Journey to the Equator in Sao Tome and Principe

This was a great trip to a truly stunning and unique place. There were many times along the way I marvelled at doing things that very few people have or ever will do. Turning up on breathtakingly beautiful but completely empty beaches again and again was incredible. I didn't find the hikes too bad in terms of distance/ups and downs, but they were sometimes challenging due to humidity and slippery terrain (see below). I'm a big seafood fan, so loved the food (and some of the restaurants were ridiculously good).

The group was fantastic and the guides were friendly, helpful and fun.

Recommendations:

• You need good hiking boots - if it rains even a little, it's very slippery on the hikes.
• Take snacks - lunch was sometimes a bit later than expected so snacks needed for an energy boost to get through the hikes.
• The snorkelling was OK but possibly not the best you'll ever do, so a judgement call if you want to lug a snorkel set about.

I couldn't quite give a 5/5 (it would have been 4. 5) due to some things simply not happening. This was no-one's fault and to be expected on this kind of trip, just that the weather and the islands' relaxed/random approach to opening times meant we didn't see everything that was on the itinerary. The weather meant that after a couple of harder hikes, the views were in cloud. We didn't get to experience certain museums, the coffee plantation and the guided walk of the botanical garden. I therefore didn't feel I got to know quite as much about the islands' history, culture and nature as I could have. I learnt most from the visit we did to CACAU in Sao Tome City, which was before the trip started.

Having said that, I absolutely loved the tip and whole heartedly recommend it to any serious adventurers!

The trip truly is an adventure and allows you to experience one of the least visited countries in the world in a way in which really brings the islands to life. The people are friendly, the scenery is stunning and the food fresh and plentiful.

The hiking on this trip varies from relatively easy flat coastal walks to what I would describe as quite challenging, with steep inclines on slippery, narrow paths next to quite significant drop-offs. I would recommend being a confident hiker for this trip, especially if you get caught in the rain – which is very possible even during ‘dry’ season. See Chris’s review and photos below for the state of our footwear after just one hike! I will also echo Claire’s sentiment that having a hiking pole is very helpful – whether it is one you bring from home or one cut at the start of the hike!

Bring old socks and quick-dry clothes – it is very hard to dry anything with the humidity and limited air conditioning / power. I would also recommend hiking / water sandals if you have them – these were so helpful for multiple hikes which switched between water and land on a regular basis. Power banks are also very helpful for charging up phones even when the electricity is off during the night.

I would recommend taking multiple items of swimwear if you are a keen sea swimmer, just for the comfort of being able to put a dry set on under clothing at the start of the day as there are opportunities to get in the water almost every day, be that sea or waterfalls. Since strong waves are common on both islands, do ensure you are comfortable and confident with the sea conditions before entering the water.

Most of the accommodation is basic but comfortable, and most had wifi in the common areas. The food is fresh and generally comprises lots of fish, seafood, rice and bananas. Local beer is available with most meals, and wine can generally be purchased by the bottle for around 10-14 Euros. You should also book the optional chocolate tasting on the final day – so interesting and well worth the small fee (the amount of samples you try more than covers the cost!).

There is not too much to see in terms of wildlife but the scenery more than makes up for it. We did have a fabulous showing by the Mona Monkeys at the mangroves and various eight-legged beasts showed their faces on a few hikes.

Our guide Hilario was excellent and made the trip so much fun. He was always there to lend a helping hand (often literally on some of the steep hikes!) and went out of his way to locate fresh coconuts, passion fruits and cocoa pods for us to eat throughout the trip.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the trip, but do be aware that this is a very rugged and undeveloped country, so road conditions and accommodation may not be what you are used to. You will be scrambling up rocks and sliding down mud paths during the hikes and it is important to accept you will be hot, sweaty and muddy by the end. The final night’s accommodation is a lovely slice of luxury at the end of the fabulous trip.

If you have read this far – stop reading now and go book the trip before the rest of the world cottons on to this unspoilt gem!

I loved every, single moment of this trip. The country itself is wildly beautiful, untouched and rugged. There are hardly any tourists - sometimes I felt like it was only us which was amazing. Our guide, Hilario was absolutely fabulous - fun, knowledgeable, gave us a great insight into the country including its history and the culture, and always looked after us. Food was delicious - I’m not a fish person and I LOVED the fresh fish. Some fancy meals thrown in too as well as delicious picnics. And the people in our group were open minded and up for the adventure which is exactly what you need to thoroughly enjoy this trip.

We got to cover so much across three islands. It’s a brilliant itinerary - the best out there for this amazing country. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Do not hesitate to book!

Some tips:

I was really grateful for my walking sticks - even in the dry season the downhill bits can be slippery. You can get away with just one, but don’t worry, if you don’t bring them, as you can get a stick cut for you en route!

You will be damp/wet/sticky as it’s so humid. Bring only quick drying stuff!

Absolutely zero obligation to do so, but knowing it isn’t a country that’s well off, I reached out to the local tour company to ask whether donations would be helpful (and asked specially what they might need so as to make sure it was relevant). I brought over some bits for the schools, which the local tour company took off my hands early on in the trip to share with a charity to distribute. Like I said - no expectation from MBA or the local tour company, but just sharing in case anyone else wanted to know.

