INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL narrow streets while locals wave from balconies and cars crawl uphill as if reconsidering their life choices.
JACOB’ S LADDER Nothing here feels rushed. Except Jacob’ s Ladder. This famous staircase climbs 699 steep steps from Jamestown to Ladder Hill, overlooking the town below. Locals may treat it casually, but tourists tend to start confidently and end up somewhere near step 500, bargaining with their lungs.
Once you reach the top, sweaty, dramatic, and pretending you’ re fine, the views are ridiculous. The Atlantic stretches endlessly in every direction, while green hills and sharp volcanic ridges roll across the island below.
And that’ s when St Helena really gets under your skin.
HIKING WITH OLD JOHN Because this place is perfectly built for exploring.
One minute you’ re driving through misty mountains that look like Scotland, the next you’ re standing beside tropical cliffs that feel closer to the islands of Hawaii. The roads twist wildly through the landscape, often so narrow you’ ll quietly pray another car doesn’ t appear around the corner. Then there are the hikes. High Peak is a green fantasy of thick cloud forests, hidden trails, and rare birdlife, with mist rolls through the trees like the island is trying to create its own specialeffects department. And just when you think St Helena can’ t get any stranger, you meet Jonathan.
Jonathan is a giant tortoise. A very famous giant tortoise.
At more than 190 years old, he’ s officially the world’ s oldest known living land animal,
JUNE 2026 / INBOUND SA 17