Longwood House, Saint Helena
Not only did Napoleon sleep here at Longwood House on the South Atlantic island of St Helena, this was the location of his exile from 1815 until his death in 1821. Boomer travelers interested in visiting the historic location will need to book a cruise. Since St Helena has no airport, arriving by ship is the only way to reach one of the most remote places in the world. Alan and I visited when our Regent ship, Seven Seas Navigator, sailed from Cape Town, South Africa to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Options for touring include booking an excursion through the ship’s travel desk, finding a tour company online or negotiating with one of a few taxi/car services waiting by the port. If you decide on the taxi, plan on being first off the ship. They go fast. And don’t forget to stop by the Governor’s House to see the giant tortoise.
Have you visited St. Helena? Post a comment to share your experience. Alan and I are amazed that we made it to one of the most remote places in the world.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I loved my visit to this beautiful island. Reminds me of the New Zealand countryside north of Auckland. Wish the stop had been longer. It would have been nice to spend more time chatting with the residents. Many come down just for the opportunity to met the visitors. Very open and friendly people. And I agree with Donna, those tortoises are something to see.
Twitter: DonnaLHull
August 20, 2011 at 11:12 am
Betty, I agree, it was fun meeting the locals who were so happy to chat with new faces. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live on an island where the only escape is a mail ship that comes once a month, if you’re lucky. And I was surprised how beautiful the flowers were.
Twitter: travelwonders
August 20, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Wow, I never knew where St Helena was and boy, is it remote. Great story on this unusual location.
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This makes me curious. Gonna add this to my travel list. Thanks for sharing.
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Twitter: DonnaLHull
August 21, 2011 at 6:34 am
If you like remote places, Saint Helena is a pleasant surprise.
looks so peaceful and quaint
Twitter: DonnaLHull
August 21, 2011 at 6:33 am
Yes, it was quaint, but very isolated. If you get really sick on Saint Helena, you have to wait for the boat to come to take you to Cape Town.
I’ve never been out there; actually, I hadn’t even heard of it, which is embarrassing for a history buff! Another one for the bucket list. What inspired you to head out to St. Helena?
Twitter: DonnaLHull
August 22, 2011 at 10:20 am
Adelyn, it was on our cruise itinerary. And we were lucky to actually visit St. Helena. It requires riding a tender and oftentimes the seas are too rough to allow the landing.
Twitter: pen4hire
August 24, 2011 at 11:57 am
What a wonderful adventure. So glad you got to see it. Were you inspired to read a biography of Napoleon after that?
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Twitter: DonnaLHull
August 24, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Alas, Vera, I just moved on to the next thing. The story of my life. This boomer needs to take more time to read. Do you have a biography of Napoleon to suggest?
Wonderful that you could get to this remote place – I’d be interested to see where Napoleon spent his last days
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