After a long stay on Sao Nicolau because of Covid, I could finally go home again, but first another 4 days in Santiago, my first real visit to this island. Through friends I got the tip to use TERRA TERRA TOURS in Praia, with Dutch-speaking guides. When I saw the website, I was immediately enthusiastic about the fun and varied program. Ideal for me as a solo traveller. After contacting Judith (founder of TTT) and relaying my wishes (accommodation, airport transfers, sightseeing and assistance) I was completely reassured. Everything was arranged within 24 hours. A B&B, a day inland, help with Coronatest and the last day a ceramics workshop., with clear information how, what and where. After 4 unforgettable days, with beautiful encounters, full of inspiration and many new impressions, we had a warm goodbye with a delicious lunch at Judith's home. Thank you TERRA TERRA TOURS. I'll definitely return. Epilogue: Especially my introduction to you Judith. did me good. To me you are a special person, so positive, pure, radiating calm and at the same time very energetic. I am quite a stress person, but to my own surprise was so relaxed on the return journey, I had never experienced. Really your good influence. Even now after being at home for more than 3 weeks and there are problems or difficult situations, I think of you and how you stand in life and what you do and it gives me peace. And as weird as it sounds it helps me to be who I am. Unnoticed I learned a lot from you and I'm glad I got to know you.

Immediately the 1st day of our arrival at Santiago, Cabo Verde, Judith and colleague Jair took us in local transport to a beautiful location in the interior at the foot of the Pico d’Antonia. We were warmly welcomed at Claudia's home (Sobrada Dinis Correia) for a Katxupa experience. We also met her friend Renato, a capoeira teacher. This day it became so much richer in experiences, knowledge and emotions about the authentic habits. With moments emotional because Claudia and Judith shared with us heart and soul the essence of their projects, pure back to the soul of terra terra. We are extremely grateful to Judith for this experience and not least for her selfless effort to solve an unexpected problem for us as well. Obrigado for the terra terra baptism and good luck in the future! You deserve it!

The karaka experience introduces you to all types of fruits, vegetables and fish that Cabo Verde has to offer. Because my first stop was at a local market in Paiol, a neighborhood close to Kaza Terra Terra. Here the women selling all kind of fresh local products. Remarkable was the fish cleaning! Next stop: buying frozen drinks like calabaceira or bisap. And then the final stop at this beautiful beach just outside the city of Praia. Where Jair lighted up the fire for the karaka. In between preparing the food together in a local way, there’s plenty of time to take a dip in the sea! Thanks for this unbelievable & tasty experience Terra Terra Tours!

I stayed with Judith and Jair for four nights. At first I had only booked for 1 night, but it has become a few more. It was the first time I made such a long journey. I went out without any plans. Arriving at Judith and Jair I was welcomed with open arms! They gave me a lot of tips and ensured that I discovered the real Cape Verde. I have seen and experienced a lot of things that you would not see as a "normal" tourist. Judith lives completely for Cape Verde. She first started in Santiago by guiding guests or tourists. Thanks to her boyfriend Jair, she knows Cape Verde better and better. I did some nice tours with them. They organized a Street Art tour for me in Praia, a History Tour in Cidade Velha, a Sukupira Experience and we went to Principal where there is beautiful nature… They also have connections all over the island if you want to continue your journey. In short, highly recommended if you want to discover the real Cape Verde! Thank you Judith and Jair.

The Self Love Tour was a really nice way to wake up my body and mind. The treatment I got afterwards was nurturing and refreshing. We had a delicious brunch at an amazing family and to close off the beautiful morning, I got to pick a small gift..

