Sao Tome and Principe - São Tomé und Príncipe

Sao Tome and Principe lies off the west coast Africa.

Regions

The islands:

• Principe
• Sao Tome with the capital of the same name

background

São Tomé and Príncipe - the eponymous main islands are 140 km apart - is a former Portuguese colony that was granted independence in 1975. A relatively unstable government - there have been several overturns and coups, along with numerous corruption scandals - has ensured that no significant economy has been able to establish itself in the country. Tourism is also underdeveloped. There is no cinema, no daily newspaper or bus service. Although there is a lot of talk in advertising about “paradisiacal beaches”, the small, often pebbly or rocky strips of sand in small bays do not stand up to comparison with islands in the Indian Ocean. In the vicinity of the city there is also the problem of pollution. It is common to wash clothes and cars in the rivers, and in the absence of sewers they also serve as public toilets.

To this day, the country is considered extremely poor - practically the country's only source of income is the export of cocoa, which naturally depends heavily on world market prices. All other things - food, machinery and so on have to be imported from abroad, which is why the country is heavily indebted and on the verge of national bankruptcy. In 2017, there were $ 9 million in revenues from cocoa, pepper and vanilla exports compared to $ 100 million in imports. The only other source of income in the country, apart from tourism, is the attempted oil exploration in the sea with Nigeria since 2012. The enthusiasm for this has since subsided, also because it was recognized that the government is rubbish when it comes to concessions from American companies let go. Around 13,000 foreign visitors came in 2016.

getting there

Entry requirements

Citizens of the EU, Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens do not need a visa to enter the country for a stay of up to 15 days. This relief also applies to all third-country nationals who have a valid permanent residence permit for the Schengen area or the USA. Evidence of a Yellow fever vaccination Is mandatory.

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Tobacco products and perfume in “appropriate quantities” for personal use. There are import bans for alcohol and lottery tickets.

The import and export ban on the national currency has been lifted. Larger amounts of foreign currency must be declared, re-export up to the specified amount.

By plane

The 0.374816.712831 Sao Tome Airport is the only international airport in the country. Details in the article to city.

mobility

Rental cars are available on site. With weekly prices of € 400 for a Suzuki (2018) one could expect vehicles that are in perfect condition. Unfortunately, that's rarely the case.

language

The official language of the country is Portuguese, and various Creole languages ​​based on Portuguese are also spoken in the country.

French is also spoken by many people as a foreign language.

English is seldom understood, German not at all. Without at least a rudimentary knowledge of Portuguese or, alternatively, French, it will be very difficult to communicate.

to buy

Exchange rate (fixed since 2010): € 1 = 24500 Dobra (STD) = 24.5 new Dobra (STN or nDb).

The import and export of Dobra banknotes is no longer prohibited. The euro is accepted as a means of payment in some shops, but in general you should change your money in the country. The fixed rate, in connection with the higher inflation in the country, leads to an overvaluation in which quality and price are no longer in an appropriate relationship.

The notes of the new 2018 series, at the same time shortened by three zeros (1000: 1), with the denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Dobra, deal with the native fauna. The old notes showed the portrait of Rei Amador, remained valid until December 31, 2018 and can no longer be exchanged at the central bank.
Coins were also produced again: for 10, 20, 50 cêntimos as well as 1 and 2 nDb.

kitchen

Much of the food has to be imported. At best, they keep chickens on site, and there is also a lot of fish. Side dishes are mainly beans, corn, rice and plantains. The latter two together as pap. Coffee is also used as a condiment or in sauces. Many snacks are based on dried or fried bananas. Tropical fruits are grown for self-production. A very simple snack are breadfruits roasted in the fire, the seeds of which are then eaten sprinkled with coconut.

Unless you eat the leftovers from the day before, there is Arroz doce: Rice with corn and coconut. Cachupa is one of the Cape Verde Transferred bean stew with more or less (meat) side dish. Pork stew is cooked with various vegetables. Estufa de morcego, Bat stew is more of a special occasion dish. Boca de Inferno, “Höllenmund,” is not only a “blowhole” on the east coast, but also the name of a spicy sauce, which its name adequately describes.

For dessert there are, in addition to chocolate variations, e.g. Açucarinhas, a fried coconut sugar mixture. Canjica is a sweet corn porridge cooked in milk / coconut milk, similar to the one common in Brazil mugunzá.

Coconut water is drunk, possibly fermented to make palm wine. The local beer is Nacional, brewed in Neves. Otherwise you get Portuguese imports, which also applies to wines. Sugar cane schnapps is Aqua duck, mixed with honey to make a cocktail, it's called Ponche.

nightlife

accommodation

A tourist tax of € 3 per night will be charged for stays of less than 15 days. Hotels like to "forget" to mention this when booking.

There is no simple accommodation, because such services are not in demand by the natives, if only because of the small size of the islands.

public holidays

Jan. 1, New Year; 4. Jan. Memorial Day for King Amador; 3. Feb Dia dos Martires, Memorial day of the Batepá massacre in 1953; 1. May, Labor Day; 12. July, Independence Day; 6. Sept. Armed Forces Day; 30. Sept Dia da Reforma Agrária, Commemoration of the nationalization of the Roças (plantations); 25. December Christmas.

