About this book

This fully revised fourth edition of Bradt’s St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha remains the only guide to these three British Overseas Territories, tiny volcanic islands that are virtual specks in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and which thanks to the opening of a new airport in 2017 are more accessible than ever before. Rugged, volcanic and very remote, as Napoleon’s place of exile following the Battle of Waterloo, St Helena has gained a notoriety that assures its place in the travel lexicon. This fully revised edition includes all the most recent information, from the latest details of how to get there to expanded practical information on the airport, more detail on several of the Post Box walks and the mountain bike trail, and more in-depth information about what to do and where to go in Ascension. Also covered are details of the 2021 Napoleon Bicentenary, plus dedicated sections on what to do in the islands’ two gateway cities: 48 hours in Johannesburg and 48 hours in Cape Town.
Wildlife enthusiasts, nature lovers, hikers, and travellers interested in history and heritage are all catered for. The endemic flora and fauna is one of the islands’ chief attractions, with 1,000 species of birds observed on St Helena alone. Also covered are the inspiring Millennium Forest project, where visitors give something back by planting an endemic tree, and sea safaris for spotting the area’s abundant marine life, including whale sharks, dolphins and humpback whales, as well as fish and seabirds. Boat trips, which can include snorkelling and diving, are increasingly popular. How to visit Jonathan the Tortoise is included, too: hatched circa 1832, he is the oldest living land animal on the planet.
Despite increased accessibility, these three islands are likely to preserve their reputation amongst the most unspoiled destinations in the world. With Bradt’s St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, be one of the intrepid few to visit.

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About the Author

Susan Britt-Gallagher grew up in the northeast of the USA. After completing her education, she travelled across North America, Europe and northern Africa. Thousands of bus, train and cargo ship miles later, she settled down in Switzerland. From November 1997 to January 1998, she spent three amazing months ‘living’ on St Helena with her husband and their young daughters. That’s when she fell in love with the people and the island of St Helena, and thus the first edition of the Bradt guide was born. A lot has changed since then, but the memories of this fascinating island and its wonderful people still remain in her heart.
Tricia Hayne stumbled upon St Helena in 2000, when as editorial director of Bradt Travel Guides she commissioned a guide to the remote trio of islands that made up what were then known as St Helena and Dependencies. With a lifelong fascination for islands, she was sufficiently enticed by these mid-Atlantic outposts to come on board for the third and fourth editions. She counts walking, diving and natural history among her interests, has written Bradt guides to the Cayman Islands and – as co-author – to the Turks and Caicos Islands, and has updated several more to a number of African destinations.
This edition has been updated by Caitlin and Huw Hennessy, seasoned travel writers who cover the whole world, including Latin America and now Africa and the South Atlantic. Caitlin led one of the first group tours to Saint Helena in early 2019, a trip that inspired a strong desire to return to the island and explore further. This she subsequently did with her husband, also visiting Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Ascension, and gathering lots of new information for the fourth edition of this guide, including preparations for the 2021 Bicentenary of Napoleon’s death in exile on the island.

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