I was intrigued to see a little bit of the second smallest country in Africa, and learn a little about its religions and history; so I booked to stay in Hotel Central from Monday November 9th through Friday November 13th. My expectations were neither too high nor too low but in reality the visit was one of the best I've had in years. The (paid) shuttle was waiting at the small but efficient airport and in fifteen minutes, I arrived at Hotel Central. The owner and some of the hotel team greeted me on arrival and in no time I was settled in. It has to be said that guests were few, chiefly because people are not travelling much these days but the hotel, with its own small restaurant, was functioning very well. The restaurant, complete with a non-smoking area, was where I took breakfast (part of the room rate) and if needed, lunch from a varied menu. The restaurant closed around seven in the evening, so eating out for dinner was necessary, but easy to manage with a small selection of (capital) city centre eateries. Portuguese is the language of both the country and the hotel. English was rarely spoken anywhere but did not prove a problem. The hotel is not a beach hotel but for sightseers, discoverers and business people it is perfect. It must have been good because I could not resist booking one more night at the hotel. The friendliness and homeliness of the whole hotel team is enough of a reason to visit this hidden gem of a hotel, on a hidden gem of an island, called Sao Tome.
