At the beginning of October, Africa specialist Mariëtte Boomsma will accompany our top travel agents on the annual Untamed Travelling tour to the tropical Sao Tomé en Principe, a destination that hardly anyone from the group has heard of. They are two small islands about 250 km from the African west coast. Together they form the second smallest country in Africa. Sao Tomé is about 850 km2 and Principe less than 150 km2. It was ‘discovered’ by the Portuguese around the 15th century and became independent in 1975. From Europe, only the TAP Air Portugal flies to this destination, so few tourists – especially Portuguese – go.
After a warm welcome by our local agent and a short transfer we reach the first hotel of the trip; Omali Lodge. A beautiful and attractive boutique hotel that operates very progressively in terms of sustainability and offers a good training and workplace for local young people. After a good night’s sleep and a delicious fresh breakfast it’s time to drive back to the airport for a short domestic flight to Principe. From the air we see pristine rainforest, palm trees and beautiful vast beaches. I can’t wait to discover this!
Oh, what fun is this!
Principle is much smaller than Sao Tomé and Oh, what fun this is! Everything goes at a relaxed and quiet pace. As they say here: “Long live” (slowly but well done). With our luggage in hand we are welcomed by our guides André and Ofreu and we are divided into three beautiful Toyota Landcruisers. After a bumpy ride in which we encounter remarkably few tourists, we arrive atSundy Praia Lodge; an insanely beautiful hide away selected by National Geographic Unique lodges of the World. The beautiful tented villas offer a lot of privacy and are either located in the tropical rainforest or on the paradisiacal beach at the northwest tip of the island. What a prime location!
Beautiful bays with vast beaches
After a short lunch we are ready for the boat trip. Via the beach we get to the boarding point. The bays with vast beaches are magnificent and the boat trip along the coast gives a good impression of the different beaches (where there are hardly any tourists) and nature. While enjoying a drink we see impressive skies passing by. Principle is one of the best places in the world to see migrating sea turtles, unfortunately we are not getting there because of our full programme.
stylishly decorated with all kinds of natural and playful elements
Back on the mainland we take a moment to freshen up and enjoy the very comfortable tentvilla before we join the dinner. Sundy’s restaurant is stylishly decorated with all kinds of natural and playful elements such as a cabinet with ornate empty bottles, bamboo poles and other local materials. The meal is a true party with delicious dishes and good wines.
Monday starts with some light rain but the temperature is good. Tropical Sao Tomé and Principe have different rain periods with the most rain falling in October and November. From December to May, an average of 90 mm falls, the dry months are June to September.
Pure and authentic
After a blissful breakfast with a huge choice of local produce, it’s time to explore Principe. There is a tweet everywhere and here and there we spot colourful birds. We start with the smallest capital city in the world; Santo Antonio that consists of no more than a few hundred colorful cottages on either side of a slow flowing river. Here we have a moment to walk around and take pictures. There are very many dilapidated buildings that almost all date back to portuguese colonial times. Since only on a small scale new construction and renovation takes place it is really a step back in time. Because there are not so many tourists, it is really pure and authentic.
Overwhelming rainforest with dirt roads
The rainforest is overwhelming, almost no cobbled roads but real tough dirt roads. Driving through this jungle leaves a lot of impressions. We see cocoa and coffee plantations including the old Roça Paciencia where HBD makes organic products such as coconut oil and tropical muesli and cosmetic products such as body cream and soap. We visit a small chocolate factory where a lot of manual work is done. We also visit Porto Real where the Waste Recycling Cooperative is located; a social project (with support from HBD) consisting of a glass recycling company founded by a few local ladies where trash into treasure (jewelry) changes.
A magical walkway
In the meantime it has started to rain a lot and it seems that will remain the case for the time being. Our program is being adapted and unfortunately we can’t have lunch at the Bom Bom Resort. The four-star Bom Bom is spread over two beautiful beaches and features a small PADI dive center. Very special is the walkway to one of the restaurants located on a tiny island, magical! We use our lunch at the atmospheric Roça Sundy Hotel,a beautifully restored plantation house. It is located in the heart of the rainforest and largely surrounded by tropical plants, trees, banana, pineapple and cocoa plantations. Roça is part of the local community and focuses on sustainable development and training. At the front is the cocoa factory and other small – mostly dilapidated – buildings. Roça is one of those places where you feel right at home. Delicious local food is served and the new manager is very enthusiastic.
Safety first
Due to the extreme rainfall, floods occur everywhere and even the guests of Bom Bom have to eat here. Everyone helps – including the managers – which gives a huge sense of togetherness. If we decide to leave, we do not suspect that we will return after two hours. The road to Sundy Praia is barred by fallen trees and a raging flowing river that we cannot cross. Our guides show their knowledge and remain cold-blooded despite the dire situation = > safety first! After we get back to Roça, we’ll have dinner here. Fortunately, everyone is relaxed and confident that it will be all right. The rain decreases and eventually we can drive back to Sundy, which is an adventure!
Clear blue sky
After rain comes sunshine and we wake up to a clear blue sky. Get up early to pack the bags and enjoy a delicious breakfast. Unfortunately, we have to leave this paradise again. Under the tweeting of the many birds we drive back to the airport. Along the way we see children washing clothes in a river and men at work at cocoa trees.
We say goodbye to André and Ofreu and after the short flight we are back on Sao Tomé. We have a few day rooms available at the Omali Lodge so we can leave our luggage here. Very pleasant because we have another city tour on the program. We visit the fort where a small museum is located, to the cathedral (under renovation) and to a large local market. Very nice to taste the typical African atmosphere here. The city of Sao Tomé really gives a city feel and is worth visiting. We end our tour with lunch at a local restaurant overlooking the sea. After some relaxation and a farewell drink at Omali Lodge it’s really time to leave. Check in for the return flight by TAP via Accra (again a great experience) to Lisbon and transfer here for the flight to Brussels.
Caribbean flair
Sao Tomé and Principe are not comparable to other destinations. The country is a pristine African destination with a little bit of Caribbean flair. It really stole my heart; so pure and incredibly beautiful with such friendly people – this is a place you want to discover and experience, where the world can’t find you!
