São Tomé and Príncipe

Our time in Principe had been epic from the moment of our arrival, and the island appeared determined that we think as much until the very second we left. The final day had come too fast, a day that started with insane views of Bahia das Agulhas showcasing hills of dense jungle flowing down to the sea, and erratic outcrops of rock jutting towards the thick clouds that lay overhead. We then made our way through the vista we had just observed, plunging into the depths of the forest until meeting a coastal track that we spent the next few hours following, once again stumbling upon some of the remotest and most beautiful beaches in the world. A detour up a slippery, rocky riverbed delivered us to a small waterfall with a wonderfully cool pool to swim in. You guessed it, despite the overcast conditions it was still cooking. A little further on, at the end of our seven-kilometre hike we met a couple of boats on a beach that collected us for a 45-minute ride that provided an altogether different perspective of the bay. It’s too cliché to say it was like a scene fresh out of Jurassic Park, as though escaping a T-rex loose in a prehistoric jungle, but…. That’s exactly how it felt. I don’t know if the cloud added to the atmosphere or devalued it a little relative to clear and sunny conditions. I somehow doubt any weather condition is able to detract from the sheer rugged beauty of the place and the feeling of beautiful remoteness. Naturally, we were deposited at another incredible beach where we stopped for the obligatory packed lunch, plenty of swimming time, a snooze, and a coconut. We were joined by two other people on the beach; literally a crowd in these parts. Our final act in Principe was to view a life-changing sunset but as with almost all planned sun related experiences, it didn’t play ball. Sao Tome and Principe have both been very guarded with their African sunsets but then you’re surrounded by so much natural beauty that a rip-roaring sunset isn’t really needed.

I would have been sad to leave Principe, but we still had two full days back on Sao Tome to enjoy. Landing back around 10.30am, we were collected and ferried to the north of the island. Despite a flight time of less than 30 minutes, the weather was notably different, that is, scorching hot. There was also a significant change in the vegetation, even relative to the rest of the tropical lushness we had seen earlier on Sao Tome. Now we had entered a region that was drier, more savannah-like with tall dry grass, baobab trees, and dusty tracks. The sky was bright blue overhead. If there had been any doubts whether this was an African country or not, they were soon banished. We made a short visit to an ex-colonial cocoa plantation, apparently once ‘the grandest’ on the island, but now a decaying corpse. This was followed up with a much-needed dip in the sea before another four-course set lunch menu at a beautiful remote restaurant overlooking the savannah, and with the sea glistening in the background. A post lunch dip in the sea at a lovely but surprisingly busy little cove was tarnished by me standing on a sea urchin that loaded the sole of my feet with little spines that would remain imbedded for weeks. It didn’t matter, because after saying that the islands were poor at providing sunsets, we found ourselves driving along a stunning coastal road as the sun began to go through the motions preparing for something spectacular. During that time, we arrived at our final ecolodge in a spontaneous deluge of rain that had brewed from apparently nothing. I discovered my luxurious lodge overlooking the sea, sat atop a hillside blanketed in green tropical goodness, dropped my gear, and fell into the lounger to absorb all the goodness before me. Right on cue, the sun broke through, igniting the grey clouds with a dazzling spectrum of orange, red and purple. 

This tour has been extremely sociable whilst also maintaining a level of respectability throughout, that is, there have been no excessive drinking sessions. Most nights have wrapped up by 10pm. The all-important final dinner night saw a few bottles of wine consumed and a bedtime closer to 2am, but that was for only three of us and featured some very intensive conversation indeed. Probably for the best, as by 8.30am the next day we were back on something that resembled a road driving up a mountain track. For various reasons, half of the group skipped the final morning’s activity with attention already turned for home and a general tiredness of hiking in the heat setting in. The trip has been a busy one, but I’m glad I haven’t skipped anything, especially the final morning. Once again, we found ourselves hiking though the steamy rainforest on an eight-kilometre hike, only to add a little extra spice, we would be following an old system of aqueducts put in place by the Portuguese to irrigate farms down in the flatter parts of the island. They were still in operation, feeding a reservoir that fed the local town with water and hydroelectric. The aqueducts ran over purpose-made bridges and though tunnels hacked out of the mountain side. We went through five such tunnels, the longest almost one kilometre and too low for me to stand straight. The first few tunnels we walked through the aqueduct itself, I in bare feet due to not wanting to get my only set of shoes wet for the evening’s flight home and the current too strong for my flipflops. For the last few tunnels, the water was too deep, and so we walked alongside the aqueduct, at times wading through a thick sludge. What added to all of this was the healthy population of bats that hang out in the tunnels, and so what with my sea urchin wounded foot now squelching through guano infested sludge, I imagined me being forever known as Patient Zero for some new and exciting tropical disease. That’s assuming the rickety bridges we had to cross didn’t collapse and get me first. And in case you’re worried, don’t be, because there was the standard waterfall that should be expected on all hikes. To be fair, it was quite impressive; high, very wet, powerful, set in a cove-type space almost enclosed by the mountain. 

After a lazy lunch, we headed into the capital for a brief bit of sightseeing that included the cathedral, sneaking a few illegal photos of the guards standing to attention outside the presidential palace, a delightful little colonial fort and finally, a shop that sold exceedingly good chocolate. I buy very little travelling but as it was the end of my grand tour and I do have a soft spot for chocolate, and Sao Tome and Principe is well-known for it (somewhere I guess), I cracked open the wallet and purchased several bars of 75 per cent dark chocolate. It obviously cost a bloody fortune, but hey ho, while in Sao Tome and Principe. It was then straight to the wee international airport with its one room departure lounge and guess what, it was super bloody hot and humid. With only a handful of international flights per week it was little surprise that we boarded the plane for an on-time departure at 9pm. The minutes ticked by until it became apparent this was no longer going to be the case. The captain then got on the mic to inform us that the plane was a little heavier than anticipated and we would therefore be making a stopover at a gas station in Accra to ensure we had enough juice to get to Lisbon. 

I had worried there wouldn’t be enough to write about for this tour as there is only so many times you can write ‘stunning beach, bloody hot and sweaty, went for a hike.’ It is testament to our local guide Sipson, the quality of the itinerary, and one of the best groups of people I’ve had the pleasure of travelling with that this has been one of the finest tours I’ve done. As for Sao Tome and Principe, I dared to say it might be one of my favourite countries to have visited after only 24 hours of being here. Now, after 11 days, it must surely go down as quite possibly the greatest. The group could have been made up entirely of bogans on a family holiday out of Wagga Wagga and led by Liz Truss but, Sao Tome and Principe would still have the capability to make me want to stay longer, it’s that good. A simply incredible African infused utopia, the perfect combination of sexy and cute (Crazy, Stupid, Love, 2011), the dream end to an unbelievable 81 days in West Africa and, finally, a country that feels no need to put a label on its bottles of national beer.

Check out the tour here.

22^nd February 2024