🚗 Driving on Saint Helena (and throughout this post I mean the island in the South Atlantic) is technically on the left, but in reality, the roads are sometimes so narrow that people often drive in the middle. When two cars meet, it is not about right of way but about who can pull aside first and has space to do so.

🚦Speed limits range from 20 to 40 mph, which feels appropriate given the steep hills and sharp bends. On blind corners, especially tight U-shaped ones without mirrors, it is common practice to honk.

🚗 Renting a car is straightforward and informal. Vehicles are often old and visibly worn, with scratches, dents, and occasional mechanical quirks. At the same time, this removes any stress about keeping the car in perfect condition. Rental prices are low, around £15 per day, and paperwork is minimal. We were given the documents with the car and told to fill them in when we had time—we put them in the glove compartment and, in the end, forgot about them. Sorry!

👋 A small but noticeable part of driving culture is greeting others—drivers often raise a hand to passing cars or pedestrians. Seriously. I picked it up quite quickly and found myself driving with one hand just so I could greet everyone. When a car and a pedestrian came at the same time, I raised my right hand to one and my left to the other (okay, technically holding the steering wheel with my thumb).

🐢 Two of the island’s main attractions are connected to history and nature. One is the legacy of Napoleon, who was exiled here due to the island’s extreme remoteness. The other is Jonathan, a giant tortoise believed to be the oldest known land animal in the world, with a birth year estimated around 1819.

🪜The third notable attraction is Jacob’s Ladder, with its 699 steps—a climb that feels almost mandatory. It even hosts an annual race, with a record time of 4 minutes and 40.75 seconds. When we visited the island, lighting was being installed on the staircase and access was restricted to workers only. 🥲 So I went to the Salomon (the contractor) 👷 office and asked if they could hire me. I said I could bring coffee, water or beer to the workers at the top. The supervisor thought about it for a moment, but ultimately said they couldn’t take me on.

📫The post office stands out as one of the most prominent buildings in town. Sending mail is surprisingly affordable, costing around 50 pence. From here, mail first travels to Ascension Island, then to England, and only after that continues on to its final destination.

✉️And if you want to send a letter to Saint Helena, you need to include the person’s name, describe the location of the house (as house numbers are generally absent), add the area, and then write: Island of St Helena, STHL 1ZZ, South Atlantic Ocean. Letters are not delivered directly to homes; instead, they are collected from the post office or nearby shops, sometimes only infrequently.

💰Payment systems on the island are somewhat limited. International card payments with Visa or Mastercard are not usually possible. Many places prefer cash or a local banking system. Opening an account there is actually very simple.

☎️Communication infrastructure is relatively recent. Mobile phone service has only been available since September 2015, with a single provider, SURE, operating on the island. Our Estonian mobile provider did not offer roaming here. In the settlements, there were also phone booths, which seemed to be working.

👩‍🎓The island has a small education system, consisting of two primary schools and one secondary school. The secondary school was formerly called Prince Andrew Community High School but was renamed in May 2025 following public discussion and controversy surrounding its name, with the school stating it would change its name to something “neutral.”

🥚Daily life often follows informal and community-based patterns. Despite the abundance of chickens, we couldn’t find eggs in shops—even in a store that had a sign on the door saying “eggs.” The same applies to fruits and other produce. Luckily, our accommodation host also knew someone we could get eggs from. Shops also depend heavily on when the supply ship arrives—if it hasn’t come in yet, things simply aren’t available, and once it has, shelves can look very different overnight.

😋I never quite got used to the shop opening hours, even though every accommodation seems to have an A4 sheet printed out with up-to-date information about the island. On one Sunday afternoon in the capital, the only place to get food was the restaurant at the Mantis hotel, and even the grocery stores were closed. Since I didn’t really feel like going there, I was so hungry before dinner that I felt like I could eat half a pig. But to actually get dinner, even in the few places available, you need to book a table in advance—and ideally also let them know what you plan to order from the menu, otherwise there simply isn’t enough food or the choice is very limited.

😇The people of Saint Helena, known as “Saints,” are widely recognized for their friendliness and generosity. Encounters often include unexpected kindness. I already mentioned the habit of greeting—this is not only while driving but also on the street, just with words and smiles. When I asked a local where he had bought his bananas, he didn’t even answer—he just tried to give me his bananas instead.

🚶‍➡️One of the most rewarding aspects of visiting Saint Helena is hiking. Trails are often steep, typically involving descents of 300–500 meters, though some routes are more gradual. Many of the so-called “postbox walks” end at a mailbox where hikers can leave a stamp or mark their visit. Finding starting point of the trail heads can be challenging, as maps and signage are not always clear, but the landscapes make the effort worthwhile.

🐬Locals themselves said that just hanging out, having picnics, or driving somewhere is more popular than going into the ocean for a swim—even though the island is surrounded by water. At the same time, the waters around Saint Helena are known for whale sharks, dolphins, and turtles, so there is actually quite a lot to see.

⛪Historically, the island has faced unique challenges. In the 19th century, termite infestations caused widespread structural damage, forcing many buildings to be rebuilt. One story even tells that during a church service in 1861, white ants were found eating through a desk….and then the Bible.

✈️There is one flight here from Johannesburg per week (and the same plane also flies back once a week), weather permitting. The weather allowed us to arrive, but not to leave, so we ended up staying on this friendly island for two extra days.