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Choosing an unusual holiday destination is a bit of a gamble.

But when a country has relatively few visitors, you hope your efforts will be rewarded with something out of this world (and bragging rights!)

So I journeyed from Manchester to Lisbon to catch a six-and-a-half-hour flight to São Tomé e Príncipe, a small island nation off the African coast.

São Tomé is the largest island with the bulk of the country’s 223,000 inhabitants. The journey from the airport was straight through the capital city at dusk, which hummed with life.

Was it worth going the extra mile to see this island? CONTINUE READING BELOW

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My first lasting impression of São Tomé was one of holiday bungalows set in palm-fringed grounds, with a private beach and pool area close by.

Club Santana seemed geared up to European visitors who could happily wile away a fortnight relaxing in the winter sun – and I tapped into that vibe.

But this was also my base to begin exploring the island, which I did courtesy of guide Diego and a driver.

The eastern side of São Tomé is pierced with coastal highlights including the lively Mouth of Hell and broad sandy beaches.

This was also my first taste of the country’s roças. These grand estates were built by the Portuguese during their centuries of rule to exploit São Tomé’s cocoa resources.

Since independence in 1975 the roças have fallen into disrepair, but families are still living in the dilapidated buildings and struggling to make a living. It’s ironic that these colonial throwbacks are now very much on the tourist trail.

My Mucumbli bungalow was surrounded by lush tropical greenery

I visited Roça São João which has been turned into a small hotel and is famous for its multi-course tasting menu. Maybe this is the future for São Tomé’s dessicating colonial leftovers.

There had to be a trip to São Tomé’s capital city, where I was drawn to some crumbling but boldly painted architecture.

It has the chaotic verve of any African city with people going about their daily business under tropical humidity. It’s a lot and you need to keep your wits about you.

I left São Tomé for a number of days to stay on its tranquil smaller sibling Príncipe, returning to a new home and a different set of experiences.

Mucumbli lodge is on the west coast of the island, a verdant oasis with views over the ocean. I had my own bungalow again, with rustic furnishings and a peaceful terrace facing the trees and Atlantic.

Activities here were more energetic, including a hike around the island’s Lagoa Amelia, a rich area of cultivated terraces and dense rainforest.

Seven hours and many slippery paths later, I was proud to have made it and needed a very long shower back at Mucumbli and one of their beautifully cooked, tasty dinners.

Is São Tomé worth the journey?

So did my São Tomé gamble pay off and is it the holiday paradise we haven’t yet discovered?

Well if you want a very exotic couple of weeks basking in the sunshine, that’s possible. The island has some well established accommodation to suit languid Europeans. The quality of food and level of service is impressive.

But there’s so much more this country has to offer, with beautiful landscapes, stunning nature and a compelling history. You’d be missing out if you didn’t venture beyond your relaxing compound.

A word of warning, however. English has only been taught in high schools since 2019 and São Tomé is only used to relatively small numbers of visitors. But well worth considering before tourism really takes over these little islands.

My trip to São Tomé e Príncipe was organised by Archipelago Choice, a small specialist travel agency based here in northern England. International flights to the islands were with Air Portugal and inter-island flights with STP Airways.