Overview

It’s time to turn those dreams of visiting Sao Tome and Principe into reality. Experience all that these islands have to offer on our amazing Chocolates & Tropical Beaches holiday!

Where do you start when trying to conjure-up images of what the islands of Sao Tome and Principe are really like?

A good starting point would be to imagine yourself sitting on your hotel’s veranda overlooking the sea, drinking Santomean coffee and nibbling at the best organic chocolate in the world.

On our immersive trip you’ll visit coffee and cocoa plantations and travel from the laid-back city of Sao Tome along the coastal road down to Inhame, the most southern point of Sao Tome island.

From Inhame a short boat trip takes you to Ilheu das Rolas where you can stand on the equator mark and have one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere at the same time.

From Sao Tome island, you’ll take the short 30-min flight to the island of Principe. Although part of the same country, you feel like you’ve arrived somewhere completely different. Principe is much smaller, but also feels pristine and untouched by the modern world. Cars are few, and the population tiny compared to Sao Tome island, yet the accommodation is outstanding.

The moment you touch down on the island’s small runway, you feel you’re in a very special place, with its pristine rainforests and idyllic tropical beaches.

Itinerary

Fly from Heathrow to Lisbon. On arrival walk (5 mins) to the Tryp hotel.
Walk to the airport and fly to Sao Tome. On arrival transfer to Club Santana. Please note that at certain times of the year you will be staying at Omali Lodge instead of Club Santana.
Guided visit of Monte Café plantation and Sao Nicolau waterfall - as part of a small group.
Snorkelling trip to Santana Islet - as part of a small group.
Pick up from your hotel and transfer to Roca Sao Joao. En route stopping at Boca do Inferno, Agua Ize plantation and Praia Sete Ondas. Lunch is at the plantation of Sao Joao.
Transfer to Ponta Baleia and boat to Ilheu das Rolas to stay at Pestana Equator. This afternoon you could walk up to the equator monument.
Boat back to the mainland and transfer to Praia Inhame Eco Lodge. Depending on the time, you could go on a guided trip in a traditional dugout canoe to Malanza Mangrove forest.
Transfer to the airport and fly to Principe. On arrival transfer to the Bom Bom Island Lodge. In the afternoon you could go snorkelling from one of the lodge's private beaches (masks, snorkels and fins can be borrowed from the lodge).
Free day - Today you could book the lodge's 4WD and travel into the rugged interior of the island.
Free day - Today you could hire a fishing boat to visit some of the remote bays along the coast where it is possible to swim and snorkel.
Free day - The lodge can organise local guides (often staff who have an interest in birds or walking) for a walk through the forests around the hotel.
Transfer to the airport and fly to Sao Tome. On arrival transfer to Omali Lodge.
Free day - Walk to or catch a taxi into Sao Tome city.
Morning free until transfer to the airport. Fly back home via Lisbon overnight.

Guide Price £5,450 per person

We can create a tailor-made holiday to suit your budget.

INCLUDED: International flights from UK (guide price). Accommodation in Sao Tome and Principe in double, en-suite rooms (Roca Sao Joao has shared bathrooms) on a half board basis. Pestana Equador is on full board basis. Only the Tryp hotel in Lisbon is on B&B basis. Return airport transfers Sao Tome and Principe. Guided excursions as detailed in the itinerary. Support from our local team when on the islands. EXCLUDED: Meals not specified above and insurance. Additional excursions on free days.

Accommodation

The accommodation on this tropical beach holiday varies from small comfortable hotels and eco-lodges to former plantation houses (Rocas) that have been tastefully renovated. On Principe we've included a few nights at the Bom Bom Eco Lodge with its charming wooden walkway to its excellent restaurant and bar, which is situated on the small island from where the lodge derives its famous name.

Activities

This tropical beach holiday allows you to experience a varied range of activities, some are included and others that can be booked through the lodge or plantation house (Roca) you are staying in. On this journey, we visit the main island of Sao Tome where you have the chance to snorkel off Santana islet, visit coffee and chocolate and cocoa plantations, Boca d'Inferno and Praia Cete Ondas. On Ilheu de Rolas you can straddle the equator before flying on to Principe to indulge in a little luxury at the Bom Bom Island Lodge.

Location

Our 'Chocolates and Tropical Beaches of Sao Tome and Principe' gives you a wonderful insight into these islands and allows you to experience the best of both. The accommodation on Sao Tome is local in style, not luxurious yet comfortable. On Principe you stay at one of the loveliest hotels of the island.