2020-03-01_Wanderlust

SÃOTOMÉ&PRÍNCIPE

wanderlust.co.uk March 2020 145

HumpbacksmigratepastPríncipe

betweenAugustandOctober.

Octobertomid-Januaryand

mid-FebruarytoMay:Theseare

thewettermonths,whendays

mayswitchfromclearblueskiesto

heavydownpours;orchidsbloom

intherains.Turtlesnestbetween

NovemberandMarch,with

hatchlingsracingfortheseafrom

SeptembertoApril.

Health&safety

Ensureyouhavehadtwohepatitis

Ajabsandyourtetanuscover

hasbeenboostedinthelast 10

years.Forotherimmunisationsto

consider,checkitfortravel.nhs.net.

MalariaispresentonSãoTomé

butrareonPríncipe;coverarms

andlegs,applyinsectrepellent

intheevenings,andconsider

prophylaxis.Cutsandgrazes

quicklybecomeinfectedinthis

hot,humidclimate–alwaysclean,

applyantisepticandcover.Crime

israre,particularlyonPríncipe,but

keepaneyeonyourbelongings.

Gettingthere&around

TAPAirPortugal(0345 601 0932;

lytap.com)liesfromLondon

andManchestertoSãoTomé

viaLisbonwithashortstopin

Accra;lighttimeisaroundeight

Vitalstatistics

Capital:SãoTomécity

(Príncipe:SantoAntónio)

Population:216,000

(8,000onPríncipe)

Language(s):Portuguese(o•icial),

plusseveralcreolelanguages

Time:GMT(nodaylightsaving)

Internationaldiallingcode:+239

Visas:NotrequiredbyUK

nationalsforstaysupto 15 days.

Money:Dobra($),currentlyabout

$28totheUK£1.ATMsarerare

outsideSãoTomécity,andcredit

cardsareacceptedonlyatmajor

hotelsandresorts.Bringeurosto

changeintodobras.

Whentogo

JunetoSeptember:Thisisthe

maindryseason,althoughrainis

alwayspossible.There’salso

ashortdryseasonfrommid-

Januarytomid-February,which

isratherhotter.Duringthese

periods,theskyisoftencloudy,

soconditionsarebestforhiking–

temperaturesremainaround27°C.

Footnotes

São Tomé & Príncipe,

Africa

Paul Bloomield

⊲

THE TRIP

The author travelled with

Rainbow Tours (020 7666

1260; rainbowtours.co.uk) on

a tailormade trip. An eight-

night itinerary, including two

nights at Omali Lodge in São

Tomé, three nights at Roça

Sundy and three at Sundy

Praia on Príncipe; breakfasts

and dinners; ‡lights; transfers

and some activities costs

from £3,550pp, based on

two people sharing.

hours, from £742 return. Several

airlines, including TAP, o–er daily

connections from the UK to

Lisbon. Ideally allow an overnight

stay to be sure of catching the

early morning light to São Tome.

STP Airways (+351 218 437 040;

stpairways.st), the islands’ national

carrier, makes the 35-minute hop

between São Tomé and Príncipe

six times weekly; return fares start

at around €170 (£150). Book well

in advance for high season. The

ferry between the islands takes

at least eight hours and is not

recommended; a number of ships

have sunk, most recently in April

2019. Local transport on São Tomé
      consists of yellow taxis and shared
      minibuses running set routes;

GEAR TIPS

Bring light, quick-

drying clothing,

including long-

sleeve shirts and

trousers for

evenings (to avoid

mossie bites –

there’s no risk of

cold). If hiking

muddy trails in the

biosphere reserve,

bring lightweight

walking shoes

or boots.

Blessing in disguise

A church in Santo

António; (above)

a Cristiano gets ready

for battle against the

Moros at the festival