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Podcast Show Notes
How this Podcast on Saint Helena Came to Be
I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the most revered travel journalists and someone I’ve looked up to for a long time, Peter Greenberg. Peter is the news travel editor for CBS and he has his own travel podcast, Eye on Travel.
Before the pandemic, I had the chance to see Peter speak at the Travel and Adventure Show in LA. At the show, I asked him the top 3 most underrated places to travel to. He responded with:
- Greenland (if you want to go here, check out this podcast on Kayaking Greenland)
- The Azores
- Saint Helena
I knew about Greenland and the Azores, but I had never even heard of Saint Helena. I was immediately intrigued and I asked Peter if I could interview him and he said yes. One thing I learned from Peter is to not be afraid to ask because you might just get the answer you were looking for.
Peter got to experience Saint Helena a few years ago, and I highly recommend checking out his post and video on Hidden Gems of St Helena.
Where is Saint Helena?
Saint Helena is about 1200 miles west of Angola and 1,800 miles east of Brazil… right smack in the middle of nowhere. Now, they are really social distancing. It’s a fascinating place with great geography, hiking, nature, fishing with a vibrant history. About 4,000 people live there and they are called Saints
How do you GEt to Saint Helena Island?
Before a few years ago, you could only get to St Helena by boat, via the RMS Saint Helena. However, that route is retired, and they now have an airport that has one flight per week. That flight goes from Johannesburg with a fuel up in Windhoek, Namibia, and then on to Saint Helena (HLE). If you miss your flight, then be prepared to hang out for another week!
When the plane lands, everyone on the island is there to greet you. It’s a big deal when the weekly plane comes in. People will essentially leave their day jobs to be there and/or work at the airport. Now, that’s community! Learn more about their COVID-19 restrictions and Visa information on the St. Helena Airport website.
Why Should You go to Saint Helena?
You don’t go there to ramp up, you go there to slow down. Plus it has a fascinating history there, this is actually where Napoleon was exiled. Peter’s favorite experience on the island was going to Napolean’s house. They’ve kept it in the same condition as it was in 1821!
Most people think that Napoleon was exiled in Elba (which he was), but he escaped and was then sent to St. Helena Island.
If you’re into fishing, then this is a fisherman’s dream! When Peter went, he caught a huge yellow fin tuna within the first 8 minutes!
In March, you can experience the whale sharks and hop in the water with them. How’s that for an experience you should have?
What’s the deal with Money in Saint Helena?
There isn’t an ATM there, and you can pay by credit card, but it may not always work. Bring cash and get it before you get there.
What Should you bring to Saint Helena?
- Extra Batteries
- Duct Tape
- Second Phone
- Extra Plugs and Cords (British System)
- T-Shirts
How accessible is Saint Helena?
St. Helena is not very attractive for those with limited mobility as they don’t have ramps or businesses with great accessibility.
Is this a great place for a Digital Nomad?
They do have wifi there, but it is slow.. be prepared. If you need high speed internet, this may not be the place for you.