The festival is in mid-August Auto the Floripes. An important part is traditional theater (Tchiloli). It depicts the legend of how Charlemagne snatched Christian relics from the Moors, a story based on a novel by Baltasar Dias, who lived in Madeira in the 16th century. The performances with colorful costumes last up to six hours.

security

Compared to other countries in Africa, São Tomé and Príncipe is an absolutely safe country, you can move around freely without major problems. However, there are crooks and fraudsters aimed specifically at tourists and their supposedly thick wallets. Valuables should always be out of sight in the rental car, no matter how short breaks.

The minimum age for sex is 16. Homosexual acts are no longer punishable in 2012.

health

Medical care in the country is completely inadequate. You should definitely take out a foreign travel health insurance, which, if the worst comes to the worst, provides a return transport back to Germany (or at least to a country with sufficient medical infrastructure).

There have been several attempts by development workers to eradicate tropical diseases in the country, which, due to the island location, seems more promising than on the African mainland. These attempts initially showed success, but this did not last long. Therefore, as in other parts of Africa, one should Malaria prophylaxis and comply with safety precautions such as mosquito nets.

Tap water is not drinkable, so you should use bottled water from the supermarket.

climate

The climate is tropical with no seasonal fluctuations. There are distinct rainy and dry seasons.

Practical advice

Emergency call: ☎ 112
Since 2010 all phone numbers have been 7 digits. Landline connections have a 2 as the first digit, mobile numbers a 9.

Numerous unusual species of mussels can be found along the coast. Those who are not able to determine them should better refrain from such souvenirs, as imports into the EU are often subject to species protection.

Friendly scrounging is widespread, which can become annoying in the long run, especially if it turns into aggressive begging in the case of children.

Príncipe and minor islands

Economically and culturally, the island is even more underdeveloped than São Tomé. The inhabitants are descendants of workers who came from Angola or Cape Verde. Children beg every European for sweets and money, because they learned early on that "white skin" is to be equated with wealth. The entire island and the surrounding sea have been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2012. There are three levels of protection defined. Only the transition area, especially in the north of the island, is inhabited. The buffer zone, which is followed by a core zone, is more strictly protected. 85 km² will be part of the Parque Natural Ôbo considered with the area on São Tomé. The islands of Bela Vista, Bombom, Futuro, Neves Ferreira, Paciência, Ponta Fonte, Ribeira Ize, Santo António de Ureca and Vila Rosa are uninhabited.
Bays with sandy beaches are mainly in the north of the island.

Electricity is available outside the resorts in the evening until midnight and briefly in the morning. This also means that food is usually freshly prepared, as it simply does not last due to a lack of cooling.

1.6648817.412837In the north of the island is the 2  Principe Airport (IATA: PCP) last change: not specified
You can usually get there via the Sao Tome Airport. One flight a day - the price for the 40-50 minute event is well over € 200 return - with STP Airways.

To get around the island you have to rent a car with a driver, which is very expensive. Guided 3 hour Quad excursions there are 2016 for € 40, as long as boat trips (max. 6 participants) in the Baía das Agulhas cost from € 150. Around Porto Real is the only designated hiking trail on the island, six kilometers long.

Of the 1.6477787.4377781 Fortaleza de Santo Antonio da Ponta da Mina only ruins are left.

Santo António

1.6395167.4195641 Santo António with 1200 inhabitants is the only larger settlement on the 136 km² Príncipe. Right next to the market is the Afriland First Bank. There are enough places to eat and a few mom and pop shops all over the place. Prices are much higher here than in São Tomé, as freight costs are due on the ferry, which takes 8-12 hours. There are no souvenirs, you simply can't buy anything.

accommodation

Mira Rio is a restaurant and attached guesthouse with four rooms (Rua Martires da Liberdade).

The mission Santa Casa da Misericórdia also accepts paying guests for little money. You don't need to expect electricity or running water on a regular basis.

Luxury resorts

Mark Shuttleworth, the operator of the Omali Resort in São Tomé also owns the resorts here, whereby "sustainable development", which is spoken of in a very effective way, is certainly not pure charity, especially when you look at the prices:

• 1.6789917.3815044  Sundy Beach Resort. Price: € 400 p.p.last change: not specified
• 1.6789917.3815045  Roça Sundy Hotel. With the Discoteca Catacumba.Price: € 200 p.p.last change: not specified
• 1.6921587.4026016  Bom Bom Island Resort. 19 bungalows on a lonely beach, which is connected to a small island by a wooden bridge.Price: € 400 p.p.last change: Aug. 2018

literature

• Albertino da Boa Morte Francisco; Exorcising Devils from the Throne: Sao Tome and Principe; 2011 (Alogra); ISBN 9780875868462 Full text
• Batista de Sousa, Izequiel; São Tomé et Principe de 1485 à 1755, une société coloniale: du blanc au noir; Paris 2008 (Harmattan); ISBN 3771303052
• Kalewska, Anna; O tchiloli santomense - o "chamado de deuses" luso-africano - nas pinceladas teatrais e literárias; Itinerarios: revista de estudios lingüisticos, literarios, históricos y antropológicos, 2007, No. 5, pp. 35-54, Full text
• Schumber, Martin; São Tomé and Principe: outbreak from d. Isolation; Bonn 1987 (Research Institute of the German Society for Foreign Policy); ISBN 9782296060227
• Seibert, Gerhard; Comrades, clients and cousins: colonialism, socialism and democratization in São Tomé and Príncipe; Leiden 2006 (Brill); ISBN 9789004147362

Web links

• Sao Tome & Principe Private travel report from 2008 (German)
• STP Airways
• Tourist info (engl.)
• Information page of the lobbyist Stephan Welk (German)
• Foreign Ministry (port.)