Moheli Laka Lodge

Laka Lodge is worth the long journey, and I’d suggest staying at least five nights once you get there. The lodge has comfortable rooms, especially the Panoramic or Oceanic ones, a lovely private beach, and carefully kept gardens full of tropical colour. The staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly, and the chef made very good meals with strong Comorean influences despite having limited resources. Just off the beach, there are extensive coral reefs for safe snorkelling in warm water, and the dive team can take you to good dive sites too. We snorkelled, though scuba diving is available. We also hiked with a knowledgeable conservation guide to see the endemic, endangered Livingstones Fruit Bats, and visited a picturesque waterfall. Bird watchers may enjoy the greater frigate colony on a nearby small island. There are mountain bikes for fit guests, though the terrain is hilly. And most afternoons, a family of five resident Mongoose Lemurs comes for bananas at tea-time. They take the pieces gently, and we made sure to be there every day. The lemurs are native to Madagascar, were introduced to the Comoros Island, and are listed as critically endangered. Moheli is mountainous, densely forested, and mostly unpopulated. Its mountains meet a sea made even bluer by coral sands and black larva outcrops. Roads are being upgraded with Chinese management and funding, which should make getting around easier in future. There are currently very few tourists, and Laka Lodge seems to offer the best accommodation option. Getting there takes effort, especially for travellers in their seventies like us, but the friendly, helpful airport staff made the journey memorable despite the heat and some chaos. When Le Galewa Hotel was operating, there were direct flights from Johannesburg to the Comores and it was a popular destination with South Africans. The hotel was destroyed during political instability in 2007, and the direct flights stopped. Tourism has since reopened, but without direct flights it remains a difficult trip, especially if you also want to visit Moheli. From Johannesburg, you fly via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airways or Nairobi with Kenyan Airways to Grande Comore, then take a further flight to Moheli with Comorean airline Royal Air. The whole trip takes around 24 hours.

The drive from the airport to Laka Lodge takes an hour, but it’s a beautiful route along the coast, past the water and through lush forest. It’s worth making the trip. We stayed in a beach bungalow and could watch the sunset from bed. The bathroom was decent and clean, and they supplied filtered water instead of bottles, plus handmade soap. The grounds are lush and relaxing. Around 4pm, when snacks are served, lemurs often gather in the trees near the parking area. If they aren’t there, restaurant staff know how to call them over. They’re very gentle when taking bananas. There are plenty of activities at fair, affordable prices. The highlight for us was seeing a turtle lay eggs at night, then getting lucky enough to see the babies hatch. Amazing. Hans, the owner, helped arrange our travel package. He was pleasant, honest, and helpful, and they included our round-trip Royal Air flight from Moroni to Moheli in the booking, which saved us the stress of organizing it ourselves. Chris, one of the deputy managers, looked after us on the island. Kudos to him and the whole Laka Lodge team. We hope to come back.

I had to cancel in the end, so I never made the trip, but Hans made the planning feel easy from the start. His communication was outstanding, and he put a lot of care into organizing everything. I felt well looked after throughout. He also handled my cancellation kindly and smoothly, and I could cancel free of charge. That level of service was much appreciated. I’d been looking forward to going, and the planning and support made me think I would have been comfortable at the hotel. I hope I get to visit in future.

The island is beautiful and absolutely worth travelling to, but this hotel spoiled the holiday for me. It was dirty, especially the dining tables and dishes, which I found disgusting. The staff were unfriendly and unprofessional, and the owner kept trying to scam people and openly threatening them when it didn’t work. The price was exorbitant, while the service was about what you’d get at neighbourhood guesthouses for €20. The one really great activity they offer is the turtle tour in Itsamia, 1.5 hours away. I’d look for a place to stay in Itsamia from the start and save myself the hassle. Laka Lodge ruined my holiday.