This Tropical Island Is The Most Difficult Place To Get To In The World

Normally, booking a holiday – even for us adventure types – simply means going online and buying a flight. But if you want to visit this island paradise, it’s going to be a lot more complicated than that!

We are talking about Tristan da Cunha, a part of the British overseas territory Saint Helena and a true sub-tropical heaven. The island sits in between South Africa and South America, 1,491 miles (2,400 kilometres) from the former and 2,088 miles (3,360 km) from the latter. It’s closest neighbour with actual residents is Saint Helena, which is located a whole 1,243 miles away.

The Inaccessible Island – Tristan Da Cunha

Despite (or perhaps because of) its remoteness, this tiny island (it’s only 7 miles (11 km) long!) is brimming with rocky shores, pristine waters and truly incredible flora and fauna. There is only one town on the island: Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. It is known by locals – of which there are less than 300 by the way – simply as ‘The Settlement.’

Wait a second, there is still an island out there that humans haven’t ruined?! What’s the catch?

Well, the issue here is that this place is practically impossible to get to.

Tristan da Cunha Island in the South Atlantic

To get to Tristan from, say, London, you first need to fly to Cape Town, South Africa, which takes 11 and a half hours. From there, it will take you five to six days by boat to travel the remaining 1,746 miles (2,810 km). However, spaces on these boats (usually fishing vessels) are limited to 12, so you’ll need to book months in advance.

The only other possible way to get to Tristan is by taking a month-long cruise of the general region. These vessels only have around 40 seats.

And even once you’ve secured a spot on one of these boats, you run the risk of being bumped off by priority passengers (medical personnel, government officials and Tristan residents).

Internet Cafe, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha

Basically, if you want to check out the world’s remotest island, your planning needs to be immaculate! But remember – even if you’ve timed your travels absolutely perfectly, and are not delayed in any way, you will still be travelling for at least five days straight.

What awaits you on the other side, however, is a virtually untouched, natural wonderland. As the old saying goes: good things come to those who wait.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.