, somewhere in between, on the small road to the left - ask local people).
Here we found out, that we need to make a visa in advance. We thought we didn't, but the guy said that everybody, who comes from Madagascar, needs a visa in advance! The normal one costs 100.000Ar and takes up to 4 working days, the fast one - 130.000Ar and you can get it the next day.
What to bring to the consulate:
2 copies of passport;
A copy of madagascarian visa;
3 photos of your beautiful face;
An onward ticket from Comoros to somewhere;
and VOLA (money).
They might also ask where you would stay in Comoros, but that's not a big deal, just look up for some hotel name in Mutsamundu before comming.
Overstaying visa in Madagascar?
We had one small issue - due to incorrect information about the boat departure date, our visas were expiring... Which we didn't want to happen, as it could cause problems when leaving the country - they might not let you out. So, while being in Tana we visited the Ministry of Foreign affairs, we were sent to another building (tall and ugly), another ministry - you can extend your visa there if you had a 1 month visa on arrival - you can make it 3 months, come before it is expired! But our visas were already for 3 months and they were non-extendable. Here you might find somebody, like we did, who could try to help you (or your passport) "depart" and "arrive" again in the airport, without leaving the country.
Everything is possible :)
I don't have any boat trip pictures, but here are some from Mahajanga:
The symbol of Mahajanga - an old baobab. There is a coast promenade where people watch the sunset and the life gets hot at night.
Table football behind the market
The work gets done, when the tide is low and water has gone far
I don't have any boat trip pictures, but here are some from Mahajanga:
Agnius is bringing me to the port :)
Lithuanian colours in the port
Waiting for 5 hours already... Lets do something :)
For our "station" we are having a live show "How to put all the stuff into the container". I don't know how, but they made it, though the closing took around 5 minutes.
Local style Lakanas in Mahajanga
