São Tomé Discovery

Happy Lama Travels små eksklusive grupperejser i São Tomé & Príncipe foregår i internationale grupper med lokal engelsktalende rejseleder. Derfor er rejsebeskrivelserne på engelsk. Kontakt os hvis du ønsker et tilbud på en individuel rejse i São Tomé & Príncipe.

Imagine travelling to a tropical paradise with white palm fringed beaches, crystal clear water, unexplored jungle and a friendly people who rarely see tourists. Welcome to São Tomé, a remote island off the coast of central Africa that few people have even heard of, let alone been to. On our tour we explore the colonial heritage of the island by staying in old plantation houses, walk through unspoiled forests in the interior and relax on pristine beaches. Explore a truly undiscovered destination.

Day 1 – Arrive São Tomé Arrive in São Tomé and transfer to your hotel with the rest of the evening free to relax after your flight. Overnight Hotel Miramar or similar

Day 2 – São Tomé Town
Explore the island’s capital on a tour of the city. Among other sites we visit the National Museum, the local market and the cathedral. We continue by 4WD to the coffee plantation of Monte Café in the mountainous interior, where we can see how coffee is produced. We will end the trip with a cup of coffee at Cascata de Sao Nicolau (Saint Nicolas’ waterfall) passing by the modern plantation of Nova Moca. Overnight Hotel Miramar or similar

São Tomé Town
São Tomé Town has to be the sleepiest capital city anywhere in the world. Founded in the 15th century by Portuguese slavers, the small town is full of fading colonial buildings, giving it a charming ambience and making it a great place to wander round, especially in the late hours of the afternoon. The town has a handful of good restaurants, many overlooking the water, which make for a scenic and relaxing place to grab some food and a beer and watch the fishermen bring in their catches.

Day 3 – São Tomé Town – Bombaim
We take an easy hike to Bombaim on the border of Obo National Park, passing a pretty waterfall en route. We stay tonight in Roca Bombaim. In the middle of the island of São Tomé, surrounded by forest, mountains and waterfalls, this plantation house is the ideal point of departure for trekking and losing your stress. Overnight Roca Bombaim or similar (BD)

Plantations
São Tomé’s initial raison d’etre was as a depot for slaves on their way from the African interior, and as effectively an enormous plantation. Portuguese traders imported unfortunate souls from the mainland, setting them to work on vast sugar cane plantations, and the island soon became the most important producer of the commodity in Africa, fuelled by slave labour under brutal conditions. Sugar cultivation declined from the 16th century onwards under competition from better quality cane from the New World, and in the 19th century São Tomé’s plantation owners turned to coffee and cocoa, establishing themselves as a serious presence on the world market. The Portuguese abolition of slavery in the late 19th century did little to improve conditions for workers, but pressure from international buyers eventually meant that minor changes were made to the plantations, which had schools and hospitals built on each property. After independence the plantations were nationalised and production declined enormously, and now, although reprivatised, they are a shadow of their former selves. Many of the old plantation guesthouses now allow tourists to stay, giving a unique insight into the history of this tiny country.

Day 4 – São João dos Angolares
Transfer by 4WD to São João, on the island’s east coast. Once we arrive there is time to explore the local area on foot, perhaps venturing down to the beach or checking out the tiny but relaxed town. We stay in a plantation house, near some of the most famous beaches of the island, this is a cultural centre and working ecological plantation in one. Overnight at the Roça de São João (BD)

São João dos Angolares
The tiny settlement of São João dos Angolares sits on the east coast of the island, bordered by Obo National Park, takes its name from the Angolan slaves who were shipwrecked here in the 16th century, and whose descendants live here now. The inhabitants speak Angolar, a unique Creole dialect found nowhere else.

Day 5 – Rolas Island
After breakfast at the plantation house, drive to the southern tip of São Tomé island and transfer by boat from Ponta Baleia to Rolas Island, straddling the equator. Relax and enjoy the charms of this isolated outpost of the African continent. Overnight Pestana Equador Island Resort. (BD)

Rolas Island
Miniscule Rolas Island sits off the southern tip of São Tomé, rising to a volcano in the middle and with fantastic palm fringed beaches. A number of walking trails take you into the middle of the island, where you can find an old lighthouse and the Equator mark, signifying the borders of the northern and southern hemispheres. The island itself is easy to walk around and makes for an early morning or late afternoon stroll.

Day 6 – Rolas Island
A day at leisure to relax without any pre-paid sightseeing or activities included. Perhaps visit the Equator mark, enjoy the beach or visit the natural blowholes along the coast. Overnight Pestana Equador Island Resort. (BD)

Day 7 – São Tomé Town Transfer back to the mainland and along the east Coast to São Tomé Town where the day is free to explore this charming sleepy capital further. Overnight Hotel Miramar or similar. (BD)

Day 8 – São Tomé Town
A day at leisure to relax without any pre-paid sightseeing or activities included until it is time for your transfer to the airport late this afternoon (B)