Sundy Praia Opens Off the West African Coast

As the world becomes progressively smaller, it is always consoling to hear of somewhere notable that is truly off the beaten track. São Tomé and Príncipe is a tiny two-island nation, close to the intersection of zero degrees latitude and longitude, in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Gabon (West Africa). There are two direct, six-hour flights a week from Lisbon to São Tomé, from where it is a 35-minute hop to Príncipe. The Sundy Praia resort opened in December.

The work of French architect Didier Lefort and South African landscape designer Greg Straw, it comprises 15 lavish tented villas, some with private pools, surrounded by pristine tropical forest. The restaurant specializes in local fish such as tuna and wahoo, and much of the produce comes from the resort’s organic farm. Activities include hikes along “biosphere trails,” bird-watching, deep-sea fishing and whale watching.