15 DAY ST HELENA ISLAND

St Helena is no longer a place of exile. It is the ultimate escape. It is a premium refuge for the curious traveler, the remote worker seeking pure clarity, and the adventurer chasing the rare, the hidden, and the untouched.

Categories: birding, Dive tours, Jonathan—a tortoiseshell, st helena island, whale sharks, Whale Watching Tag: st-helena-island

Description

The Island at the End of the Earth

For over five centuries, St Helena existed only as a whisper in the vastness of the South Atlantic Ocean. To the outside world, it was a fortress of isolation—the final, inescapable prison of Napoleon Bonaparte, guarded by jagged volcanic cliffs and thousands of miles of deep blue water. For generations, the only way to reach its shores was a grueling five-day voyage by sea. It was a place defined by its distance from everything else.

But true isolation holds a secret power. While the rest of the world grew crowded, loud, and digitally overwhelmed, St Helena remained beautifully unchanged.

When the first commercial aircraft finally touched down on the island’s dramatic cliffside runway, a new chapter began. The island did not try to hide its remote nature. Instead, it invited the world to experience it.

"Come and find me," the island whispered to a new generation of travelers.

Today, stepping onto St Helena is like stepping into a living storybook. In the capital of Jamestown, colorful Georgian buildings sit snugly inside a deep volcanic valley, where locals—known warmly as "Saints"—greet every outsider like an old friend. Just beyond the valley, the landscape transforms. Red, desert-like hills give way to lush, emerald cloud forests filled with hundreds of rare plants and creatures found nowhere else on Earth.

In the pristine waters offshore, gentle giants arrive. Every summer, massive whale sharks gather in the clear ocean, allowing visitors to swim alongside them in a highly protected, respectful environment. Back on land, a quiet celebrity named Jonathan—a tortoiseshell monument of time and the world’s oldest living land animal—slowly grazes on the lawn of Plantation House, having witnessed the rise and fall of empires from his peaceful sanctuary.

The fortress has become a sanctuary. The island at the end of the earth is waiting to be found.

Departs every Saturday from Johannesburg | Departs every Tuesday from Cape Town

This itinerary is perfect for all year round and I can also juggle it around to suit arrivals on Tuesdays from Cape Town. We would just have to keep in mind that some activities only take place on certain days, such as Napoleonic sites (Mondays and Fridays only), the St Helena Coffee Tour (Thursdays only), and Plantation House (Tuesdays only).

Day 1: Saturday – Airport transfer / Welcome dinner
Day 2: Sunday – Historical town walk (AM) / Afternoon at leisure
Day 3: Monday – Three Napoleon sites + Picnic lunch
Day 4: Tuesday – Plantation House, Jonathan the Tortoise & Gentle Plantation Forest Walk
Day 5: Wednesday – Fortification Tour: Jamestown Wharf through Jamestown to Ladder Hill Fort and High Knoll Fort (plus a discussion on other Forts across the island)
Day 6: Thursday – St Helena Coffee Tour: Plantation walk, picking process, and St Helena Coffee sampling
Day 7: Friday – Museum of St Helena tour. Friday night is the best time to explore St Helena's local nightlife!
Day 8: Saturday – Free day for local shopping or independent exploring
Day 9: Sunday – Marine tour: Fortification/Coastal/Dolphin/Birds boat trip / Snorkeling (Swimming with whale sharks available Jan–Mar)
Day 10: Monday – Full Day Scenic Island Tour: Jamestown to Levelwood (Bellstone), onward to Sandy Bay (stopping for refreshments at SHAPE), through Blue Hill, and return to Jamestown.
Days 11–14: Tuesday–Friday – Free days for optional activities (e.g., Post Box Walks, sport fishing, or relaxing) / Farewell dinner on Friday night.
Day 15: Saturday – Departure / Airport Transfer