Come ready to adventure and embrace everything this untouched beauty of a country has to offer. It’s so rare to get an experience like this.

This is a fantastic tour, covering the history, culture and scenery of these amazing islands- be one of the few visitors before word gets out. I thoroughly recommend this trip, but be prepared to rough it a little.

We had an amazing guide in Hilario, who helped bring the tour to life and helped us with the inevitable snags along the way (literally, cutting paths through the forest with a machete on occasion). Previous reviews have highlighted the pros and cons so are well worth a read, but here are a few from me:

• the grade of the hikes/walks does vary, from easy to challenging scrambles up and down steep, muddy and rocky paths. All are rewarded with stunning views and an unending succession of deserted, palm tree-lined tropical beaches.
• the standard of the accommodation does vary, so be prepared for cold showers, power outages and iffy wi-fi as well as some six or eight legged visitors.
• the food is all freshly prepared but is largely fish, rice and savoury banana. Some amazing four course meals though.
• the humidity is an issue, from sweaty hikes to clothes that simply won’t dry - and you will get wet! Take quick-dry tops and shorts (and plenty of mosquito repellent), water shoes and decent hiking shoes. Just be prepared to have damp clothes to put on and soggy shoes to put your feet in. C’est la vie!

Insane adventure and our guide Hilario was THE BEST!

A true eye opening trip to an undiscovered gem - get in there before others discover it. This Sao Tome trip mixed a fantastic blend of walking, experiencing a truly beautiful country and meeting some generous, friendly people.

If you haven't signed up - do it now! There is a good mix of difficulty in the daily hikes - some are easy, some are moderate and I'd argue that there are a couple of days where it would test the most experienced hikers (Pico Papagaio comes to mind).

Having read previous reviews, here are mine to add.

• Accommodation is basic apart from the last night (well deserved luxury!) - be prepared to cold showers
• Food is amazing and delicious everywhere, if a little "samey" - diet of fish and rice in the main. In a previous review I read about the pizza shack on Principe - not worth as a visit. Stick to the fish and rice - or better if you feel the need for some different food head to Armazem Restaurante around the corner for some truly unexpectedly great hamburgers! My only other comment on food would be to make sure you stock up your reserves at breakfast time.
• We went during the drier (not dry!) season in July. Things that are NOT needed from the kit list - so don't waste your money or the space in your luggage - were:

• water purification tablets and reuseable water bottle; bottled water is available everywhere
• long sleeve trousers and tops, instead take quick drying gym-type clothes and plenty of tropical strength mosquito spray. I was the only one in the group in a long sleeve top for the whole time and I was suffering with the heat and humidity!
• snorkel not worth it unless your serious. There is enough to look at above the water line to keep you interested. The endless unspoilt and empty tropical, coconut palm fringed beaches will make sure you have something to look at!
• waterproof jacket and trousers - I cannot imagine how hot and sticky it would be to wear these. You want to allow your skin to breathe! The humidity was at times difficult to deal with - on a par with south-east Asia.

Items on the kit list that I would absolutely recommend taking:

• hiking boots (wear then or take them in your hand luggage!). Air Portugal lost my luggage for 5 days so I had to do some of the walks in my trainers - far from ideal and ruined them
• socks; a clean pair for every day you are there, its a little luxury to spoil yourself (and you'll thank me for it)
• water shoes - invaluable! Especially as nothing you wash dries quickly due to the humidity. A good alternative when your hiking boots are sodden
• Quick dry towel. You're constantly in/ out of the ocean so good to dry off each time to give your clothes a chance at staying dry

Our guide Hilario was amazing - so friendly and welcoming with good local knowledge and able to iron out any small problems we had and the local guides in both Sao Tome & on Principe were also great.

The mix of cultural and historic experiences and places mixed in with the hikes made the perfect balance to round the trip and the odd bit of luxury at the end of our time in both Sao Tome & Principe meant that we got a small reward for all our hard working efforts.

Thanks to all for making it such a great experience. I cannot recommend this trip enough. It was truly insane.

Not only was this my first adventure with MBA, but also my first ever solo trip abroad and what an experience! The country is stunning, from the golden sandy beaches, the majority of which were empty and just for ourselves, to the dramatic jungle interior with hidden waterfalls to discover. Seeing the local people smiling and waving as we drove through the villages was something I didn't expect to be a personal highlight but I couldn't help but smile and wave back every time. The hikes themselves I found pretty enjoyable, I'd say the difficulty stated on the website is about right - not particularly demanding in terms of terrain but the humidity does make it that little bit tougher. The hike on the final day was particularly fun, wading through tunnels filled with bats and walking along unguarded bridges to reach an amazing waterfall. We even saw a black cobra along the way.

Amaro, our guide, was amazing. Highly knowledgeable and also very entertaining, he always made us laugh. Special shout-out to the additional drivers too who skillfully got us out of some very muddy spots that we'd have no chance of getting out of if we were driving ourselves!

