Saint Helena, an island in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, is probably best known as the final residence and initial birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The great French leader and former Emperor spent his final years on the island before dying there and being interned temporarily entombed before being moved back to France.
However, there is so much more to Saint Helena than Napoleon. In recent years the British Overseas Territory – which used to take five nights by boat to get to – has been attempting to draw more people to its shores.
Part of the draw for tourists is not just the island’s beautiful landscape, fascinating former residents, and wonderful culture, it’s the fact it now has its own airport making it far easier to get to.
The island, 1,000 miles from South Africa, and 5,000 miles from the UK is experiencing a renaissance in interest as more people discover the wonders of its beautiful landscape and its capital, Jamestown.
Once safely landed on Saint Helena, there are plenty of things for people to see and do including visiting Plantation House, the home of the world’s oldest living animal, Jonathan the tortoise who is now 192 years old.
Furthermore, people can also climb Jacob’s Ladder’s 699 steps and make the 600-foot climb up to gaze at the fantastic vista around the island. Once back down in Jamestown, it is well worth exploring the bustling community of independent shops, enjoying some of the island’s world-famous coffee, and revelling in the island’s high-speed WiFi.
Speaking to the Independent about the coffee scene in Saint Helena, Wranghams’ Neil Fantom touched on the island’s famous brew.
Mr Fantom said: “Is it the best in the world? I couldn’t tell you. Is it coffee that we enjoy producing and drinking? One hundred percent. We’ve got the perfect climate for it, and we do it ourselves.”
Furthermore, Britons travelling to the island need not worry about changing currency because the British pound is legal tender.
On this, the Government said: “While the official currency is the St Helena pound, sterling bank notes are accepted in all shops and bars and the US base will accept US dollars, sterling or St Helena currency.
“The Saint Helena Pound is linked at parity to the British Pound (Sterling). Notes and coins are similar in denomination and appearance to their UK counterparts. You will need to change back any surplus local currency before leaving, as it is not possible to exchange St Helenian notes or coins once back in the UK.”