São Tomé and Príncipe

===Entry requirements=== Nationals of the following countries may enter São Tomé and Príncipe without a visa for visits of up to 15 days: Angola, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Rwanda, Timor-Leste, United States and all EU citizens. Chinese citizens (including Hong Kong and Macau) can get a visa on arrival. Holders of a valid Schengen or United States visa also do not require a visa.

São Tomé and Príncipe uses the new dobra, denoted by the symbol "nDb" (ISO currency code: STN). In 2018, the old dobra (Db) was converted to the new dobra at a rate of 1000 Db to 1 nDB. Coins of São Tomé and Príncipe come in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 centimos, 1 and 2 new dobras. Banknotes of São Tomé and Príncipe come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 new dobras.

On São Tomé Island, there are many taxis, including shared ones that depart to other cities when enough people are there. It is common for tourists to rent a car or scooter to better explore all that the island has to offer. Beware that although roads are paved, they are often not in good condition.

The official language is Portuguese. It is spoken natively by over half of the population, but basically everyone (95%) can speak it. The other main language is Forro, which is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken natively by 43% of the population and as a second language by just as many (85% in total).

Safety is not an issue in São Tomé and Príncipe, though the roadway traffic is hazardous as in other parts of Africa. Violent crime in public is almost unheard of. However, with an increase in tourism there has been an increase in crime against tourists. Road blocks near Santana have been reported, as well as scams targeting tourists in the main city.

Malaria was once extremely common on the islands, but an eradication program initiated by the Taiwanese government in 2005 has effectively stamped out malaria in populated areas (deaths have dropped from over 1000/year to just a handful). However, visitors should still continue taking precautions against mosquito bites (which can transmit other severe illnesses) such as the use of insect repellants and bed netting. Furthermore, the rate of malaria infections in nearby, mainland countries is high and there is the potential for isolated outbreaks from infected people/animals arriving from those…