![\"S\u00e3o](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/046_800x600.jpg\")
Getting there<\/h2>\n
TAAG<\/a> operates three times a week into S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 (TMS) from either Cape Town or Johannesburg via Luanda. Total flying time is around 6 hours excluding a short 2-hour layover in Angola. TAAG\u2019s economy class offering is comfortable, modern, offers good on board meals and a 3-3-3 seating arrangement with free pre-seating at time of booking. Their Business Class has a 2-3-2 seating configuration from Joburg or Cape Town to Luanda with spacious seats, good on board meals, lounge access and priority boarding.<\/p>\n Cape Town or Johannesburg\u2013 Luanda \u2013 S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 Wednesdays\/Fridays\/Sundays Internal flights from S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe are operated daily by STP Airways<\/a> \u2013\u00a0 the flight is very short (about 35 minutes) and the aircraft has a tiny baggage allowance of 15 kg which is strictly enforced. Due to the limited schedule, it\u2019s highly advisable to pre-book your seat as your only other \u201coption\u201d is a gruelling 6-8 hour local boat ride\u00a0\u2639<\/p>\n South Africans require tourist visas unless you have a valid USA visa in your passport. For visa requirements and queries you can email the consulate in Belgium on ambassade@saotomeeprincipe.be<\/p>\n A Yellow Fever<\/a> vaccination is a mandatory requirement to enter S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9\u2013 it\u2019s the first stop on arrival at S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 International airport so make sure you have your original yellow fever card with you. Malarial precautions are recommended but not compulsory-please check requirements with your local travel clinic.<\/p>\n S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe is far from being a budget-friendly destination. The local currency is the Dobra \u2013 we didn\u2019t spot a single ATM during our 7-day stay and credit cards are not much use either. Cash is King in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 so I suggest you bring lots of Euros in cash which are accepted everywhere and even the local supermarkets give you change in Euros- we didn\u2019t have to exchange our Euros into Dobras. There are a wide range of accommodation options from local guesthouses to five-star hotels. As the flight from Luanda arrives around midnight, we opted for the S\u00e3o Pedro Guesthouse which is a comfortable place to overnight with a welcoming swimming pool and provides transfers to and from the airport which is located only about 10 minutes away. A triple room was priced around R550 per person per night, including breakfast.<\/p>\n Mucumbli was the most rustic and affordable accommodation we stayed at (R450 per person per night including breakfast). Located in the North West, the location is fantastic \u2013 although with no swimming pool and a very steep downhill trek to a rocky beach it\u2019s not a great option if you are looking to cool off as the days can get very hot and humid.<\/p>\n The restaurant is fantastic offering substantial steaming bowls of pasta and other delicious meals. Breakfast was included, the bungalows are basic with ceiling fans and no air-conditioning. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the restaurant also offers WiFi.<\/p>\n 1. A hike from the guesthouse to the local coffee plantation and into the surrounding villages gave us a better glimpse of how the locals live and how coffee is produced.<\/p>\n 2. Day trip down to the southern part of the island where you can take a small local motorboat over to Ilh\u00e9u das Rolas. After a short hike to the top of the hill, you can stand on the Equator Line with amazing views followed by a delicious fish braai on the beach catered for by the local fishermen and their families. On the drive to the south of the island, you will get to see the needle-shaped volcanic plug peak landmark – Pico C\u00e3o Grande<\/p>\n 3. A must go to in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 is Roca Sao Joao de Angolares (you can reserve a table by Facebook Messenger) for a sublime delicious tasting lunch with so many delightful combinations of flavours and textures. The restaurant is housed in a beautiful plantation house with lots of local art and craftwork (you will need to arrange a taxi from your hotel for the trip). The chef uses local ingredients, and the restaurant overlooks the nearby hills and beach with magnificent views \u2013 really well worth the drive to get there.