Sao Tome & Principe

Drink the best coffee in the world (so they say). Experience a culture that is a mix of African and Portuguese with a touch of Latin duende and rhythm thrown in. Escape the hordes. Snorkel in crystalline waters. Climb ancient volcanoes. Check out amazing bird life found nowhere else in the world.

Lush jungles, untouched beaches and fabulously decaying colonial architecture rub shoulders on these tiny equatorial islands. They're also safer than most of the hotspots in Africa, more beautiful than most of the mainland countries nearby, and more friendly than the Friendly Islands.