SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE

I’m zooming along in a quick little motorboat on the edge of the island of Príncipe, the UNESCO biosphere reserve that makes up one half of the tiny country of São Tomé and Príncipe. It’s a wild, unspoiled place here on the equator in the Gulf of Guinea, just below the big bulge of Northern Africa, filled with tropical rain forests, sandy beaches and birds galore.

We’re watching for humpback whales, who enjoy these warm waters from May to October every year and hoping to spot one of the five types of endangered sea turtles (Hawksbill, Green, Loggerhead, Leatherback and Olive Ridley) who come to nest and lay their eggs in the sand here, too. But as we get further away from Bom Bom, the cozy Príncipe Collection beachfront resort I’m calling home for a few days, it begins to feel like we’ve stepped into an old movie classic.

For as we approach Morro São Jorge, one of the jungle-covered craggy mountains near the shoreline, a low fog envelops its base and I am transported mentally into the 1933 version “King Kong,” so much so that I actually listen for his roar. Ironically, there are no giant gorillas here, just small monkeys on this bucolic island, for humans are the main mammals here.

There truly are birds everywhere, however, here in this beautiful biosphere dedicated to the conservation of its biological diversity, so good cameras and binoculars are an important part of any birdwatching lover’s visit. 176 species of birds call this second-smallest African country home, including 25 that are endemic to the islands. My favorites I spotted are the São Tomé Kingfisher and the São Tomé Paradise Flycatcher, both small birds with bright orange plumage, making them pretty easy to see in the jungle. Watch for the São Tomé Ibis, too, for it’s the smallest Ibis in the world, and for the Giant Sunbird, the biggest of that species.

At Bom Bom Resort, you can choose your own guided adventure, many of which are included in your room rate. Take a four-hour guided birdwatching hike or climb to the Maria Correia waterfall and go for a swim; and if the ocean calls, go snorkeling and watch for eagle rays and those famous turtles as well. This Príncipe Collection hotel (there are four of them, three on Príncipe and one on São Tomé) has 18 beautiful beach bungalows that feel incredibly secluded, like you’re in your own private paradise.

It’s tempting to simply stay at that resort and just embrace the slow, easy pace of Bom Bom, but Sundy Praia Resort awaits. That’s the jewel in the crown of the Príncipe Collection, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and a spectacular five-star hotel high above Bom Bom in the jungle. With 18 gorgeously designed tented villas, it’s a truly wonderfully unique, environmentally sustainable place hidden in the rainforest.  

Plus, a meander down the hill brings you to Sundy’s private beach (or you can stay in a beachfront villa for the easiest access, complete with a private pool) and the resort’s restaurant serves up wonderful locally sourced seafood, tropical fruits and more. Here, too, island experiences are included every day, ranging from a cacao plantation-chocolate factory tour to discovering the lost city of Ribeira Izé and learning the history of the islands. Don’t miss a visit to the town of Santo Antonio, with its pastel-hued Colonial-design buildings and Catholic churches built long ago. 

The history of São Tomé and Príncipe is centered on the Portuguese, who discovered the uninhabited islands in 1470. Settlers came from Portugal and soon enslaved Africans from nearby countries to work on sugar, coffee and cocoa plantations. Generations later, slavery was finally abolished and in 1975 São Tomé and Príncipe became an independent country.

Back over on São Tomé via the puddle jump flight in a small plane, I made my way to the south of that island, through the very urban São Tomé capital city and down to Club Santana Beach and Resort, a lovely cliffside resort dotted with pretty bungalows and surrounded by tropical rain forest. And, most importantly to me, the Atlantic Diving Center at the resort, giving me the chance to scuba dive in this remote part of the Atlantic Ocean. Entering a dark underwater cave filled with brilliantly hued tropical fish was a wonderful way to discover the more of the varied creatures that inhabit this special country.

I finished my stay at Omali, the sophisticated urban hotel in the Príncipe Collection, located just five minutes from TMS, the country’s international airport. There the connection to Portugal remains strong, as TAP Air Portugal connects visitors to Lisbon (and then to the USA), so be sure to plan some time in Lisbon, too, for a blissful connection in that incredible city before you head back home to reality.

For more information about São Tomé and Príncipe and the Príncipe Collection go principecollection.com