Twelve seats. One departure a year.
St Helena sits alone in the South Atlantic, closer to Angola than to anywhere you’d call familiar. It only got an airport a few years ago. Before that, the only way in was a five-day mail ship from Cape Town. That isolation is exactly why it still feels the way it does: Georgian streets that haven’t been touched up for tourists, a tortoise older than most nations, and islanders who call themselves the Saints and mean it.
Travel with us, departing from Cape Town. Over 8 days, based in Jamestown, we work through the island’s history and its landscape in equal measure: Napoleon’s exile and death, the prisoners of the Boer War, a coffee bean that’s been growing on the same slopes for 200 years, and a hike out to a place called the Gates of Chaos.
A Live the Journey tour leader accompanies the group from South Africa.
Highlights
- Napoleonic sites
- Guided tour of Plantation House and meet Jonathan the tortoise, shipped over from the Seychelles in 1882 and still going, at approximately 190 years old
- A boat cruise offering a different view of old fortifications set on the dramatic cliffs and rugged coastline
- Guided historical walk of Jamestown, and the 699 steps of Jacob’s Ladder if you’re brave enough
- Coffee plantation tour
- Boer War history at Deadwood Plain
Eight days on one of the remote settled islands in the world.
Arrival, Jamestown
Land at St Helena Airport, one of the most remote runways anywhere, then about thirty minutes by road into Jamestown. Check into the Mantis St Helena, right on Main Street. In the afternoon, a walking tour through Jamestown takes in the Castle, St James Church (the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere), the Court House, and Castle Gardens. Welcome dinner at the hotel.
Deadwood Plain and Sandy Bay
A full day tracing the island’s Boer War history at Deadwood Plain, the campsite for prisoners during the Anglo-Boer War. We also visit the Millennium Forest and the Bellstone at Levelwood, a rock that really does ring when you strike it. Picnic lunch at Sandy Bay, then a scenic drive back to Jamestown. Dinner at Dan’s Eatery.
Plantation House and Jonathan
A guided tour of Plantation House, built in 1792 and still the Governor’s residence, then out to the grounds to meet Jonathan. He’s more than 190 years old, brought over from the Seychelles in 1882, and by most counts the oldest known living land animal in the world. In the afternoon, the Boer War cemetery, St Paul’s Cathedral, and High Knoll Fort. Dinner at The Deck, on the seafront.
Boat cruise and crafting
Down to the wharf for a half-day boat cruise along the coastline. Dolphins and turtles turn up often, and whale sharks pass through in season, January to March, along with Devil Rays. Lunch at the St Helena Coffee Shop on the wharf, then a hands-on crafting session using New Zealand flax with a local craftsperson. Dinner at The Crown Café, Ladder Hill.
Free morning, coffee plantation
The morning is yours. Take another boat trip if you like (at an extra cost), or swim at the public pool near the harbour, where you’ll likely end up talking to a few locals. Lunch is on your own. In the afternoon, a tour of a 200-year-old Arabica coffee plantation back at Sandy Bay. Dinner at Anne’s Place, in the Castle Gardens.
Blue Point hike
A guided hike out to Blue Point, through terrain the locals call the Gates of Chaos, layers of eroded soil in every colour, just past Thompson’s Wood. Views back over Southwest Point, Sandy Bay, Speery Island, and Castle Rocks. Picnic lunch out in the countryside. Leisurely drive back to Jamestown. Dinner at Richard’s Travel Lodge.
Napoleonic tour
This morning, you visit Briars Pavilion, where Napoleon lived when he first arrived, then Longwood House, where he lived and died. It is home to over 900 original artefacts and one of the best Napoleonic museums anywhere. Lunch at Bertrand’s Cottage, then tree-planting at the Millennium Forest, a restoration project running for over 21 years. We end at Napoleon’s Tomb, a short walk down into a quiet valley, before sundowners and a farewell dinner at Dan’s Eatery.
Departure
One last morning in Jamestown. Climb the 699 steps of Jacob’s Ladder if Day 1 didn’t put you off. Transfer to the airport for the flight back to Cape Town.
Everything on the ground. Nothing you’ll need to chase up.
Included
- Meet and greet on arrival, and return airport transfers
- A Live the Journey tour leader accompanying the group from South Africa
- A professional English-speaking St Helenian driver-guide
- 7 nights at the Mantis St Helena Hotel
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
- Guided historical walk of Jamestown
- Full-day guided island tour
- Half-day boat cruise
- Crafting session with a local craftsperson
- Plantation House tour, including Jonathan
- Coffee plantation tour
- Tree-planting at the Millennium Forest
- Guided hike to Blue Point
- Napoleonic tour: Briars Pavilion, Longwood House, and Napoleon’s grave
Not included
- International flights to and from St Helena
- GBP 20 landing tax, payable on arrival
- Domestic flights, and pre- or post-tour accommodation in South Africa
- Drinks and items of a personal nature
- Driver-guide gratuity (GBP 40-50 per person recommended)
- Optional extras: whale shark diving, scuba diving, additional hikes or biking
- Visa fees, if applicable
- Comprehensive travel insurance, including aeromedical evacuation cover up to GBP 175,000 (written proof is required by St Helena authorities on entry)
One annual departure, timed for whale shark season.
Per person sharing: GBP 2,560 (approximately ZAR 58,880). Single supplement: GBP 420 (approximately ZAR 9,660). Use a currency converter for an approximate figure in your local currency, noting that the final cost is determined by the exchange rate at the time of confirmation and payment.
Minimum 8 guests required to run the tour at this price. Maximum 12 guests. Flights to and from St Helena are excluded and booked separately. A GBP 20 landing tax is payable on arrival.
In their own words.
“The itinerary offered was varied and helped us to become familiar with the small island in just one week. Our guide, Aaron, was knowledgeable, helpful and kind.”
“I loved the variety in the daily schedule. The boat trip was amazing, the hike to the peak stunning. Such a well-designed programme.”