The islands

Surface: 1.001 km²
Inhabitants: 200.000
Islands: inhabited main islands (São Tomé and Príncipe), equator islet (Rolas), a few smaller and uninhabited islets
Official language: Portugues
Country code: +239
Capital: Cidade de São Tomé
Government: parliamentary democracy
Currency: Dobra (STN)
Independence: 12 of July 1975 (from Portugal)

Three to four times a week, TAP Air Portugal offers flights from many European cities via Lisbon to São Tomé und Príncipe. Flight time from Lisbon is around 6 hours. A propeller-driven aircraft with around 35 seats connects the two main islands several times per week.

For all transfers, round trips and excursions on the islands, we use cars or small busses with professional drivers.

A passport is compulsory for your visit and it has to be valid at least another 6 months after the date of departure. Since 2015, no more visas are necessary for travellers from the European Union with stays up to 15 days. For longer stays and for Non-European Union citizens a visa is compulsory and can be bought at a price of 20 Euros (+ postal costs) at the embassy of São Tomé and Príncipe in Brussels or applied for online: www.smf.st/evisa/index.php.

Visas are NOT being issued on arrival in São Tomé and Príncipe anymore. Also the airport tax has been abolished.

When arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, travellers might be asked to present their international vaccination card to prove their yellowfever vaccination.

Those entry requirements are subject to change at short notice.

There are no special vaccination requirements for São Tomé and Príncipe. The standard vaccinations such as polio or tetanus should be up to date.

The country is free of yellow fever and coming from Europe no yellow fever vaccination proof is required. Should you be coming from a region where the risk of yellow fever exists, you will have to prove yellow fever vaccination upon arrival.

The risk to get malaria on São Tomé and Príncipe is very much reduced due to a development aid project. We personally do not take any malaria prevention, but we ask you to contact a doctor specialized on tropical medicine, if there are any questions. Most hotel rooms have air-condition and/or mosquito nets. For the time during dusk and when entering the jungle, we advise to apply insect repellent.

Due to its position directly on the equator, the climate in São Tomé and Príncipe is tropically warm.

The country can be travelled all year round.
The dry seasons in January and February and June till September are the most popular times to visit.

The raining seasons are characterized by strong but short showers. Long-lasting rainfalls are rare.

During European wintertime the islands are 1 hour behind CET (Central European Time), during summertime 2 hours.

CURRENCY

The currency in São Tomé und Príncipe is called "Nova Dobra" (appreviation STN). The exchange rate for one Euro is fixed at 24,5 Dobras. There are coins of 10, 20, 50 céntimos as well as 1 and 2 Dobras plus bills of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Dobras.

Officially, it is not allowed to leave the country with the local currency.

MONEY EXCHANGE

The easiest way to get Dobras is to bring cash (EUR) and exchange it at a bank or with one of the private money changers. They can be found all over the city center of the capital Cidade de São Tomé. Changing money in the streets is not illegal and the offered exchange rate is even better than at the bank. We have no knowledge about attempted frauds.

CREDIT CARDS

You cannot withdraw money at one of the few local ATM machines, since they only accept locally made out bank cards. To get money with your credit card, you would have to address a bank counter and accept very high transaction fees. Paying bills with your credit card only works in few of the better hotels.

PRICES

About 8-10€ should be enough for a lunch or dinner at most places. On Roças or in better hotels 15€ is a more realistic figure. Water, soft drinks and beer vary in prices averaging at around 2€.

TIPS

Tips are obviously welcome, but are not necessarily expected. If you were satisfied, about 5-10% of the price of the service are adequate.

Electric voltage is 220V/50Hz with electric plugs types F and C. Remember that you are in a poor country full of infrastructural challenges. Cell coverage, internet and electricity can fail at any time and for several hours. It is wise to bring a flashlight.

The official language on São Tomé and Príncipe is Portuguese.
Lingua Franca is the local Forro Creole. Since 25% of the population are of Capeverdean descent, Capeverdean Creole is also widely understood - both creoles are mixtures of simplified Portuguese and words with their origin in African languages. The Angolar minority speaks it`s own tongue, which is based mainly on different Bantu dialects.
French is the first foreign language in schools, which, besides Spanish, can get you pretty far.

Here some words in Portuguese:

The local cuisine is characterized by a diversity of local herbs and spices.
Fresh fish and seafood are widespread. Very popular are grilled octopus and cuttlefish.

Meat is much less common, since for most locals, it is too expensive. Besides chicken only very few meat dishes made their way into the menus.

The national dish is called Calulú, a strong and very tasty stew with smoked fish or chicken and many local herbs.

Popular side dishes, next to rice, are plantain and breadfruit.

Beer and wine are available almost everywhere. Besides the local beer called Rosema (brewed in Neves), the Portuguese beers Superbock and Sagres are very popular.

Please only drink bottled or treated water and avoid untreated tap water, which is potable only in very few places.

Maybe you feel like taking home one or the other souvenir from your vacation? Why don´t you treat yourself and your friends and family with some coffee and chocolate produced here?

The purchase of handicrafts made in São Tomé and Príncipe will not only remind you of your time on the islands but it can also help to improve life for some families. There are also a few good musicians that already produced CDs.

São Tomé and Príncipe is a country with big potentials, but is still one of the poorer countries in the world.

To avoid creating confusion and expectations among the young, we ask that you do not offer anything to children you meet, unless it is your most beautiful smile.

If you have something to give, choose useful (notebooks, pens, pencils or even toothbrush and toothpaste) over futile (sweets) and give them to your guide, to local teachers or agencies such as ours. There, donations are collected until there is enough to give something to e.g. every student in a school.

As a white tourist, you will hear the children call “branco/-a” (white) and “doce” (sweet) wherever you go. For their best: thank you for not giving anything directly to them!