São Tomé and Príncipe: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive São Tomé and Príncipe feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 35 written places.
Leve-leve - slowly, slowly - is the island philosophy, said often and meant completely.
✓ Considered polite
- Greet with Bom dia and a handshake before any conversation
- Learn basic Portuguese phrases - English is rare outside the main hotels
- Ask before photographing people or their houses
- Accept the leve-leve pace - meals, taxis and plans all run on it
✗ Better avoided
- Show impatience - it reads as rudeness, not efficiency
- Wear beachwear in town
- Refuse offered food or drink abruptly - a polite taste honours the host
- Expect fixed departure times - boats and shared taxis leave when full
Worth knowing
- Bring euros in cash - the dobra is pegged to the euro, euros are widely accepted and ATMs taking foreign cards are scarce
- Power cuts happen - most hotels run generators
- Sunday is quiet, with churches full and many businesses closed
- Tipping is not obligatory - rounding up is appreciated
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.