Suggested Tours for Sao Tome & Principe
Discover Sao Tome & Principe
Itinerary Highlights
- Guided exploration in Sao Tome: delightful culture, culinary experiences, rainforest trails and quiet beaches
- Discovering the beautiful tropical rainforests along walking trails on Principe
- Turtle watching in season; great birding and good snorkelling
- A range of activities included during your time on Principe as part of the Introducing Principe special offer, and applicable to all guests staying 7 or more nights in Principe
Wild São Tomé & Principe - Nature and Beach
Itinerary Highlights
- Rainforest hiking and birding in Obô Natural Park
- Remote, deserted beaches including Praia Jale and Praia Inhame in South Sao Tome
- Beach and snorkelling time in beautiful Principe
- Exploring Principe's marvellous hiking trails
Rainbow São Tomé & Príncipe Specialist
Derek's review
As some 'in the know' have commented, Sao Tome & Principe is an excellent example when it comes to fashionable getaways of choice for eco-conscious travellers. These far-flung tropical isles in the Gulf of Guinea will most likely never cater for the masses, given their modest infrastructure and the difficulty of access. This makes them ideal for people keen on exploring something refreshingly new. While both the islands are blessed with some beautiful, discreetly located beaches, hoteliers and guides will quickly point out that their country is 'not a beach destination' - because there is plenty to see and experience for visitors with an interest in natural history and in local culture. During a 12 day trip, you can take in magnificent scenery; hike mountain rainforest trails; observe rare birds; go turtle-watching and snorkelling; savour delicious traditional cuisine and enjoy learning about the wonderful community spirit so evident among the resident people.Derek's Top Tips
- Booking both international and domestic flights for Sao Tome & Principe holidays long in advance, is imperative to avoid disappointment - when I travelled in March 2023, all the flights were full
- An equatorial rainforest climate means being prepared for the occasional rain shower is sensible. Do take a dry-bag to protect valuables and perhaps a second pair of trainers if you're going hiking.
- For the Sao Tome section of your trip, pre-arrange activities in advance so that you're sure that in busy times, the right vehicles will be allocated for your trip.
Best Time To Visit São Tomé & Príncipe
Best time
Good time
Average time
Quick Country Facts
Time Zone:GMT +0 hours
Captial:Sao Tome
Currency:Sao Tome and Principe Dobra
Temperature:27-32°
Why visit São Tomé and Príncipe?
A São Tomé and Príncipe holiday offers an exceptional combination of nature, beach and delicious food. There are plenty of things to do. Travel writer Nigel Tisdall has visited them many times and describes them as a "dream destination for any fan of Africa’s undiscovered corners".
Thickly forested with interesting birdlife - the 28 endemic species include some of the world's rarest and most endangered birds, such as Dwarf olive ibis, Sao Tome fiscal and Sao Tome grosbeak - these impressive volcanic islands seem impossibly remote. However, getting here is pretty straightforward thanks to TAP/ Air Portugal’s flights from Lisbon – and there’s no jet lag, making a seven - 10 day holiday there entirely manageable!
Discovered by the Portuguese in the 1470s, the islands were for many centuries given over to roças, feudal plantations growing sugar, coffee and cacao using slaves and contract workers imported from Cape Verde, Angola and Mozambique. These became the forefathers of today’s São Toméans, who now number around 220,000. The colonists left abruptly in 1975, leaving a ghostly legacy of bandstands, churches and wide, tree-lined avenidas. Portuguese remains the official language, bars sell Superbock beer, hotel rooms are priced in Euros.
Our verdict: go now, before the masses discover these delightful isles!
Where to go in São Tomé & Príncipe
What Our Clients Say
Sao Tomé. Omali Lodge - great room for the first stay with lots of space. Service and restaurant good. Excursions were not as planned which didn’t matter and two of the half day trips (Monte Café and City Tour) were linked, enabling us to see more with a tour of the north plantations. Lunches wer...
Sao Tome. Omali Lodge is just 5 minutes or so from the airport. It’s clean and pleasant with a nice pool and gardens. It’s too far to walk into ST town but there is a nice local restaurant (Filomar) about 10 minutes walk away. Walking around is safe and nobody hassles you, but even main roads are ...
Dear Derek,. We all want to thank you so much for the most fantastic trip to Sao Tome and Principe. It was amazing, far exceeding our high hopes! Logistics all went like clockwork but, much more interestingly and importantly, the lovely people we met, the fantastic places we stayed and, above all...
Just a quick note to thank you for helping to arrange a very enjoyable trip. Everything went smoothly and the island was as beautiful as we remembered. The upgrade at Belo Monte was much appreciated- more for the lovely outside terrace than the plunge pool. I think both hotels we’re coping wel...
Broadly speaking we greatly enjoyed our trip and are most grateful to you for putting it all together and for your support whilst we were away. The two islands (and perhaps Principe particularly) reminded us of the West Indies where we honeymooned in 1965. My understanding of the organisations behin...
Now all future tours cannot compare. Thanks a lot. We got very lucky ??
Hi Craig. We had a great holiday – I would rate it flawless. The only real trek [as the kids would say] was having to fly from Brazzaville thru Addis to get to Sao Tome – hopefully air links in West Africa will improve in time. For us The Congo was the highlight – safe well organis...
Hi Derek,. We had a great time, thanks.. Everything worked well.. At Bom Bom we'd booked a garden view room and were shown to a beach front room which was great and we didn't complain at all! Not sure why/how we got this upgrade but we didn't want to ask in case we got moved... Omali was...
'Dear Derek. We really enjoyed our trip. São Tomé was interesting and the guide you recommended looked after us very well. The Omali Lodge was very comfortable and clean. With a bit of help from TripAdvisor and the guide we found some interesting places to eat at night. Bonbon was beautiful and th...
'I did enjoy the islands and my trip. The Omali had a nice atmosphere and grounds. The food was good, but a little pricey. There was usually someone there who spoke English. It was too far to walk into town, although if your timing was right, there was a free shuttle. I used the guide you recommend...
We had a lovely holiday. Principe and Bom Bom in particular were lovely. But so was getting a public bus across Sao Tome. If there were things to be improved, one would be finding a better flight schedule. The trip back, landing at 4am in Lisbon was a bit gruesome. But overall a great holiday. Th...
“ We really enjoyed our stay in Sao Tome and Principe.... Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The hotels were very good we thought, rooms well appointed. The breakfasts were plentiful with really nice pastries in particular. The evening meals were generally quite standard and there are no optio...
Looking for inspiration?
You'll find expert travel guides, holiday ideas and insider tips now on the Rainbow blog
Why Choose Us?
Passionate travel experts
- We've been leading wildlife travel since our first South Africa tours over 25 years ago
- Our Travel Specialists have lived in their specialist area for years
- We work with local guides to immerse you deeper in our diverse range of experiences
Personal & tailor-made
- You'll speak to your own expert who'll share their first-hand knowledge
- We'll make your itinerary seamless with 24/7 emergency contact available
- Your Travel Specialist will listen to ensure you have the best chance of seeing the wildlife you love
Responsible by nature
- We take care to actively contribute to the conservation of environments we visit
- For select countries, we make a charitable donation on your behalf when you make your booking
- We've partnered with conservation experts and NGOs to curate responsible tours
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office check www.gov.uk/travelaware
){kind=icon}