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Things To Do in Cape Town

Robben Island

Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa 8000
Description: Situated a little over 4 miles off the coast of Cape Town is the legendary Robben Island. Dutch for “Seal Island”, Robben Island is known less for its seals than its reputation as a center of detention and isolation for ...Read More
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    4 out of 5 stars

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Robben Island Reviews

Have you visited the Robben Island in Cape Town? We're always looking for more Robben Island reviews and photos. Contribute yours today.
Best of IgoUgo

Rush Around Robben

  • 4 out of 5 stars by Essexgirl09 from London, England, United Kingdom
  • December 21, 2011
Rush Around Robben
Quote: Robben Island is probably one of the ‘must-see’ attractions in Cape Town. It is known to most people as a prison for political prisoners where Nelson Mandela was once held, but it has much more than that in its history. It is no longer a prison... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal South Africa: What to See and Do in Cape Town

Best of IgoUgo

Home of Nelson Mandela for Many Years

  • 4 out of 5 stars by catsholiday from ashbourne, United Kingdom
  • March 29, 2010
Home of Nelson Mandela for Many Years
Quote: Robben Island which is just a short boat ride from the mainland in Cape Town is most famous for being the place where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held captive for many years during the Apartheid regime in South Africa. Today it... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal South African Road Trip

South African Penguins Project - Earthwatch

  • 0 out of 5 stars by Norman from Cooper City, Florida
  • July 30, 2008
South African Penguins Project - Earthwatch
Quote: During my visit to South Africa I participated in the South Africa Penguins Project as an Earthwatch volunteer. During this 12 day project 5 volunteers worked with researchers to gather information on the South Africa Penguins and other animals on... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal Wonderful Cape Town

Robben Island: A Place of History and Nature

  • 5 out of 5 stars by Norman from Cooper City, Florida
  • July 29, 2008
Robben Island: A Place of History and Nature
Quote: Robben Island is 7 kilometers off the coast of Capetown, and is reached by a ferry available at the Nelson Mandela Gateway, next to the Clock Tower. From there you can take the 20 minute ride across Table Bay to tour the island and its prison. The... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal Wonderful Cape Town

Robben Island Tour

  • 5 out of 5 stars by Kimlen from Miami, Florida
  • April 21, 2007
Quote: It is amazing to tour Robben Island and hear the history straight from former political prisoners. Ask them questions, listen, and be thankful that they are sharing some of the most painful parts of their lives with us so we may be able to learn... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal Cape Town Beauty

Best of IgoUgo

Robben Island

  • 5 out of 5 stars by MikeInTown from Leesburg, Virginia
  • February 3, 2007
Robben Island
Quote: Robben Island has served as a leper colony between 1836 and 1931 and later as a maximum security prison for political prisoners until 1991. South Africa's former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, spent 18 years of his 27-year... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal A Cape Town Look Around

Best of IgoUgo

Becoming Prisoners on Robben Island

  • 5 out of 5 stars by kwasiak from Tucson, Arizona
  • April 16, 2006
Becoming Prisoners on Robben Island
Quote: To get to Robben Island, you must board a ferry from a dock near the Red Clock Tower in the Waterfront area of Cape Town. The building you go through to board the ferry has a small apartheid museum.The ferry ride is about half an hour long and... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal Cape Town: First World to Third World

Best of IgoUgo

Robben Island

  • 5 out of 5 stars by MiriamMannak from Cape Town, South Africa
  • November 29, 2005
Robben Island
Quote: The purpose of Robben Island changed a number of times over the last century. It used to be a leprosy colony, then an ordinary prison, and it served as a defence fortification during the two world wars. And from the second half of the 20th century... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal What to do in Cape Town?

Robben Island - The Prison in the Bay

  • 5 out of 5 stars by deescheer from lewisville, Texas
  • May 2, 2005
Quote: To get to the island, you are taken aboard a luxury boat owned and run by the ex-prison guards of Robin Island. It only takes about 20 minutes to get there. This island used to house political prisoners, the most famous being the ex-South African... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal Back To My African Roots

Best of IgoUgo

Robben Island

  • 5 out of 5 stars by Orl from Dublin, Ireland
  • January 11, 2005
Quote: A visit to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated, is definitely worthwhile. We had to book a day in advance. The 40-minute boat journey is pleasant--plenty of photos opps of Table Mountain. Although it was difficult to hear the... Read the full Robben Island review

From journal At The Foot of Table Mountain