The group dynamic was great and hearing my fellow travellers’ stories has definitely inspired me to do even more travelling in the future.

My advice for future travellers would be to read everything on the webpage so you fully know what to expect. It massively prepared me so that things like the super bumpy (almost non-existent!) roads, the very basic accommodation, electricity/water cut-outs and the repetitive food (but was still always delicious) didn't faze me at all and even added to the experience. Do also ask questions to your guide about what the next day will entail and what to bring/wear if in any doubt. It turns out shorts are fine for the majority of the hikes as we found out by asking every day!

Overall, a truly amazing adventure that I would love to do all over again if I could. Even if you're a novice solo adventurer like me, as long as you keep an open mind, you'll have the best time here.

Fantastic adventure, Amaro was a great guide, well informed , funny and wonderful company, the places we visited and history of the area were very interesting. Great to stand with one foot in each hemisphere, and spend my 70th there in great company

Sao Tome and Principe is a beautiful country, and this itinerary does a great job of letting you see all sides of it. Beautiful beaches, waterfalls, birds, and some amazing scenery.

Be prepared though that it's very hot and humid, so you'll be sweating a lot on any of the hikes. We didn't get rained on, but given how humid it was I don't think it would have made much difference in how wet I got.

This trip gives you a great overview of São Tomé and Príncipe. As others have said, to liken it to the Galapagos is a bit misleading as there is not much wildlife, however it is a tropical paradise and definitely worth seeing whilst it is so unspoiled by mass tourism. There is a nice balance of strenuous hikes, easier costal hikes, plantation visits and beach chill out time. Our guide Amaro was great and it appears that some of the criticisms in earlier reviews regarding lack of information or food requirements have been addressed and resolved. The food can be very samey but is always fresh and 2 of the restaurants were outstanding. My only criticism would be that the hike on Day 6 was extremely disappointing. It is a real endurance slog up and down some very steep and slippery slopes and with little reward for your efforts. The crater is underwhelming (it just looks like a field surrounded by trees) and there are no views from the top due to the thick vegetation. We didn’t get to visit the botanical gardens or have views of valleys and the Pico as described in the itinerary. Apart from that a great trip.

I am almost tempted not to say how wonderful this trip is and keep it a secret. Wonderful people, prehistoric, Lost World like landscapes and great food. Whats not to love.

Our guide, Amaro, was a mine of information on local history, flora and fauna. As well as safely navigating the roads and guiding us through the jungles. And always with a smile on his face.

It is hard to believe that somewhere as spectacular as Sao Tome and Principe still remains almost unknown - at least to the non Portuguese speaking world.

An incredible destination, very few tourist. We been to many beaches, the interior, and the only people there.

If you're looking to visit a tropical paradise before it becomes commercialised with hotels and Western brands then this is the place to come. Expect to rough it a little, some of the accommodation is a little rustic and at one with nature. Depending upon your fitness level you might find the hiking a bit difficult but it's by no means strenuous. You'll certainly get sweaty! I took some old clothes and threw them away as I wore them. It's difficult to dry anything, as it's very humid. I took plenty of snacks but ate very few and brought most of them home again, and you won't need water purification tablets. The sea has a powerful undertow and the waves are quite large so I didn't do much swimming. Amaro, our ever cheerful guide, did a wonderful job in finding us an alternative flight when the plane we were originally scheduled to fly on to Principe became unserviceable. He also indulged our request to stay longer for cocktails at the luxurious hotel in Sundy on Principe. Expect mosquitoes and plenty of attention from the local populace in outlying villages. Especially the children.

Overall, a great experience.

Truly a remote destination with stunning beaches, pristine forests and very welcoming, respectful people. Short hikes are very manageable, with a couple of more strenuous longer hikes through the jungle. Recommend taking shoes to wear in the water as well as waterproof walking boots due to some rocky beaches / hikes through water. Some beaches had stronger currents so it helps to be a confident swimmer. Food was super fresh, with lots of fresh fish, fruit and vegetables. Really fun trip and Amaro was a great guide - highly recommend!

Hiking was more tough than expected. Had to skip most of the hiking. Our guide was outstanding and found fine alternatives when possible

