Sure Travel Journey Vol 5.1 Summer 2019 | Page 51

at the wooden shutters on the windows
and you will see the small, round holes that
Napoleon cut so he could spy on his captors
without them being able to see in.
The British were paranoid that Napoleon
would escape, so visiting ships were
banned from leaving the harbour until the
garrison had confirmed that Napoleon was
accounted for. They needn’t have worried.
Napoleon took his last breath in Longwood
House on 5 May 1821, the self-proclaimed
emperor succumbing to stomach cancer.
From Longwood House, his coffin was
carried to the Sane Valley, where it lay for
nearly 20 years before being exhumed and
interred at Les Invalides in Paris.
A slightly quirkier piece of history has also
become one of the island’s most popular
attractions. At the bottom of Jamestown,
a few steps from the seafront promenade
and small harbour, you’ll find Jacob’s
Ladder, where you’ll need to lace up your
walking shoes. The 699 steps of the ladder
were built in 1829 to link Jamestown to
the settlement of Half Tree Hollow on the
hilltops above. But this is no ordinary staircase,
I discovered, bounding up the first few steps.
Each step is at least 30cm high, and with the
ladder inclined at up to 45 degrees it’s no
small feat to reach the top. In fact, the Jacob’s
Ladder Challenge has become a highlight of
PLANNER
Q TRAVEL
GETTING THERE: Airlink offers
weekly flights (Saturdays, 04h15)
from Johannesburg to St Helena via
Windhoek, returning the same day.
VISAS: South African and British
passport holders don’t require a visa,
though a £17 landing fee is payable.
CURRENCY: The island uses the St
Helena Pound (SHP£1:ZAR19.45),
although British pound sterling is also
accepted. However, change is usually
given in island currency.
GETTING AROUND: A hire car is your
best bet for discovering the far-flung
scenic corners of the island. A South
African driver’s licence is sufficient for
rentals. Driving is on the left-hand side.
WHEN TO GO: St Helena’s weather
can be fickle, switching from sunshine
to drizzle in mere minutes. However,
the summer months (December to
March) offer the best weather, and this
is the peak time to sight whale sharks.
© HOLMES
© ANDRUSHKO/ADOBESTOCK
The most famous – or infamous – prisoner
to call the island home was Napoleon
Bonaparte, exiled here in 1815
Inside the St Helena Museum.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 51