We began our adventure with Judith on the second day of our stay in Cabo Verde, when we met by chance at the bus stop. Even then, she helped us a lot by pointing the way and giving many valuable advices to the two lost Poles who had just landed in a different world. From Praia we went our way, but we stayed in touch and used the tips and advices of Judith and her friends for the entire stay. We have also agreed to spend the last days of our stay in Cabo Verde together as part of a two-day tour of Terra Terra Tours. The right word that would describe these two days is not a “trip”, but rather an “adventure” that has given us much more than just going outside the capital and seeing some nice views. We saw a lifestyle so different from ours, we experienced real hospitality and, above all, a joy that is contagious and which we feel even now when we return. Our expectations were rather focused around the places we’ll see, while the most important were people we met: Judith, Jair, Gelson, Ginhu and all their friends who were becoming our friends from the moment. During these two days there was really a lot to do and see: we were at a delicious breakfast (sweet cous cous), we watched how to make jewelry and shell decorations, we watched the murals in Praia, we had a delicious family lunch together, visited the Praia market, we left for Chao Bom, where Ginhu hosted us and fed us (the best katchupa we ate!), saw the grog factory, spent the evening in local bars, visited the Chao Bom area and beautiful paradise beaches. On the way back we stopped at the fish from the roadside grill and it was the best fish we had in our life. Even the return was amazing – the bus we were returning to Praia was full of singing and dancing people!    Another great experience for us was a visit to the house of Bitori, the legend of funana, music of the island of Santiago. We listened funana in Cabo Verde more than once, but the meeting with Bitori was the brightest spot among all the meetings with this music. We met a man devoted to his passion, talented, and at the same time very cordial and modest. We will remember this meeting for a long time. All this would be impossible without the guidance of people who live on Cabo Verde, understand the culture and live it, speak in Creole, have their own places and their friends there. Judith, Jair and Gelson are great guides – they ask for the needs and adapt the subsequent points of the trip to the expectations of the participants. They can perfectly feel what you may like and present the culture of Cabo Verde with real pride. They let us enter immediately into the very center of this new, fascinating world. I think that without them our whole trip would not be so rich, we would not be so close to local people, we would not eat so many delicious home-made dishes (because we would not know where to look for it…), we would not get to such cool local bars with music and dance . I recommend Judith and her friends as a guides! I also recommend talking with Judith before the trip and telling about your interests and what attracts you most to Cabo Verde, what you would like to experience – I am sure Judith will provide you impressions you will never forget. I wish you, Gelson and Jair all the best!

Wij hebben een Terra Terra Tour, gespecialiseerd op Arts&Craft gedaan (Extended version). Rabelados was een out of the world experience. Het dorpje heeft een fijne sfeer en de kunst die ze maken is uniek. We hebben mogen zien hoe de kunst tot stand kwam en een kijkje mogen nemen in hun dagelijks leven, iets waar Terra Terra Tours veel aandacht aan besteed. Erna hebben we heerlijk gegeten bij een lokale artieste die ons gastvrij ontving en waar wij een kijkje namen in haar atelier met prachtige spullen. E: We have done an extended version of aTerra Terra Tour, specialized in Arts&Crafts. Rabelados was an out of the world experience. The village has a nice atmosphere and the art they make is unique. We were able to see how art came about and to take a look at their daily lives, something that Terra Terra Tours pays a lot of attention to. Afterwards we had a wonderful dinner with a local artist who welcomed us warmly and where we took a look in her studio with beautiful things.

Terra Terra Tours is great asset for Cape Verde. I’ve been to Praia many times but this time we saw a side of Praia we never saw before. The guides are the most kind people we’ve ever met. They make you feel comfortable with, grounded in and connected to nature. We loved everything about the #onlyinpraia tour and we would definitely book another tour when we’ll visit Cape Verde again. I can’t wait!

For our last day in Praia after one month in Cabo Verde, a friend recommended us to stay at Judith's place. That was one of our best stay in this wonderful country! Even if sadly Judith was not here at this time, Gelson took care of us so well! He improvised a tour in the city center and then in his quarter which is the one with the most street art. Even the time was short, we learned so much about capverdian culture, history and way of life! He even invited us in his house, presented us to his family and shared some food and drinks with us! He also showed us his art whis is really amazing! Then we spent the evening together as well, listening to all sort of capverdian music! What an incredible time we had! We appreciated so much his company! Gelson is such an interesting human being with a huge heart and always happy to share all his experience with us. The day after we had a delicious couscous for the breakfast with Gelson. This whole experience was the best way to end our wonderful travel and I wish we had known Gelson and Judith earlier! I totally recommend Terra Terra Tours for their humanity, their kindness and for the authentic experience they can offer you! Hope to see you again soon guys!

Judith is a nice tour guide and has close contact with the locals, so you will have a unique experience. She has a lot of knowledge of the culture and is very flexible in planning. Had a beautiful evening during the art tour, where the evening ended at a local's home. Obrigada pa tudo Judith

It was my last day at this lovely island Santiago-Praia. I had seen some streetart in Praia but people told me I had to see the streetart in an other neighborhoods also, so I am really glad to came in contact with Judith & Jair on my last day! Judith and Jair are so fine en lovely! You feel so welcome with there positive energie en their good smiles. You have to meet them! The tour was so great. We walked around Judith, Jair, Gelson, Eliane and her daughter Elise. They know the neighborhood very well, also the people and the lovely story’s behind every detail of the neighborhood and the paintings #streetart. Also it was really nice to stop over at some places where you can eat & meet the local adults and children who are living there. I felt so good! After the tour we made a stop at Gelson's place for a lovely diner. Was great! Gelson and Eliane are real creators, handmade art what you also have to see. Book the tour it’s really nice👌🏽 Thanks you Judith, Jair, Gelson & Eliane for this positive energy en smiles💫 that I brought home with me✨