<\/p>\n 4. One of the most amazing experiences of our trip was visiting the Turtle Breeding Sanctuary near Guadalupe on S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9. Following a short tour through the small museum, we watched baby turtles hatching and helped release them into the Atlantic Ocean. It was an incredible experience, and we were the only people on the beach with the turtles so, we decided to give them names before releasing them into the ocean. Their nesting season runs from September to March peaking from November-February. You can contact them via Facebook:\u00a0Programa Tat\u00f4<\/a><\/p>\n We left S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 early on the second morning for Principe where we spent one night at the stunning Hotel Ro\u00e7a Belo Monte \u2013 our single regret of the trip was not staying there for all three nights. It\u2019s a gorgeous stylish luxury plantation hotel with beautiful lush gardens. Perched on the top of a cliff with fantastic sea views and run by an incredibly friendly South African management team, the rooms were luxurious, and the meals were delicious.<\/p>\n A short transfer downhill to Banana Beach is where we enjoyed a beach braai, snorkelling and some beach R&R. Best of all is the conservation work they are doing which is so inspiring and essential, they are protecting and researching the unique biodiversity of the island and are in the process of setting up a natural history museum on site and sponsoring exciting projects.<\/p>\n Bom Bom Pr\u00edncipe is one of the more well-known hotels on the island and was our home for two nights\u2013 it\u2019s owned by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth\u2019s venture capital company. The location is sublime \u2013 nestled between two beaches and backed by a jungle with a long wooden walkway which takes you out over the sea to Bom Bom Island itself, where the restaurant is. Twenty or so wooden bungalows are located either by the pool or the beach. The only downside is that the resort is very overpriced for the South African market and in desperate need of some renovations.<\/p>\n However, the food was delicious, and behind the restaurant, you can take a short 2 km hike on Bom Bom Island with some pretty impressive views. The resort can arrange 4×4 excursions, boat trips along the coast, sports fishing, whale and dolphin watching (in season) and biosphere trails.<\/p>\n From the resort its worth taking a trip into \u201ctown\u201d – Santo Ant\u00f3nio – for a cup of coffee at a local restaurant and to walk around to admire the handful of art galleries, shops, local schools and parks. It rains a lot in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe! We spent weeks researching online and trying to figure out when the best time to visit would be\u2014our verdict was that it rains most of the year, the weather is hot, humid and tropical with little variation in temperatures.<\/p>\n We fell in love with S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe – if you\u2019re adventurous and looking for a safe and undiscovered holiday destination then this could be the next adventure for you!<\/p>\n \u2022 Flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town to S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 (TMS) can be booked on TAAG<\/a>\u00a0 from R6,289 pp (in economy class) or R16,659 (in business class) Did you find this post helpful? Would you like to visit\u00a0S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe? Let us know in the comments below!<\/p>\n *Disclaimer!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nTAAG flight schedule:<\/h3>\n
\nS\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 -Luanda- Johannesburg or Cape Town Mondays\/Thursdays\/Saturdays<\/p>\n![\"S\u00e3o](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/017_800x600.jpg\")
Terrified of booking flights online? Booking a complicated trip? Travelling in a large group? Want a holiday package and a little lazy to plan? Never fear, Travelstart live is here.They\u2019re just a call away<\/a><\/h3>\n
Visa requirements<\/h2>\n
Vaccinations<\/h2>\n
All things green and shiny<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nS\u00e3o Tom\u00e9\u2013 where to stay and what to do<\/h2>\n
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We arranged a few day trips through the hotel staff<\/h3>\n
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Pr\u00edncipe \u2013 where to stay and what to do<\/h2>\n
![\"S\u00e3o](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/sao-t.jpg\")
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\nPr\u00edncipe even offers the physics geeks something special- the historic Sundy plantation. It’s the biggest plantation on Pr\u00edncipe, and where Einstein\u2019s theory of relativity was first proven by the astronomer, Sir Arthur Eddington in 1919.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/271_800x600.jpg\")
\n\u2022 The accommodation was booked either direct with the hotels or through our hotels website<\/a>.
\n\u2022 Please check your Visa Requirements<\/a> and ensure that you have a valid Yellow Fever Card and consult your local Travel Clinic for any other health requirements and recommendations.<\/p>\n