This trip was the perfect blend of history, geography, and biology all rolled into one immersive experience. We explored the jungles and beaches of São Tomé and Príncipe, learning about the islands’ dark colonial past and the inspiring efforts of local communities to protect their unique wildlife through sustainable tourism. Make no mistake — this is not a relaxing beach holiday. There’s little time for cocktails or lounging if you want to fully experience everything the islands have to offer. What you get instead is unforgettable: from trekking through rainforests and hiking in the crater of an extinct volcano, to and standing on the equator at Rolas Island. The museum and information rooms at Roça Sundy are an absolute must — a fantastic place to learn about the islands’ history and culture. I recommend taking photos of the exhibits, as they provide context for many of the sites you’ll visit during the trip. Personal highlights included watching turtles nest on Praia Inhame, visiting the art gallery at Roça Água-Izé, and seeing nature slowly reclaim old colonial buildings, rusted vehicles, and machinery. I also loved the countless opportunities to sample the islands’ coffee and chocolate from the cooperative farms — make sure to stock up before you leave! There’s a great selection available on the final day and even at the airport shop if you don’t want to carry it during the trip. Walking through villages and having local children take our hands and cheerfully guide us around their communities was one of the most heartwarming parts of the journey - the local people generally were very keen to welcome us. The food was an adventure in itself and best experienced with an open mind. There is a mix of trendy restaurants offering 5 courses of expertly-crafted sample dishes, and homely local restaurants with fresh seafood. I never thought I’d enjoy sea snail, but it ended up being one of the most memorable dishes of the trip. We also had fresh octopus almost every night, caught that day by local spearfishermen we’d seen out in the water earlier. The landscapes are breathtaking, and though the hikes can be exhausting, every one is worth it. Don't miss the "coat man trail" from Praia Jale to Praia Inhame - we did this hike at sunset, after a full week of activity, with a steep vertical climb, but the views were bucket-list worthy. Additional bonus tip: arrive a day early or stay an extra night if you can. I treated myself to a night at Omali Lodge, just a short drive from the STP airport.

Advice for anyone thinking about booking this trip:

1. This trip is best suited for experienced to very-experienced travellers, and anyone who has visited Africa before.
2. Do plenty of research (read the reviews on this website, watch travel vlogs about Sao Tome, and follow @kuatelanon and @authentic_traveling on instagram).
3. If you only speak English - Learn some basic words and phrases in Portuguese as English is not widely-spoken.
4. Pack UV-protect clothing as the equatorial sun is serious and you will need to cover arms and shoulders pretty much all day every day.
5. If you experience mosquito bites frequently, make sure to pack double what you usually use because jungle hikes are in areas with persistent mosquitos and the accomodation does not include mosquito nets. Also pack anti-histamine medication and creams, and pre- and post- malaria exposure medication because medical facilities are few and far between.
6. Plan your flights and pack your luggage assuming that your checked-in luggage may potentially get lost, and pack as if you may fall into mud or water on Day 1 (it happens). Make sure to read the trip information regarding the 15kg limit for the internal flight and bring a spare bag to leave in Sao Tome if neccessary.
7. Itinerary is subject to change even during activities, so I would recommend to pack your backpack for the day assuming all activities will take place - gaiters, waterproofs, a 15L daybag with reef shoes, swimsuit, mask & snorkel, travel towel, etc is advised.
8. Ensure your fitness level is suitable for 5-10hrs intense activity in a challenging environment.
9. If you wear glasses, start trying contact lenses because the humidity will hinder you greatly.
10. It’s important to always check with your guide before taking photos of people — some individuals living in abandoned buildings are experiencing homelessness and prefer not to be photographed, so it’s best to respect their privacy.
11. Pack a durable power bank and a chargeable fan, as the power is not 24/7 in Principe. This was a life-saver for me.
12. If you're keen on wildlife, bring a good camera and pair of travel binoculars because the wildlife is small and elusive - in particular the monkeys at Malanza Mangrove, which are small and furry and look exactly like the coconuts in the trees.

When I first heard about São Tomé and Príncipe I realised that I wanted to get there and see it before it was changed by mass tourism. Of course, I realise that I am part of the beginning of that. I arrived a few days before the trip was to start so that I could 'get my bearings' and see the town itself as that is not a part of the trip. It doesn't actually take long to see Sao Tome. The Cathedral is lovely, the museum(which is the old town fort) has nothing in the way of descriptions or explanations for the, frankly, a bit sad exhibits but is still worth the 50Dbs(2 Euro) entry. What I did enjoy was buying a drink at one of the town centre cafes and sitting watching the world go by. There is such an energy here. The trip itself was excellent but there are issues. I think the most disappointing aspect was that we didn't actually see a great deal of wildlife. I especially was looking forward to seeing turtles, but it seems we were unlucky. Our tour around the mangroves elicited nothing more than some mud skippers and a duck. We did see a pair of monkeys but strangely these were on the roof of a building at one of the guesthouses where we were staying. We saw snakes and the odd parrot in the jungle. The snorkelling was good at two or three places where we did see eels and some sea snakes. One of the most difficult aspects of the trip was really how the organisers rated the difficulty of the hikes. I notice that the trip has recently been changed from an 'Easy' to a 'Moderate' but the difficulty really lies in that some of the hikes are easy and some of them really do necessitate a deal of strength, agility and stamina. To rate all the hikes independently would be far too long winded especially as the difficulty would change with the weather. Some hikes were simply a solid walk in great surroundings with the sounds of the tropical birds all around, others, like Pico Papagaio required a much higher level of fitness. Add to this the fact that some people are much more capable than others and you have a potentially frustrating situation. Something I thought was fantastic was that everyone was willing to share their photographs with everybody else in the group which meant that there was a great mix and some really fabulous photographs that I couldn't have taken myself. Sipson, our guide was enthusiastic even though he was thwarted occasionally. Some of the other drivers were great fun especially Vadu whom everybody seemed to know and who knew everybody. All in all a great trip, but you may need luck to see any wildlife.