"I had a few days to pass in Praia and didn't know how to spend them. I'm so happy I chose to do a Street Art Tour with Terra Terra! I met up with my very capable guides at a roundabout and then we went on exploring a part of the city I don't think I would have found on my own. We saw fantastic street art, one of my favourites was a house where the artist simply had used the exterior of the house to make it look like a face. The good thing about doing it on a guided tour was to get to know the story behind the different pieces of art. We also had dinner in a newly open local place where we were the first guests where I for the first time in my life had tuna kidney, and visited a local artist community. All in all this was a great tour that I really recommend and when I return to Praia I will book myself into maybe the Arts&Craft Tour that I didn't have time to go on this time around."

I have been wanting to learn how to make katxupa for so long and now I finally did! I got to learn it from a beautiful strong women, who learned it from het mom and now made her business out of it. It was confronting to see how the people live and struggle compared to the western world but it also had it’s beauty.

The bom dia sunrise was a really nice way to wake up my body and mind. The treatment I got afterwards was nurturing and refreshing. We had a delicious brunch at an amazing family and to close off the beautiful morning, I got to pick a small gift..

As a frequent traveller to Cape Verde, I love Katxupa. So with great excitement I started this experience and it truly was amazing! Judith knows a lot about the history of Cape Verde and as this is a typical traditional Cape Verdean dish, it has a lot of history in it. So while slowly cooking the Katxupa, she will teach and tell you a lot. The cooking itself I actually found very relaxing, as you focus for a couple of hours only on your cooking. The best ingredients are love and attention and that is exactly what you get out of it!

What a great experience this was! The Terra Terra Tours guides picked us up in the early afternoon. First we made a stop at a shop where artists display and sell their handmade souvenirs. Here I bought some really nice African jewelry. After a short walk we arrived at the Sucupira market: A semi-covered market with a mix of locals and Africans. Even before we went to the market we first had a delicious dinner at a tent on the Sucupira. A small bar / restaurant of 2 sisters who can cook very well. After dinner we first visited a workshop behind the Sucupira. Here you will find an artist on almost every corner: from a carpenter who makes special cupboards to artists who make handmade souvenirs. Finally, we visited the Sucupira market. I was amazed .... what an amazing experience! So many colors, smells and sounds. So much to see: different African sellers with many different products: handmade furniture, jewelry, clothing, spices .... you name it and it's there! It is quite big ... I was happy that I was with Judith and Jair. They know a lot about the products sold there, know a lot of sellers and know the way with their eyes closed. The Sucupira market was a great ending to my holiday in Santiago.

Wherever I travel, one of my goals is to walk local neighborhoods and see how communities express themselves through street art. After not having much luck on my own, I was recommended Terra Terra Tours and I regret not knowing them from the start of my Cape Verde Experience. Judith and Jair took me under their wing and showed me this incredible neighborhood in Praia called Achade Grande Frente. The art was incredible and the sunset was stunning but it was the energy and spirit of these two that made the day magical. It felt like old friends meeting up and seeing each other's new lives and I learned so much in such a quick time. I highly highly recommend Terra Terra Tours for their knowledge of all things Cape Verde, their access to the world outside typical tourist paths, and their kindeness, generosity, and friendship.

Today a great trip to the local market in Praia! The Sukupira Experience! You will find almost EVERYTHING on the market! From cashew nuts, clothing, seats ... name it, you find it, it's a mix of local and African (Senegalese, Nigerea, Guinée Conakry) products! A must-visit! Especially glad that I did this with Terra Terra Tours because it really is a labyrinth in this market! In addition, I felt super safe, everyone knew Judith and Jair, I was not pulled, not called , if I was interested in something specific I also paid the usual price. After the market we went for lunch in a small bistro run by a Senegalese lady, and no problem for a vegetarian like me, nice local, no tourists, and most important… Really delicious !!! 🙂

