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Bit niche, but looking at this as a potential honeymoon destination. We are getting married in Porto at the end of September and don’t want to travel “too far”.
We like off the beaten track destinations and nature, hiking etc., but is this one a bit too mad for a honeymoon? Asking in the event anyone on here has been. Have heard/read that Príncipe is a bit more romantic, has more sympathetic development/boutique style hotels etc.
Thanks kindly.
I have always wanted to go, certainly off the beaten track. Keep us posted on how it goes.
Having been there several times, yes it’s a unique place, just don’t expect luxury. I’m going again this summer.
However, on São Tomé island don’t expect any luxury. Pestana calls itself the only five-star in the country, but think of it more like a 3-star. Omali Lodge is a 4-star boutique with better rooms than Pestana, but room rates are quite high for what they offer. I also heard that rooms have started to show their age.
On Príncipe the options are also limited, but better hotels. Still not what you’d call true luxury elsewhere.
You have a choice between three hotels (there is another one, but now closed for renovations).
Roça Sundy and Sundy Praia are run by the same company (the owner is Mike Shuttleworth, the first South African in space). To be honest, for me personally the prices are too high for what they offer. Roça Sunday £350+ per night not on the beach, Sundy Praia £1000+ a night for glamping on the beach.
Roça Belo Monte is run by another company. It’s currently priced around £400+ per night. They have a concession for Praia Banana (featured in the Bacardi ad in the 1990s)
I only have experience of staying at Belo Monte on a heavily discounted rate several years ago. It was fine, but again more like a good four star hotel. Service was atrocious, but they changed management after pandemic and I heard it’s much better.
You also have option of several AirBnBs on the main island with mixed quality (on Principe there are a few too, but not really for honeymooon). I usually stay for a few nights in the city in a flat then move south to AirBnBs in Santana or Porto Alegre. The hotel on Rolas Island (equator line island) is closed.
Transport – car hire is a must (no Avis, Hertz, only local companies), there is no public transport unless you want to pay for taxis which will only take you around the main town (no need as it’s quite walkable).
Between ST and Principe you’ll need to take a plane. Only STP Airways flies (twice a day). Cost is around 200 euros return.
Between ST and Rolas island, you have to take a boat from one of the beaches or organise it in Porto Alegre. 10 euros return and you can ask them to prepare the lunch for you which will be cca 12 euros extra (a lot of food though).
Food – on Príncipe you’re stuck at the hotel (so book half-board or full-board, think Belo Monte includes half-board in the rate). On the main island most options are in the city, but some AirBnB also offer breakfasts and dinners. There is a Michelin-type restaurant in one of the roças in Angolares. Worth going for the experience (before pandemic the cost was 20 euros per person for 14-course meal without drinks)
Language – most people don’t speak English , French is more useful. I’d learn a few basic Portuguese phrases if you don’t speak it.
Beware of the seasons as well – July&Augudt; and December&January are the only dry seasons and even in dry season it can rain or be overcast! February can be hit&miss. March-June best avoided as there can be some
floods.Overall, great for honeymoon if you like the adventure and can live without too much luxury.
Having been there several times, yes it’s a unique place, just don’t expect luxury. I’m going again this summer.
However, on São Tomé island don’t expect any luxury. Pestana calls itself the only five-star in the country, but think of it more like a 3-star. Omali Lodge is a 4-star boutique with better rooms than Pestana, but room rates are quite high for what they offer. I also heard that rooms have started to show their age.
On Príncipe the options are also limited, but better hotels. Still not what you’d call true luxury elsewhere.
You have a choice between three hotels (there is another one, but now closed for renovations).
Roça Sundy and Sundy Praia are run by the same company (the owner is Mike Shuttleworth, the first South African in space). To be honest, for me personally the prices are too high for what they offer. Roça Sunday £350+ per night not on the beach, Sundy Praia £1000+ a night for glamping on the beach.
Roça Belo Monte is run by another company. It’s currently priced around £400+ per night.
I only have experience of staying at Belo Monte on a heavily discounted rate several years ago. It was fine, but again more like a good four star hotel. Service was atrocious, but they changed management after pandemic and I heard it’s much better.
