São Tomé: Chocolate, Coffee and Equatorial Forest

Field notes

São Tomé is a small Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, two hours' flight from Gabon. Volcanic, equatorial, with rainforests spilling down to black sand beaches, a working cocoa industry, and a handful of boutique eco-lodges that are some of the most idiosyncratic in Africa.

Why go: This is ecotourism for the curious traveller, not the bucket-list crowd. Activities include chocolate-making workshops (the country grows some of the world's finest cacao), coffee plantation tours, jungle treks to waterfalls, and boat trips to the smaller Rolas Island across the equator. Few places feel this off the radar.

How to get there: TAP Portugal flies from Lisbon to São Tomé (TMS) direct, 7h with a stop in Accra, or via Libreville, Gabon. Connections from West African hubs (Libreville, Lomé, Accra).

Practical notes: São Tomé has its own currency (dobra) pegged to the euro; EUR is accepted almost everywhere. The infrastructure is modest — taxis are limited; a rental 4×4 is the best way to explore.