Sao Tome & Principe birding tour

Planet

We recognise that the islands of Sao Tome and Principe are internationally important hotspots for birdlife and endemism. It is therefore vital that we as ecotourists do our utmost to protect these valuable ecosystems. As such, we will never remain in an area, or travel to an area, if we believe that our presence is likely to damage the ecosystem or cause distress to local wildlife. We will never pursue a bird or a mammal that has chosen to move away from us. We do not use traps, and do not call birds in using recordings. We will only walk on established trails.

We ask that clients respect the local environment by ensuring that all refuse brought into the islands is removed and disposed of appropriately. We also ask that clients limit their use of single-use plastics and take reasonable steps to reduce their use of water - fresh water is a valuable and scarce resource in this part of the world.

People

It is crucially important that ecotourism delivers genuine, tangible benefit to local people and local communities. When done responsibly, this ensures that local communities are able to attach value to the ecosystems and wildlife so many of us travel to see and enjoy, which does a huge amount to secure the long-term futures of these wilderness areas. With this in mind, we insist that our suppliers employ local people, and clients should expect that, throughout this tour, guides, drivers, cooks and housekeeping staff are from the islands.

We ask that clients are patient and polite in all interactions with local people, and are cognisant of the fact that ecotourism is in its infancy in Sao Tome and Principe. As such, standards of service may fall below that which is expected by some clients - we ask that any and all issues in this regard be escalated to your tour leader. We always find that the people of Sao Tome and Principe are kind and unfailingly friendly - we ask that clients are the same in return.