Just back and wanted to share a few things that future travelers might find helpful:

• Bring snacks! Packaged snacks aren’t readily available for purchase on the islands, so if you need something to fuel up between meals, bring your own.

• Bottled water is available for purchase, so there’s no need to bring purification tablets—though doing so could help reduce plastic waste.

• Ask questions about your daily itinerary. Don’t assume you’ll be given all the details upfront. On our first hike in Principe, we expected to have lunch at a location where we could buy more water. Instead, we were given packed lunches, but no extra water—and by then, we had already finished our morning supply. On top of that, dietary restrictions weren’t followed, so three of us didn’t have anything to eat and had already gone through our snacks. That first lunch was a bit sad, but we learned to ask for every detail in advance to be better prepared.

• Keep an eye on your group! Our guide was focused on getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible, sometimes leaving people behind—even losing some members at one point. We had to look out for each other and ask our guide to wait when necessary.

• Be prepared for tricky trails. Our guide didn’t offer much advice on navigating the terrain, which could be slippery and often required climbing over fallen trees. We relied on each other for support and guidance. If you’re a less confident hiker, consider finding a buddy.

• Accommodations are basic, as expected, but the second ecolodge had gaps in the floorboards, making it very much "one with nature. " We all had slugs and spiders in our rooms, and one person even had rats! We gave feedback to our guide that future trips might consider alternative lodging options.

• The final lodge is the best one! If you’re thinking about extending your stay, this would be a great place to do so.

• The last-day hike to the waterfall involves wading through knee-deep water in aqueducts—five stretches of tunnels with low ceilings and bats. Bring shorts for this (most other hikes are better in pants due to the brush/vegetation) and shoes that can handle water. One of our group members had hiking shoes designed for water and was way ahead of the rest of us, who had to keep switching shoes.

• Pack light! You’ll mostly need hiking clothes. Save yourself from overpacking and bring just one "normal" outfit for dinners.

• The optional chocolate tour at the end is worth it. It was much more in-depth than I expected and really interesting to see the process firsthand.

That said, I really enjoyed exploring these islands. They are lush and green, and I felt safe walking around the towns alone. The kids eagerly shouted "hola!" every time they saw us, flashing huge grins. The snorkeling was fantastic, which made up for the lack of other wildlife (though, in hindsight, we should have researched that better). The beaches and flora were stunning.

I would have loved for our guide to share more about the culture, but we managed to pull some insights out of him with our questions. To be candid, this trip could use a little finesse to match other MBA trip standards, but I had a fantastic time with an amazing group of people.

And if you think you’ve experienced humidity—just wait until you visit Principe!

As expected São Tomé and Príncipe is a wonderful location and our guide, Amaro, was impeccable.

The experience was however dampened by the accommodation which at two of the locations was very poor. I can cope with the infestation of slugs, several cockroaches and enormous spiders, but the poor cleanliness was unforgivable. The food also left much to be desired, particularly the lunches which in two occasions did not cater for three out of seven guests dietary needs.

Could be a truly magical experience, but a little more attention to detail is required.

São Tome is an incredible destination that needs to be visited before everyone else finds out about it. It's a bit rough around the edges in places with some hotels seeming unfinished and frequent power cuts on Principe but these are minor inconveniences that don't really detract from the beauty of the islands.

This trip is all about the attitude, you can either be miserable or have the best time of your life!

We had superb weather through out and some of the hikes that were rated moderate or difficult were quite easy due to weather conditions. If it rains, I’m sure they’ll be lot harder and more demanding. The terrain can be slippery cause of the roots and stones.

Food is excellent and I felt like we had lot of variety and options to choose from. Lunches are fixed and I thought the sandwich and fruit lunches were enough on the days we had them. Only time I needed snacks was on the two longer hikes.

You’ll be sweaty most of the time and your clothes will feel moist. Quick dry stuff is the best and linen, you’ll feel dirty once you put a fresh shirt on, so might keep that in mind when packing. There’s an option to do laundry in Principe.

The accomodation varies, I really enjoyed Principe - the place we stayed was super nice.

Travelled with hand luggage only and that was enough, note that they’ll weight your carry ons when you depart ST. Glad I had made friends during the trip, so they carried my excess weight aka coffee through security!

Amaro, our guide 10/10! Such a fun and helpfull guy. He’ll tell you what ever you want to know if you ask.

Just remember, it’s an island, imported stuff is scarce. Don’t worry. Leve, leve.