You also have option of several AirBnBs on the main island with mixed quality (on Principe there are a few too, but not really for honeymooon). I usually stay for a few nights in the city in a flat then move south to AirBnBs in Santana or Porto Alegre. The hotel on Rolas Island (equator line island) is closed.
Transport – car hire is a must (no Avis, Hertz, only local companies), there is no public transport unless you want to pay for taxis which will only take you around the main town (no need as it’s quite walkable).
Between ST and Principe you’ll need to take a plane. Only STP Airways flies (twice a day). Cost is around 200 euros return.
Between ST and Rolas island, you have to take a boat from one of the beaches or organise it in Porto Alegre. 10 euros return and you can ask them to prepare the lunch for you which will be cca 12 euros extra (a lot of food though).
Food – on Príncipe you’re stuck at the hotel (so book half-board or full-board, think Belo Monte includes half-board in the rate). On the main island most options are in the city, but some AirBnB also offer breakfasts and dinners. There is a Michelin-type restaurant in one of the roças in Angolares. Worth going for the experience (before pandemic the cost was 20 euros per person for 14-course meal without drinks)
Language – most people don’t speak English , French is more useful. I’d learn a few basic Portuguese phrases if you don’t speak it.
Beware of the seasons as well – July& August and December&January are the only dry seasons and even in dry season it can rain or be overcast! February can be hit&miss. March-June best avoided as there can be some
floods.Overall, great for honeymoon if you like the adventure and can live without too much luxury.
@meta, do you have any tricks for cheap flights? I haven’t searched exhaustively, but TAP seem to be the main option and are not that cheap from UK or direct from LIS from what I’ve seen. I came to the same conclusion for flights to Cape Verde.
Yes, unfortunately TAP increased the prices through the roof on the route and most African routes they have monopoly on. Economy can now be £1.5k at certain times, average is now about £900 for economy. This is because they got incentives from local governments to increase frequencies post-covid and they also put their A321LR planes on the routes with long-haul config. To think that only five years ago, I was paying £350 return with £200 one-way for upgrades to business class. It’s really disgusting that they are profiting both from governments and passengers who really need to travel. I heard planes are flying mostly empty outside peak periods.
My tip is to book on miles. There seems to be good availability both through TAP’s Miles&GO and Star Alliance partner airlines. TAP is HSBC points partner, so transferable. Aeroplan came in handy this year for me. It’s cheaper than cash ticket even if you have to buy all miles outright.
Another tip is to search Lisbon-Sao Tome rather than London-Sao Tome, avoids APD and also sometimes no availability shown. Cash tickets are also cheaper if starting from Lisbon.
Another option is to fly to Accra, overnight there and then continue to Sao Tome on TAP. On the way back it’s the same. So not much savings there. Lisbon- Sao Tome now stops in Accra only two days a week I think. When they flew on the short-haul A321 there was always a techincal stop in Accra.
Thanks @meta. Great knowledge 🙂
Thank you @meta, super useful information there. We ended up booking our honeymoon to Kenya and Tanzania, as annual leave and commitments at work meant we could only go much later in the year than originally anticipated, and outside of the recommended periods to go to ST+P. But I digress.
The write up on ST+P is really useful and I will use that for some ideas for a trip either late this year or next year. I saw the prices for TAP from London and did think about trying to circumvent by going directly from Portugual. My OH is from Porto, and we tend to go over there a few times a year to see family, so could tie in a trip then.
If going over/back via Ghana, do you need a visa for EU/UK passports (I thought you did)?
That restaurant at Angolares sounds intense on food, but amazing!!
In your opinion, is 1.5 weeks enough to dabble in the 2 main islands, or too long?
Sorry finishing my South American trip, so only just saw your post.
Prices will also be similar if flying from Portugal. You do need a visa if staying in Ghana and not if taking the technical stop flight. Fairly straightforward to get it in London, but it does require going to the Embassy twice and paying $100.
It’s 14-courses meal, but most plates are very small.
I’d give it 12 full-days minimum to be able to really explore. The first time I went I spent 8 days on the main island and 4 on Principé. Depends on how rushed you want to be. The roads are not great and it’s advisable not to drive at night outside the city/northern part of the main island as there are no street light. It takes 2,5-3 hours to get to the south of the main island. Then there is interior and the waterfalls and that can take time. For that, I’d actually hire a guide (they can do it with your car rental).
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