ST. HELENA: UNEARTHING THE EXCEPTIONAL

News24/Travel 6^th September 2013

Want to get in on one of the world’s best-kept slow travel secrets?

www.rms-st-helena.com

Jamestown, St. Helena (Shutterstock)

Consider a relaxed voyage to St. Helena, one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world, on board one of the last working royal ships the RMS St. Helena.

Yet, this unique opportunity to appreciate the hospitality of a bygone-era comes to an end in 2016.

Saint Helena Airport is under construction and will open concurrently with a new Mantis hotel, when the RMS St. Helena is said to become non-operational. Rich in fauna and flora, the island fits with Mantis’ mission of ‘Unearthing the Exceptional’.

Famous as the place where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to, Mantis together with the RMS St. Helena are focusing on bringing hospitality, education and conservation expertise to the island.

The island has an abundance of natural beauty, friendly people and fun-filled activities.

If you do go you’ll get to walk on land once occupied by prisoners of war during the Boer Wars as well as meet Jonathan^{but see Our Comment, below}, arguably the oldest tortoise in the world, who enjoys life in the picturesque gardens of Plantation House, the governor’s official residence.

A visit to St. Helena also means exploring the scenic coastal and inland walks. A leisurely escorted tour in the island’s only Charabanc is a highlight, as is the stop at the top of Jacob’s ladder that looks across to Jamestown. The museum in Jamestown is highly recommended. Here the history of Britain’s second oldest colony is laid out in an informative and interesting way.

If you’re interested in experiencing this unique RMS St. Helena voyage there are different tours on offer. All trips depart from Cape Town with the ship also calling at other interesting places along the South Atlantic Ocean route.

Upcoming themes include the Oktoberfest, which is a beer tasting voyage. Namibian breweries will offer 11 products to be in the spotlight for three evenings of the four-night trip.

The chairperson of the Mantis collection Adrian Gardiner said as part of their growing portfolio of boutique cruises worldwide, they’re excited to be marketing this iconic royal mail ship as it one of only two left in the world.

“The last of the RMS fleet will sail its final voyage when the airport on St. Helena Island is unveiled and it is an honour to have this vessel in our collection, get on board while you can,” said Gardiner.

Tourism will undoubtedly receive a welcome boost and visitor numbers are expected to rise but will be restricted to 30,000 a year, once the airport is complete in 2015. Could there be a better time to visit this exclusive and exotic destination, with its unique ecosystem? We think not.

Our Comment

For accuracy and to avoid disappointment, don’t imagine that you will get anywhere near Jonathan, or any of the tortoises. They roam freely in a field below Plantation House but visitors are no longer allowed into the field, at the orders of The Governor, supposedly to protect the tortoises. You may be lucky and Jonathan will decide to come over to the visitors’ walkway and meet you; otherwise you will more probably just see him in the distance. Read more about Jonathan.