St Helena Island in Full Colour
Be part of history on the first-ever LGBTQ+ group tour to St Helena—an island so pristine it feels like a secret kept by the South Atlantic. Picture cinematic cliffs and dolphin-danced seas, lava-carved tidal pools made for sun-warm swims, a serene hello with world-famous Jonathan the tortoise, and whale-shark encounters that feel like floating through living architecture. Days are soft-adventure chic; nights are tasting menus, barefoot fish-fry sunsets and starlit toasts with new friends who’ll feel like old ones by week’s end. Designed for exclusivity, safety and soul, this is your chance to write the opening chapter of queer travel on one of the world’s most untouched islands—claim the story before anyone else.
Be part of history. This is the first-ever LGBTQ+ group tour to St Helena—a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to an island so untouched it feels like a beautiful secret whispered just to you. Imagine a volcanic amphitheatre opening to a turquoise bay; Georgian façades bathing in late-afternoon gold; dolphins threading the bow as cliffs rise like cathedrals from the South Atlantic. Now layer in Afrigay’s signature: small group intimacy, unapologetic style, and a proudly inclusive space where you can simply be yourself—celebrated, not tolerated. This isn’t just a trip; it’s a milestone for queer travel in Africa, and your name is on the guest list.
We’ve curated the island’s icons into a week of soft-adventure chic: think whale-shark encounters that feel like drifting beside living architecture; a serene hello with Jonathan, the world-famous tortoise who’s seen centuries come and go; heritage lanes and hilltop forts that play with the light; lava-carved tidal pools made for sun-warm swims; and flavours that move from elegant tasting menus to barefoot fish-fry sunsets. By day, you’ll collect moments that feel cinematic. By night, you’ll sip, laugh and lean into starlight with new friends who’ll feel like old ones by week’s end.
Why this tour? Exclusivity, safety, and soul. St Helena is remote—in the very best way. You won’t queue behind tour buses or elbow for a viewpoint; you’ll have space to breathe, to connect, to fall a little in love with the world again. With Afrigay’s trusted hosts, local experts and gentle pacing, every detail is smoothed so you can savour the wonder. Join us at the start of a new chapter for LGBTQ+ exploration on the African map—and come home with a story no one else can tell.
Day 0 — Johannesburg Pre-Night: City Lodge OR Tambo Meet-Up
Our official rendezvous is the City Lodge at OR Tambo (inside the airport precinct). We overnight here so everyone is fresh and on-site for the early flight—no traffic roulette, no 4 a.m. panic. Slide in, check in, and exhale: hot showers, crisp sheets, and an easy evening meet-and-greet in the lounge for those who fancy a toast before island time begins. Early night recommended; tomorrow the ocean calls.
Day 1 — Wheels Up to the Middle of Nowhere (In the Best Way)
Via Walvis Bay and then—hello, South Atlantic fantasy. The road curls down into Jamestown like a ribbon; Mantis St Helena is your chic little base. We stretch our legs through Georgian streets, sneak a sea-dip if the water winks, and ease into island time. Dinner with Chef Roy “On the Deck”—salt air, local flavour, stars playing paparazzi.
Day 2 — Blue Water, Black Cliffs, Big Grins
Out on the Marine Safari this morning: fortress cliffs, birds riding thermals, and—if the ocean is in the mood—superpods of dolphins racing our bow. Mask and fins at the ready for a playful splash. Later, a Historic Jamestown wander: Jacob’s Ladder, quiet courtyards, stories etched into stone. Tonight, Dan’s tasting menu: small island, serious palate, clink.
Day 3 — Island Grand Tour: Lava, Legends, and Jonathan
A full loop with Aaron’s Adventure Tours: Deadwood Plain and Boer-War echoes; saplings at the Millennium Forest; the lava drama of Sandy Bay; wind-in-your-hair views from High Knoll Fort. In the gardens at St Paul’s, we greet Jonathan—unbothered, ancient, iconic. Back to Jamestown via Ladder Hill as golden hour sets the valley glowing.
Day 4 — Governors’ Grace & Wild Rock Pools
Morning grace at Plantation House, all polished wood and lawn-perfect stillness—plus a moment with the island’s most photographed gentleman, Jonathan. Then it’s boots on for Lot’s Wife Ponds with Rockmount Walking Tours: a sculptural coastal trail to turquoise basins cupped in lava. Sea-silk swims if the tide says yes. Dinner at Orange Tree Oriental—fragrant, cosy, just right.
Day 5 — Whale Sharks & Sundowner Sway
Gentle giants today with Dive St Helena—seasonal whale-shark snorkelling that feels like floating beside a cathedral. Afternoons are for naps, novels or a lazy promenade. As the sky rosés over the harbour, we gather at the Yacht Club: fish fry, island music, and the kind of sunset that turns conversations honey-slow.
Day 6 — Clifftop Trails, Picnic Perfection & Coffee Lore
Westward to Blue Point—a cliff-line ramble where seabirds scribble the sky. We unroll a picnic at Fairyland/Cason’s above Sandy Bay, then dive into a bean-to-cup coffee story at Wranghams: heirloom Arabica, hand-picked on volcanic slopes. Back to “On the Deck” for dinner—starlit table, murmuring sea, a little island magic.
Day 7 — Napoleon’s Island & Your Kind of Afternoon
History with a wink: Briars Pavilion, Longwood House and the Tomb—elegant, intimate, unexpectedly moving. Lunch at Bertrand’s Cottage, then choose your joy: a dive, an e-MTB swoop, a sea-float, a gallery browse. Evening at Anne’s Place in the gardens, and if the mood bites, a cheeky nightcap and a shimmy at Donny’s on the seafront.
Day 8 — The Ladder & The Long Goodbye
Early risers: Jacob’s Ladder is a 699-step love letter to your calves (and your bragging rights). One last breakfast, a final flirt with the market and makers, and that cinematic drive back up the switchbacks. You leave with sea-salt in your hair, new friends on your phone, and a promise to come back before the island forgets your name (it won’t).
