São Tomé and Príncipe
Roca Sundy
An idyllic island retreat
Set on the far-flung island of Príncipe, this idyllic retreat is housed within two former cocoa plantation buildings on an expanse of land, which is shared with the friendly, local community. Nature lovers, in particular, will appreciate the surrounding tropical beauty, rainforest backdrop and abundance of wildlife.
The Colonial House, with six rooms, serves as the hotel’s main house and when refurbished, was done in such a way as to maintain its original features, some of which date back to the last century. Boasting a more modern look, the Plantation House encompasses nine rooms and along with the Colonial House, overlooks a garden. Each bright and breezy room comes with air-conditioning and a private bathroom.
A refined bar can be found in the Colonial House, as can the hotel’s restaurant that opens up onto a terrace with extensive views of the treetops. The menu, which is centred around local cuisine, offers dishes created with fresh, seasonal products from the hotel’s organic gardens and producers on the island.
During your stay, you can partake in an array of special experiences, many of which allow you to engage with the island’s community and explore the area. Some of the available activities include venturing to the south of the island in a 4×4, delving into the world of organic farming on a plantations tour, trekking into the depths of the rainforest and journeying along the spectacular coastline in search of whales and dolphins. Post-adventure, guests are welcome to enjoy a therapeutic treatment or two in their room.
HIghlights
Immerse yourself in the nature and wildlife surrounding the retreat
Stay in the traditional Colonial House or the modern Plantation House
Choose from one of the spacious 15 rooms
Enjoy local cuisine and seasonal products from the hotel's gardens at the restaurant
Relax with a refined drink at the bar in the Colonial House
Delve into the world of organic farming on a plantations tour
Relax your muscles with an in-room spa treatment
Adventure across the coastline as you search for whales and dolphins
Trip inspiration
Plan your trip to São Tomé and Príncipe
Whatever you want from your adventure in the São Tomé and Príncipe, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.
Places to combine Roca Sundy with
Linyanti
With uninterrupted views over Osprey Lagoon, and a fantastic vantage point from which to watch the areas mega-herds of elephants, Wilderness DumaTau and nearby Wilderness Little DumaTau are perfectly located for making the most of your stay in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve.
Each spacious tented guest suite has been positioned to offer great views whether you’re relaxing on your deck, or cooling off in your plunge pool. You’ll also find the tents include spot-cooling, meaning you can find respite from the hot afternoons indoors. Spend time investigating the ‘curiosity boxes’ you’ll find mounted on the walls in your room and the drawers filled with fascinating artefacts and information. They’re a great way to learn more about the area’s wildlife and rich history. Look out for unique elephant and wild dog art in the rooms and library made from reclaimed snare wire.
Wilderness Safaris have constructed both camps to give maximum comfort and offer guests a large array of facilities. In addition to the in-tent cooling systems, you’ll discover that the central Osprey Retreat which sits between the two camps boasts a pool, drink and snack counter and a Safari Boutique area, offering you more space to mingle with your fellow guests if you choose to do so. Large decks, plunge pools and awnings are attached to each of Wilderness Duma Tau’s eight tented suites as well as at the four at Wilderness Little DumaTau.
The Wilderness DumaTau team continues to focus on the sustainability of wildlife corridors, as they have done since 1997. They believe that it is more vital than ever to protect large wildlife corridors of wilderness, like those within the vast Linyanti Wildlife Reserve – especially for the African elephant and wild dog that cover extensive ground.
Staying at Wilderness DumaTau offers you easy access to the Linyanti floodplain as well as the Savuti Channel, in fact, it’s the only concession from which you can access both. The region has all the habitat diversity to make it a haven for wildlife, and is well-known for its elephant concentrations as they congregate along the waterways and lagoons during the dry winter months. General wildlife viewing is excellent year round including impala, wildebeest, red lechwe, Burchell’s zebra, giraffe, Cape buffalo, chacma baboon, vervet monkey, and warthog. Predator sightings of lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyena are good. As well as day and night game drives, you can explore on nature walks or take to the water on motorboats or the river barge (depending on water levels).
Liuwa Plain National Park
Largely untouched by crowds and paved roads, Liuwa Plain National Park boasts one of the oldest conservation histories in Africa; it was proclaimed a protected area by the lodge’s namesake, King Lewanika of the Lozi tribe in the early 1880s.
The camp is a beautifully modern take on the traditional safari camp, retaining features and simple materials such as canvas drops, leather and wooden decks overlooking the wilderness with local thatch and grass in the main area in a refreshingly simple, sustainable, and meaningful way.
There are just six spacious tents here sat on platforms which open up dramatically to the surrounding plains and feature both indoor and outdoor showers. One is a family suite which features one double and one triple room. The communal thatch building has lounge, dining and bar areas, with stairs leading down to a fire pit.
King Lewanika Lodge has experienced guides for intimate safari excursions with unrivalled access and absolute exclusivity to this unspoiled region. Unique wildlife experiences include witnessing hyenas hunt in packs of up to 50, the second biggest wildebeest migration in Africa, rare birds, a growing cheetah population and its famed lion pride. Explore on guided walks as well as day and night game drives, with boating and canoeing possible between December and March, depending on water levels.
Tanzania
Perched up high on the edge of this remarkable natural wonder, the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge holds a prime position. With views spanning the spectacular caldera, you can enjoy a relaxing visit to this otherwise bustling attraction and dip into a world that’s the permanent home to roughly 25,000 animals.
The huge amounts of game that find sanctuary here roam over 20 kilometres on the crater floor and this allows for some excellent game viewing opportunities. Prides of bachelor lions are sometimes seen spanning the landscape, on the hunt for their own families and, dotted among the plains game, you might be lucky enough to spot a rhino in the distance. Morning and afternoon game drives are taken by highly experienced guides with visits to the nearby Olduvai Gorge available when vehicle occupancy allows.
The crater itself can get quite busy but there’s a peaceful quiet that flows through the rooms, social areas and outside spaces of the lodge. North and South Camp both have twelve beautiful suites and the Tree Camp, slightly set apart from the others, has just six. Raised up on stilts, these rooms are all tastefully decorated with Tanzanian hardwoods and silk curtains which make the rooms cosy and warm; the ridge can get quite nippy, after all. The dining areas have viewing decks and comfortable indoor lounges which are ideal for catching up on some midday afternoon reading, or ticking off the birds that you might have seen so far. You could also decide to have a relaxing massage in your room, and completely pamper yourself.
Namibia
Wilderness Serra Cafema is located in the extreme north-west of Namibia on the banks of the Kunene River in the Hartmann Valley. Undoubtedly amongst the most remote camps in Southern Africa, Serra Cafema is only reachable by light aircraft which adds to the exclusivity of this beautiful property.
Wilderness Serra Cafema is an intimate, peaceful camp with a unique mix of rustic and luxury elements nestled amongst the shady Albida trees on the banks of the Kunene. Rapids just below camp provide a calming ambiance with guests often lulled into dreamland by the gurgling waters after a day exploring one of the driest, starkly beautiful regions in the world.
Accommodation at here consists of eight riverside Meru-style canvas and thatched villas on spacious, elevated decks blended smoothly into the picturesque surroundings. Each fully furnished tent has an en-suite bathroom, ceiling fan and mosquito nets. A late afternoon spent lounging on the front deck soaking up the breathtaking vistas of this contrasting wilderness is an absolute must.