Winter Sun – Off The Beaten Track: São Tomé and Príncipe I don’t know about you, but ever since I discovered the joy of feeling the sun’s warmth on my skin during the cold, wet, and grey winter months, I’ve become a firm believer in topping up my depleted Vitamin D reserves abroad. This year’s trip was a significant departure from my usual winter escapes. While my professional network packed their sunblock and skis for the slopes of the French and Italian Alps—a place where I’ve had many climbing adventures—I was stuffing my single pair of shorts and a bottle of jungle formula into my bag, preparing for a long-haul journey to a pair of islands in the Atlantic Ocean that few have ever heard of: São Tomé & Príncipe. You may wonder what could possibly possess someone to travel to a place I hadn’t even heard of a year ago—nearly 4,000 miles away, with a population of just 237,000, only two flights a week, and barely any tourists. While my wife-to-be is extraordinarily persuasive, the truth is that, as a land surveyor and outdoor enthusiast, I’ve always wanted to stand on the equator and see which way a compass pointed. A simple reason, I know, but curiosity is a defining trait of mine, and once an idea takes root, I have to see it through. Arriving in São Tomé, I was instantly hit with a blast of 30°C heat and 82% humidity—so much so that my camera lens fogged up the moment I pulled it from my bag. Having left behind the sub-zero temperatures of Manchester, the contrast was striking. Our smiling guide, who would be with us for the next 11 days, greeted us warmly and led us to our first night’s accommodation. As we walked freely down the middle of the capital’s main road, the lack of traffic and the introduction to the local cuisine (a far cry from tartiflette and schnapps) made it clear that this trip was going to be different. Heading south on roads that redefined my understanding of ‘rough terrain’ (I’ll never complain about potholes again), we arrived at the base of Pico Cão Grande. This dramatic volcanic spire dominates the skyline, jutting out from the jungle canopy like a giant finger pointing toward the sun. The whole landscape felt like something out of a lost world, and I half-expected Kong to stride through the ochre trees at any moment. Trekking through the jungle along the coastline, we watched monkeys leap through the trees, startling parrots and kites as we sweated our way along the narrow path. The effort was more than worth it when we finally emerged onto a pristine golden beach, completely untouched by human presence. With crystal-clear waters at a balmy 27°C, we wasted no time diving in. We stayed at Inhame Beach, an important turtle sanctuary, where we witnessed firsthand the incredible conservation efforts aimed at protecting these vulnerable creatures. Under the brilliance of the Milky Way, we watched baby turtles hatch and make their brave journey to the sea. The contrast between night and day, however, was stark. At dawn, we saw another group emerge—only this time, the predatory kites were waiting. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say nature can be as brutal as it is beautiful. You don’t often see that side of things on nature documentaries. As we made our way back to the airport to fly to Príncipe, we passed cocoa and coffee plantations, a lasting reminder of the islands’ colonial past. Once the world’s largest producer of cocoa, São Tomé thrived under Portuguese rule, but at a heavy cost. The wealth of its natural resources was extracted through the labour of enslaved people, with little benefit to the island’s inhabitants. The colonial period eventually saw the construction of hospitals and schools, but today, many are in a state of disrepair—a reality reflected in the island’s average life expectancy of just 67, nearly 20 years behind much of the Western world. And yet, the people of São Tomé and Príncipe exude a warmth and resilience that is truly inspiring. Their philosophy of “leve leve” (slowly, slowly) is reflected in their easy-going smiles and laughter as they pick fruit, salt fish, and prepare coconuts. As far as travel experiences go, this trip was something truly special. My compass may have pointed north when I stood on the equator—a slight disappointment, as I secretly hoped it would spin unpredictably—but understanding the Earth’s magnetic field gave me the scientific explanation I needed. More importantly, though, the journey opened my eyes to a way of life so different from my own, a world untouched by mass tourism, and a people who, despite challenges, embrace life with open arms. If you have an adventurous spirit, I can wholeheartedly recommend swapping the ski slopes or the crowded beaches of the Canaries for a piece of paradise in the Atlantic.

If you crave adventure beyond the ordinary, São Tomé & Príncipe is the paradise you’ve been dreaming of. This isn’t just a hike - it’s a journey into a world frozen in time. Every step reveals something new. And if you're lucky enough to join a group of passionate adventurers, the memories will last forever.

The landscapes will steal your breath. Imagine trekking through lush rainforests, the distant sound of waterfalls pulling you deeper into the wild. Trails lead to extinct volcanic craters, sweeping ocean views, secret beaches - untouched beauty at every turn.

The hikes are moderate but could alter depending on the season. The heat is intense in December, and the mosquitoes are looking for a feast. But trust me, every drop of sweat is worth it. Pack long sleeves, sturdy waterproof shoes, and repellent are essential.

Keep it simple when packing. Internal flights have strict baggage limits, so a small duffle or cabin-sized carry-on is all you need for the entire trip. Wear your hiking boots and pack essential hiking gear in your hand luggage. São Tomé offers little opportunity for last-minute shopping. Two fellow hikers did not receive their luggage for eight days, but their positivity reminded us that true adventure is about embracing the unexpected.

Accommodation is basic but comfortable. Príncipe has no electricity, running water, or air-conditioning from 11:30 pm to 6 am (give or take). Wi-Fi is available at every accommodation.

If you love fresh fish, you're in for a treat. It’s served at every meal. Don’t miss the pizza shack in Príncipe - surprisingly tasty pizza in the heart of the town! Just don’t forget your hiking snacks. Shops are few and far between in STP.

Meals average €10, with drinks ranging from €2-5. Cash is king. Exchange your money in São Tomé, as AMEX and MasterCard aren’t accepted. For dinners not included on the itinerary are pre-booked with set menus. If you prefer flexibility, speak to your guide ahead of time.