At primary school you run your lungs out to run as many laps as possible and collect as much sponsor money as possible. Well I was never a winner in that, but all the little bit will help. Whether you always get a course about charity at school and communication with videos is even better. But had it really happened with the money that was collected? Today I had a tour with terra terra tours at a worldwide major project and well known to most people: SOS children's villages. In Cape Verde there are two complete villages on Santiago and on São Vicente there is a small day center. Jair, whom I have known for about three weeks, grew up in the SOS children's village and showed us around. We looked at the house where he had lived from 8 to 18 years. There are ten of these types of houses in Riberão Chiqueiro and on average 8 children live with one person "Mãe" (the mother who lives in the house 24/7) and various Tia's during the day (aunts who help with the household). Jair showed his room and the bed where he slept and there was also the place where he told his personal story. "He told us how it transformed his life from streetkid to a conscious man with life goals. I asked about the contrast of the boys he grew up with in the same neighborhood - very hard and focused on facts: eight died and many are stuck in the He was very proud to tell his story and that in the beginning he didn't want to go at all, but that afterwards he was so grateful for everything.Now he is a great example for the children who now live in the village and the community around the SOS children's village. His caretakers from that time are also very proud to see him like that ". Today another day with a lot of awareness about my life in Europe and the lives here in Cape Verde.

Vorig jaar in de zomer besloot ik op vakantie te gaan naar Cabo om daar 2 eilanden te bezoeken São Nicolau en Santiago. Ik ken Judith al jaren en ze praat altijd over Cabo en hoe geweldig het daar is, niks is minder waar van al haar verhalen. Cabo moet je ervaren met de locals en dat is precies waar Terra Terra veel aandacht aan besteed. In die anderhalve week dat ik in Santiago was heb ik Cabo dus ook op een unieke manier mogen ervaren. Ik heb plekken gezien waar ik het gevoel had dat er weing mensen kwamen, ik heb geslapen bij locals op de meest uiteenlopende locaties, gegeten bij locals thuis en mogen genieten van de verborgen locale restaurantjes met heerlijke gerechten waar je alleen komt als je de mensen kent. Elke dag was weer een verassing. Ik liet me meenemen in het avontuur van Terra Terra, ze waren nog druk bezig om diverse tours en experiences compleet te maken. Ik wens jullie alle succes en ik heb het zo goed ervaren dat ik zeker nog een keer ga terugkomen! E: Last year in the summer I decided to go on holiday to Cabo to visit 2 islands São Nicolau and Santiago. I have known Judith for years and she always talks about Cabo and how wonderful it is there, nothing is less true of all her stories. You have to experience Cabo with the locals and that is exactly what Terra Terra pays a lot of attention to. In the week and a half that I was in Santiago, I was able to experience Cabo in a unique way. I have seen places where I felt that there were not many people, I slept with locals at the most diverse locations, ate at locals home and were allowed to enjoy the hidden local restaurants with delicious dishes where you only come if you know the people . Every day was a surprise. I let myself be included in the Terra Terra adventure, they were still busy completing various tours and experiences. I wish you all the best and I have experienced it so well that I will definitely come back again!

During my holidays in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, I met Juju who proposed to me and my friend the Terra Terra Tour. After a first evaluation of the tour we were immediately interested in his proposal because on the island of Santiago there are some areas that are not recommended to visit alone (especially if you are in two girls who do not know the local language as I and my friend). The Terra Terra Terra Tour was really very interesting and enriched me a lot. The tour lasted all day including the meals and this is an aspect that I really liked because we had the opportunity to eat with the locals people and then see the houses here live and what really consists of their food. The tour has enriched me a lot because I would never have had the chance to see some aspects of the island and thanks to the guide of Juju, Gelson and Jair I could really see the way of life of the people. Cape Verde is Africa and there are also poor people but it is really very kind and selfless. During the whole day I felt safe also thanks to the two guys (Gelson and Jair) who accompanied us for the duration of our tour. My expectations on the tour were to discover new aspects of the island and I was very pleased that Juju asked us again what we had already seen to show us things that we had not seen before. My friend and I opted for the one-day tour because we had other plans for the other days of our holidays but after this experience I would like to do the tour that includes two days with the overnight in a place "less touristy".

The street art tour was a stunning walk through the streets of a rough neighborhood in development. Beautiful grafitti that is easy to photograph while we were watching the sun set. The walk finished with a BBQ at Gelson's house (member of the crew) and his children and wife made us feel super welcome! We enjoyed the lovely food on their rooftop terrace and watched Praia turn into a city that does'nt sleep. Would do it again next visit!

This is the market on Santiago. Had lots of opportunity to shop and look around on my own. The best thing about the whole tour was actually that Terra Terra Tours puts you directly in contact with the best local offerings, people and products. A great experience that stimulated all senses!

