Sao Tome & Principe vacation
Price
£4150 including UK flights
More info
Price per person sharing in double or twin room accommodation includes return economy class TAP flights from London Heathrow (or selected other UK airports) to Sao Tome via Lisbon.
Description of Sao Tome & Principe vacation
Price information
£4150 including UK flights
Price per person sharing in double or twin room accommodation includes return economy class TAP flights from London Heathrow (or selected other UK airports) to Sao Tome via Lisbon.
Departure information
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel guides
Once known as the Chocolate Islands, because cocoa was the main product of its colonial years under Portuguese rule, this stunning, tropical, dual isl...
In French, they use the word ‘insolite’ to describe an unusual vacation. Which sounds a bit like insolent. Rebelling against the norm.
Vacation information
Diet:
We cater for both vegetarians and vegans.
Reviews
1 Reviews of Sao Tome & Principe vacation
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 22 Jul 2022 by Sarah Mitchell
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
* We loved the boat trip out to Islas Dos Rocos - having lunch on the beach and being able to go straight from the eco lodge was excellent.
* The guided walk out of Sao Tome including to the Monte Cafe plantation was excellent - fantastic gentle guide who knew so much, and fun lunch, great day out.
* The team on Belo Monte hotel on principe - miles and veronica and team were amazing. Such nice people, made it very special. Wifi excellent, Museum excellent, Beautiful place - especially the daily cocktail in the bar watching the sun go down.
* Meeting Claudio Corelli in ST to learn about the chocolate was such a special moment.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Can strongly recommend the tour operator. From sorting the visas the day before we left (when the embassy said we didn't need it, I had paid, turned out we did) to rearranging our transport on the last day out there. Nothing was too much trouble. Excellent advice.
1) The dinner at the Pestana is quite expensive if you are staying several days (25 euros pp x 4 plus expensive wine) which adds up and is medium quality. Not many of the restaurants in town are open in the evening despite what the guide books say. However, hotel very friendly and efficient apart from that.
2) At the eco lodge (praia inhamane, try and not have a room next to where everyone parks their car - third row back from the sea, felt we were a bit short changed.
3) At the eco lodge you need to arrive for supper on time - there is a set time they put the buffet out and if you are late, most of it is gone and there is only a limited supply. Quite an issue when a group stays and don't realise this. Also try and have lunch out - the octopus gets a bit repetitive. And very hard if you were veggie.
4) On Principe you do need to do trips out, otherwise the lack of sunshine (was cloudy all days except one) means you get a bit stuck. The hotel only has three cars which they also use for airport collections so good to get organised and make plans as soon as you arrive. We did the all day boat trip and the day walk to the Waterfall which was excellent. But the lunch at Roco Sunday was really over priced.
5) Really worth traveling to the south of Sao Tome and seeing the plantations and villages. Get quite a different perspective than if you just did capital and Principle lux.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Absolutely. Everywhere we stayed was trying - employing local people, eating local food, recovering from Covid, promoting sustainable conservation. Very impressive.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Was a fantastic vacation. Really different and interesting place to go. Lovely people everywhere. Not a place to get a tan - and do need to plan to have enough to do but absolutely lived up to our expectations.
Read the operator's response here:
Due to the late booking of this trip we really had to take what we could get at Praia Inhame and were lucky we did. We always request as close to the beach as possible but with late bookings we don’t always get a choice. The lodge itself has less than 20 bungalows so you are not too far from the sea. In this case we were lucky to get the space but we do understand the clients’ remarks.
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.
Planet
The suppliers we use on this extraordinary vacation are dedicated to employing the local population and acting in a sustainable manner to maintain the beauty and ecological diversity of the islands they are guardian of.Bom Bom resort for example, uses fantastic electrical vehicles to transfer between the resort and local airport, a wonderful low carbon option that reduces the impact on the local environment.
The islands have a huge focus on the conservation of their natural environment both on land, to protect endemic species and rain-forest, and around the coast to encourage the growth of the turtle population that comes to the islands to lay their eggs and we ensure that our guests are briefed on these and will not impact the environment in any detrimental ways.
We also align ourselves with partners who actively work with the local communities, whether this means that they are employing the local population, involved in conservation efforts within the community, or educating the local population with an aim to encourage them to look after their environment.
People
Our suppliers are an important source of income for the local population. Many of the food goods as possible are sourced from the local markets, excursions visit local culture groups and highlight conservation efforts on the islands, and guests are encouraged to explore the island and interact with the community. An example of excursions include Traditional Dance Workshops, Bulawem - The most traditional cultural manifestation of Sao Tome & Principe, and Tchiloli where you can learn about the cultures of Sao Tome & Principe.Where possible our partners use local guides, as they know the land, wildlife, and environment the best. This results in a higher customer experience, gives them a greater understanding of the fragile balance of the area they’re visiting, and means that a local person is being employed!
Wherever we can, and especially when our customers request it, we include visits to community projects, and local villages so that our customers can interact with the local population, and if the local village/tribe so wish, they have the opportunity to sell locally made crafts.
Pre-travel all of our customers are presented with what we call a ‘travel pack’. Within this travel pack our customers receive all the detail about their trip. The detail includes useful information on the destinations they are traveling to, including, but not limited to, the social and political situations within the destination. We also give guidelines on what to pack to try and minimise the amount of luggage our customers take resulting in lower fuel usage on planes and other vehicles.
Popular similar vacations
Sao Tome & Principe vacations
From £4000 8 days excluding flights
Lush rainforests, sapphire seas and nature at its finest
Family vacation to Sao Tome & Principe
From £8680 11 days excluding flights
Snorkelling, jungle trekking and rich cultural encounters
Sao Tome and Principe island hopping vacation
From £4600 11 days excluding flights
Island hopping & self-driving on four tropical islands