Our guide was kind, but language barriers and occasional miscommunication about the itinerary led to some frustration.

If you’re a nature lover, an adventurer, or simply seeking an untouched paradise, visit now—before the crowds arrive and strip the island of its beauty. Enjoy!

The Good: Beautiful islands (particularly Principe), lovely people, some great activities and experiences, all very much off the beaten track and away from the hustle and bustle of my everyday life. Accommodation is fine with a few standout locations. The hikes we did were straightforward enough but prepare for them to feel more challenging than they are as it's hot, sweaty and muddy!

Before I continue, let me be absolutely clear. If you're interested in the islands and you're relatively experienced / relaxed about travelling, please go. You won't regret it and the experience is worth it, particularly while it remains relatively unknown.

The rest of this review is intended to provide additional insight for those interested and therefore focuses on the less positive aspects of the trip.

The "Rough around the Edges": The islands felt fairly immature in terms of capacity to cater for group tourism. Expect set meals with little variety (if you don't eat or like fish then you'll struggle here), longer travel times due to roads being basic and plans to change occasionally. If you're in a larger group (we were 13 with a few "single occupancies") then you will more than likely find yourselves split across accommodations in Principe. Whilst not ideal, it worked fine for our group and we even had a pizza party for dinner instead of going out for dinner one night as one accommodation had a large enough social space and big table (shout out to the next door pizza shack for a meal that was NOT FISH)!

If you're particularly interested in the history and culture of the islands then it might be worth trying to do some research / reading up beforehand as there wasn't much depth in terms of explanations given by our guide and you won't find much literature available at the different cultural experiences.

Many of the slightly "rough around the edges" moments could have been smoothed over with clearer communication. My view is that enjoying this trip benefits from a relaxed approach and appreciating the adventure when things aren't quite what you expected. If you need things to be extremely organised and efficient then this may not be the one for you.

The Observations: Packing list - I'd strongly recommend bringing more hiking / walking clothes than you think you need. I found that I sweated through / dirtied everything I wore more quickly than I expected. There was also less downtime than I was expecting, so the balance of my active vs non-active packing was a little off. I'd also recommend packing water shoes that you can walk in for (parts of) some of the hikes. Also, don't underestimate the mosquitos.

Itinerary - our itinerary was changed around due to the Principe flight schedule (outside of the MBA / local tour operator's control) and the resulting schedule felt a little rushed at times. We often found ourselves without much time to appreciate the surroundings on hikes and on beaches. Similarly on some days we didn't stop for lunch until late afternoon so definitely bring snacks with you!

Principe guiding - the guide on Principe didn't speak much English at all so we were reliant on our main guide to translate for us. It also often felt like the Principe guide wasn't particularly interested in showing us things, simply doing the bare minimum to satisfy the itinerary and get us back to our accommodation.

Our trip to São Tomé & Principe was very unique as the islands are not ‘set up’ for tourists in the way most places are nowadays. I think it gave us a better glimpse into the actual lifestyle of the natives because of that. The hiking was interesting although not very challenging - so no worries if you are concerned about long difficult hikes.

The food was amazing and the people are very friendly. It was a safe environment and we had a great guide. The beaches are simply stunning and, I guess since there are so many of them, we were typically the only ones on each beach.

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São Tomé and Principe are incredible and I highly recommend a visit. With so few tourists, most of the time you genuinely feel like you are the only ones exploring this beautiful place, and are discovering things for the very first time. Each day you think you've seen the most breath-taking thing these islands have to offer, only to be equally stunned by something else on the next. The islands are very unspoilt compared to so many places these days, particularly on Principe and the tiny Rolas Island. I sincerely hope they can remain that way, but I'd still advise seeing them sooner rather than later - eventually the masses will discover this hidden gem!

What to expect: Accommodation, mostly quite basic, but most had wi-fi, hot showers, flushing toilets, and even AC in some cases, which honestly was more than I expected. Expect the odd power/ water outage, particularly on Principe where they do not yet have a 24 hour supply of electricity. Food: the food is very tasty, but gets a little repetitive, expect a lot of fish, banana chips, rice, eggs and fruit. If you have dietary requirements then you might find this a little challenging, so if that's the case, definitely do your research, and perhaps take extra snacks/ food with you. Roads: the main roads aren't too bad, but there aren't many of them! Once you're off those, the roads are fairly rough, but didn't feel unsafe, just a little bouncy, and the cars we travelled in generally seemed safe enough. As these are small islands, its rare you have to travel more than a couple of hours anyway.

The itinerary provides a good mix of active and less active days. I generally agree with the easy rating, when compared to other tours MBA offer, as anyone with a reasonable level of fitness can do this itinerary and there's no real previous experience required. The hikes are at most a few hours long, and a decent few of the more difficult bits were optional, so you can customise to your own level to a certain extent. That said, we went during the dry season, and even then there were some parts that were quite slippery and a little challenging. I could well imagine some of the narrower, steeper paths being much trickier when wetter, and in some cases potentially a little dangerous where they get slippy, so if you're not going in the dry season you may have a different experience!