We customized the tour to a 1,5 day tour in and around the city of Somada. We met at the end of the first day, where we walked around a bit with some friends in Somada and finished at the place where we spent the night. A really cool place that is like a huge garden with all sorts of animals and plants, situated on a hill with a beautiful look over the city. The next day we went to the market in Somada to have breakfast and after that met an artist in his shop whom they did not know yet. We stayed a very long time chatting with that artist, but later continued our tour to Boa Entrada, an outskirt of Somada. Here we visited a Grogue distillery where we were explained the process and tasted the freshly brewed Grogue! Next to the distillery were some young guys working the land. We started talking with them and it was amazing to hear their stories! They are so creative and resourceful! One even climbed all the way up a coconut tree to get us some delicious fresh coconuts! We walked a bit with the guys, who showed us their lands and the fruits and veggies they built on it. Later we parted again and we went to the oldest and largest tree of the country, which stands in a beautiful area. On our way back to the city we walked past a primary school where we could have a look inside. The day ended in Somada, where we visited an artist who makes leather sandals and after that it was time to go back to Praia, tired but satisfied.

I loved to explore the local life of this neighbourhood loaded with amazing street art! Art can be found on every street corner and there's so much livelihood in this neighbourhood. We stumbled upon a tiny little new restaurant that was about to start their business and we got to try the delicious homemade food! The tour ended with a dinner at Gelson's house where I got to meet his amazing warm and lovely family. Here his son taught me a lot about Praia, Cabo Verde and its amazing history full of wonderful, strong people.

The karaka was a real nice way to experience a Cape Verdean get together. Cooking together in the sun with the view of the beautiful ocean was so nice. You connect with people that are there whether you know them or not, it’s a team effort. The sun, some music, the ocean and food, what else do you need to have a successful day?

Santiago wat ben je mooi ♡ Je bent zo puur… rauw… en hebt mijn hart gestolen! Wat een geweldige tijd heb ik gehad op Santiago dankzij Terra Terra Tours. We waren hier een paar dagen en die werden gevuld door Judith en Jair. Jullie hebben mij laten ervaren wat Terra Terra daadwerkelijk is: Puurheid… puur natuur, pure mensen, puur eten en puur leven. Niet altijd even gemakkelijk, het leven. Het opent je ogen en laat je inzien wat waardevol echt is. E: Santiago how beautiful you are ♡ You are so pure… raw… and have stolen my heart! What a great time I had on Santiago thanks to Terra Terra Tours. We were here for a few days and they were filled by Judith and Jair. You let me experience what Terra Terra really is: Purity… pure nature, pure people, pure food and pure life. Not always easy, life. It opens your eyes and lets you see what is valuable in life.

Judith & Jair hebben ons op zeer korte termijn op een extended Terra Terra Tours genomen en ons laten kennismaken met het eiland Santiago met de lokale bevolking en hun dagelijkse leven. Het heeft ons zeer verrast en geëmotioneerd om dit alles te beleven vanuit onze westerse cultuur. Dankbaar kijken wij terug op een prachtige bijzondere ervaring en bevelen deze tour zeker aan onder leiding van deze mensen die je met liefde en passie meenemen in een andere wereld.

Met deze uitgebreide versie van een Terra Terra Tour bezochten we Polon. Het was heel bijzonder, de oude boom is erg indrukwekkend en Boa Entrada was heerlijk groen. Het was een gezellige, maar ook een heerlijke wandeling met prachtige uitzichten en met verassende lekkernijen van locals. De speciale zorg en gastvrijheid van het gezin waar wij aan het einde aten was geweldig, het huisgemaakte ijs als toetje was heerlijk! E: We visited Polon with this extended version of a Terra Terra Tour. It was very special, the old tree is very impressive and Boa Entrada was wonderfully green. It was a pleasant but also a wonderful walk with beautiful views and surprising treats from locals. The special care and hospitality of the family where we ate at the end was great, the home-made ice cream for dessert was delicious!

De Sukupira experience is een verzameling van kleuren, geuren en gezellige kooplieden. Het Terra Terra team hielp heerlijk bij het shoppen en we hebben heerlijk gegeten tussen de locals vlakbij de markt bij een huiselijk restaurantje waar ze de kokkin en haar kinderen persoonlijk kennen. Zoals overal in Kaapverdië, hele lieve en hartelijke mensen! E: The Sukupira Experience is a collection of colors, scents and pleasant merchants. The Terra Terra team helped wonderfully with shopping and we had a delicious meal among the locals near the market at a homely restaurant where they know the cook and her children personally. Like everywhere in Cape Verde, very sweet and friendly people!