"kimmo_v's new Sao Tome&Principe Page" São Tomé and Príncipe by kimmo_v

São Tomé and Príncipe Travel Guide: 51 reviews and 136 photos

Hand coloured blue proof map of Sao Tome

We were In Sao Tome&Principe for two weeks, and i think it is long enough for such a small island.
The island is beautiful, althought the citys are a little bit dirty. People seems to throw most of the garbages outside...

We spend all the time in Sao Tome, and desided to not go to Principe, after we had talked a couple of dutch that has been there. They said there is only one city to spend time, and the hotel(s) are in bad condition(no electricity all the time etc.) and highly overprised.

There are only few tourists on the island(appr. 20 a week), and most of the tourists are living in fenced resorts. They never leave their swimming pools and five star resorts. Dull...

For backpackers the island is not the best place to visit, 'cause there are no public transportation and accomodationis very expensive and food isnt cheap either.

Not so many speaks english, and that is a problem. In two weeks i had to learn portuguese, and it wasnt easy...Locals speak portuguese/creol mix-language, which is little bit hard to understand. So, learn portuguese(or spain) before you go there. It makes your staying much more pleasant.

The weather is very smooth. Not too hot because Atlantic Ocean keep the weather very clear and cool. So, there isnt a peak season, any time of year is good time for travelling

Everything is very expensive for tourists. Accomodation is approximately between 25 USD-500 USD. There are not so many good restaurants(except in expensive hotels) and the food is also expensive.
There are lot of cockroaches(even the most expensive resorts) , so use a mosquito-net if you want to sleep your nights in peace.

There are no nightlife(well, i think there is one local disco somewhere), so there is not so much to do. Walking outside at nights is not recommended, because there are no streetlights and locals drive fast&furiously.

If you are going to visit there, there are couple interesting places. In the north coast there are few quiet beaches(praia Nicolos, praia Dos Tamarindos, absolutely the best in the island), and in the mountains are very nice coffee/cacao plantations.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Nature is beautiful, no tourists.
Cons:Expensive for tourists, not so good atmosphere.
In a nutshell:Once in the lifetime experience

Last visit to São Tomé and Príncipe: Jul 1999
Intro Updated Nov 14, 2003
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Reviews (22)

Residencial Avenida - São Tomé and Príncipe

Residencial Avenida Hotels (4)

Good value, near center. Clean rooms with shower. Bar and restaurant. Appr.55USD/double/night more travel advice

Residencial Avenida. Hotels (4)

Very good value, as we found out after a week frustrating search around the town. They also have a www page and online... more travel advice

Marlin Beach Resort. - São Tomé and Príncipe

Marlin Beach Resort. Hotels (4)

130 USD per night. Highly over priced, but we need to get some rest before long flight to Portugal. There are armed... more travel advice

Waterfall is on the way to Sao... - São Tomé and Príncipe

Waterfall is on the way to Sao... Off The Beaten Path (3)

Waterfall is on the way to Sao Nicolao plantation. Cant miss it. We were there on july, so there wasnt so much water. At... more travel advice

Favorites (2)
See All History ...
Warnings and Dangers (4)
See All Dont leave any items in your...
Restaurants (1)
Try the shrimps!
Nightlife (2)
See All Only nightlife experience is...

Comments (106)

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bozkovich Jan 24, 2009 at 10:51 AM

i had a few 100 usd stolen at the hotel a few years ago. it was probably the maiden. the manager sonly wanted not to have the theft made public. when i promised i would not tell anything about it they were satisfied. i would not recommend going there.
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SLLiew Dec 15, 2007 at 10:50 PM

Great page of STP. Enjoyed a virtual tour. Cheers from Penang, SL :)
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dihujo Oct 13, 2007 at 12:36 PM

We're going to Sao Tomé in December, but after reading this I'm not sure I really want to go. Living in Portugal I do speak Portuguese which should help. By the way how long does it take to fly from Lisboa?
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Ekahau Feb 4, 2007 at 6:47 PM

very nice São Tomé and Príncipe Page and i would agree beautiful things to see in kind of an African dump. But the people were oh so nice. Most be a shock compared to oh so clean Finland
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Wafro Jul 5, 2005 at 12:33 PM

Great Page and thank you for the tips. Oh, by the way, Happy Birthday.
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nonso Jan 17, 2005 at 9:11 AM

nice page .that island sounds cool to me ,can u give me update about how to get there.i will be glad
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canuckmike Aug 2, 2004 at 10:15 AM

Nice page. I never thought these islands would be like that.
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Jim_Eliason Apr 25, 2004 at 4:23 PM

fanastic off the beaten path destination
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KaiM Jan 13, 2004 at 9:03 AM

What a nice tropical place! Great page!
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quartinb Nov 28, 2003 at 11:26 AM

danger and exotic... a lethal combination.!