Our guide Hilário was great fun, and seemed just as in love with the beauty of these islands as we were. Hilário and the team also deserve a special shout out for helping when almost the entire group's return flight home was cancelled last minute. Even though our trip was officially over, the team gave up their free time and went out of their way to ensure we got the best place to stay, and were well looked after until our re-arranged flight 2 days later.

There were a few areas where a bit more organisation and communication would have been useful - this is Africa, and a part not used to handling lots of tourists, so I didn't expect everything to work out and run like clockwork, but there were a few things that perhaps could have been controlled that would have made things smoother. For example, there were a few days where we ended up not eating lunch until 3 or 4pm, which is fine, but it would have been helpful to be briefed that could be the case the night before, so we could prepare correctly. Sometimes there were slightly mixed messages about what we needed each day, leading to times where people didn't have correct footwear, gear etc. There were also some cases where things were closed or closing when we arrived, or no guides available. Simply checking times and availability ahead probably could avoid these issues, or at least mean we could find out in advance.

A couple of pieces of feedback on the itinerary itself: It would be nice to include a bit more time spent at Mucumbli towards the end of the trip - this is a really lovely place for a relaxing final day or two, but if you follow the itinerary then you end up spending very little time there! One possibility would be scheduling the chocolate tasting to later in the afternoon so that you could at least enjoy it for a few hours after the final day hike. On Principe the group was split into 2 different hotels across the town from each other, would be nice to all be able to stay in 1 place as you end up separated for several days, which hurts the dynamic of the group a bit, but appreciate with how small Principe is that this might not always be feasible (also on Principe, some of the group were not so happy with one of the chosen hotels - but this was not the one I stayed in so can't comment further). On Day 3 there is supposedly a meeting with an NGO on the sea turtle conservation, that we did not receive. Whilst we went outside of sea turtle season, it was not clear from the itinerary if the talk itself is only done seasonally, so this should be clarified. Some of the timings probably need a little finessing (appreciate this might be tricky as every group will move at a different rate), but for example on the last day if you did both the waterfall and the chocolate tasting then there was essentially no time to get lunch in between. Sometimes we ended up quite rushed, for example at beaches where people wanted to spend some time, we instead were having to leave quite quickly to get to the next place. In some cases it might be better to start earlier to ensure timings for the rest of the day work out and give more time to enjoy the destinations without having to rush.

Finally, just a little shout out to our group. We were a group of 12, with a mix of backgrounds, nationalities and ages, but I can honestly say I got on so well with every single one of them, they truly made the trip for me. Just a bunch of absolutely wonderful people.

Overall, I think MBA has put together a trip with great potential - particularly for those who want to have some adventure, escape the usual tourist-filled destinations, and go somewhere truly unique, but I think there's still just a bit of fine-tuning to be done to make this trip perfect. I was torn between 4 or 5 stars overall. I have gone for 5, as for me personally, I had an amazing time, and don't think a few organisational things should put anyone off booking this trip. However, I do hope MBA pays attention to the feedback myself (and likely others in my group) give, so that future groups can have an even (much?) better adventure. Léve Léve!

I loved these islands: jungle, snorkeling and tropical beaches, waterfalls (another opportunity to swim)... especially my time om Principe: after one day was San Antonio so familiar (my own small neighbourhood, friendly people), no traffic jam, ebthousiastic children, a remote fisherman village appeared to be paradise... A diverse group of people with one common goal: exploring this hidden authentic African gem. Big thumbs up for our enthousiastic guide Hilario who put so much effort in giving us what what we needed and dealing with the unforseen problems (cancellation of our flight). Coming home was interesting i guess the first week, I was still thinking of what feeled more as my natural home: Principe.

Remarks: 1) hikes are easiest in dry season, but some of wildlife you can only see in wet season. 2) Some overnight places are rather basic, while others were more the opposit. Roads are often not so good, but that's part of the adventure.

The trip was great. The guides were fun, friendly and professional. The scenery was exceptional and the history/culture rich. Definitely recommended for the curious adventurous traveler who wants more than just a beautiful beach

Sao Tome and in particular Principe were absolutely stunning and I’m pleased that I’ve visited. The itinerary meant that we saw lots of both islands and the variety of different landscapes. Some of the hikes didn’t feel like they fitted in the ‘easy’ category, and I would encourage MBA to look again at how they are categorising their trips so they take more account of the difficulty of the hike not just the duration. The guiding on Principe didn’t work too well - our main guide had come with us from Sao Tome, but wasn’t really leading the trip for this portion and the guide who was in charge didn’t speak any English so it feels like we missed out on some information (particularly the history of the plantations) or things were lost in translation (eg that we were not going to have lunch until after a hike and boat ride - after 3pm). In a couple of places the accomodation wasn’t the place that was advertised, and didn’t look to be of the same standard. My flight home was cancelled (along with most of the group) and the local tour company really came into their own here, staying with us at the airport to make sure we had accommodation sorted and transferring us to it. If you’re thinking of booking this trip, it would be worth learning some Portuguese ahead of time.