South Africa: What to See and Do in Cape Town

Robben Island/Robben Island Museum

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Attraction | "Rush Around Robben"

Robben Island Photo - Robben Island/Robben Island Museum, Cape Town, South Africa

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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 but is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island is 30-40 minutes by ferry from the V & A Waterfront (ask your taxi driver to drop you by the Clock Tower if you are coming that way as it is a large area). There are car parks here and sightseeing buses that stop nearby. The ferry leaves three times a day (weather permitting) at 9am, 11am and 1pm. We had booked in advance and this is highly recommended as it is a popular attraction. We failed to get...Read More

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 but is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island is 30-40 minutes by ferry from the V & A Waterfront (ask your taxi driver to drop you by the Clock Tower if you are coming that way as it is a large area). There are car parks here and sightseeing buses that stop nearby. The ferry leaves three times a day (weather permitting) at 9am, 11am and 1pm. We had booked in advance and this is highly recommended as it is a popular attraction. We failed to get on the first time we tried as bad weather had prevented the boat from running for a few days and all these visitors had now filled up the boats leaving the day we wanted to. Tickets cost ZAR 220 (£19/$29) which isn’t cheap but this includes the crossing and tour. Children are half price.

The island was first used as a prison for Portuguese convicts in the early 16th Century but it has not always been a prison it was also a hospital for leprosy suffers and the mentally ill in its time (although you could argue that they were imprisoned here too, as they wouldn’t have been allowed off the island), as well as for military training. It has been a museum and heritage site since 1997.

Arrive in plenty of time for your crossing as there are some security checks where you have to go through metal detector machines like at the airport and your bags are scanned. There is a photographer here taking photos of families, groups or individuals as you go on the boat. The ferry crossing, which on our day took just over 30 minutes, was uneventful. They show some films on the big screen relating to the island but not all screens seem to work well and there was a problem with the DVD on the way home. There are lavatories on board as well as a snack bar. I found the crossing quite smooth but some people appeared to be a bit queasy so take travel sickness tablets if you think this is likely to happen to you.

The tour is 3.5 hours long on average including ferry crossings. You do not really get a chance to wander freely; as you are all escorted on to large, noisy and smelly (diesel fume wise, rather than fellow passenger wise) buses and a guide will take you through the history of the island. To the best of my knowledge all tours are conducted in English. This aspect of the tour takes about 45 minutes and it was interesting to see the island, which is rather barren and unattractive. We saw the quarry where many of the prisoners were forced to work. Working in the blinding sun for a long period of time meant many who worked here suffered from sight problems for the rest of their lives, Mr Mandela included, as well as respiratory problems. You also saw the main town of the island which was where the prison staff lived. Three hundred people live and work on this island now, most for the museum and heritage site as well as support staff such as teachers at the school. We had a short break here to visit the local tuck shop and stretch our legs, before going to the main prison site.

At the main prison site we met a new guide, this section of the tour is always led by a former prisoner. He (there were no women political prisoners here, they were kept elsewhere) takes you into a dorm room, one that lower level prisoners would have stayed in and told you about his experiences. Our guide had been a prisoner here for six years and explained how the system set up was, when and what they ate, their numbers, what they did and how they obtained information from the outside world etc. I don’t want to spoil these stories for anyone who is thinking of coming here, but obviously experiences change depending on the ex-prisoner who is escorting you. I found our guide to be frank and honest, answering questions with candour and posing for photos. Obviously life was tough for a prisoner and a lot of their treatment was bordering on the inhumane, especially in the early years. Improvements were made in the Seventies.

We also were taken to an exercise yard and he showed us the window of the cell that was Mandela’s and we were able to go in the building and look at it from the corridor (it is behind glass), a very small room obviously, that wouldn’t even have had a bed in it until the late 1970s (prior to that they slept on mats on the floor) and a lidded bucket for a toilet. We did have some time to explore the cells of other prisoners at this point, often there were quotations from them displayed on the walls, and sometimes an artefact like a razor or a cup was displayed. I found this section very interesting but we had run out of time and needed to head back to the boat which is a few minutes walk from this part.

We were one of the last buses to leave when we arrived, possibly as we had stopped for the loo before getting on the bus. I do recommend being prompt to get off the boat and getting on one of the early coaches as this allows you a bit more flexibility at the end. There is a little walk you can do and see some penguins too, but we didn’t have time, although I saw a few wandering around. There is a good sized gift shop at the harbour with an interesting selection of books on the island and its history as well as some of the inmates. The public toilets are OK as such things go. The return journey was equally uneventful and you can pick up your souvenir photo if you wish for ZAR 30 (£2.60/$4) which has your party at the entrance of the boat placed on a background of Robben Island scenery. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 21, 2011

Robben Island/Robben Island Museum
Table Bay
Cape Town, South Africa 8002
+27 (0)21 409 5100

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Table Mountain

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Attraction | "The Day I Climbed a Mountain"

Platteklip Gorge Photo - Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

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We had planned to climb Table Mountain a few days into our holiday but this was always weather dependant. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to climb it when there was a perfectly adequate cable car willing to take me but I am never one to shy away from a challenge. On the morning in question it was very overcast and cloudy and we thought we wouldn’t be able to climb it, and even going up in the cable car could be off, if the winds were too high and the clouds too low. The mountain is 1085m (3559 feet) at its highest point, so it is no Kilimanjaro, and there are a variety of walks up if you are so inclined. GETTING TO THE MOUNTAINWe were fortunate to have private transpor...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 2, 2011

Table Mountain
Cape Town 7848
Cape Town, Western Cape 7848
00 27 21 7156136

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Boulders Beach (Penguin Colony)

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Attraction | "Bould over by the Penguins"

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One of the highlights of my holiday in South Africa was going down to Boulder’s Beach to visit the penguin colony. The beach is part of Table Mountain National Park but is actually a fair drive out of Cape Town in False Bay. It is best accessed with private transport, but you can get organised tours from Cape Town. There is a special boardwalk area on Foxy beach, which is one of the best places to see the penguins, which costs ZAR40 (£3.50/$5.35) plus you will need to pay the same again to get onto Boulder’s beach. The beach areas are open daily from 8am or 7am in summer (between Dec-Jan) and closes at 5pm in winter, 7.30pm in summer and 6.30pm at all other times. As you w...Read More

One of the highlights of my holiday in South Africa was going down to Boulder’s Beach to visit the penguin colony. The beach is part of Table Mountain National Park but is actually a fair drive out of Cape Town in False Bay. It is best accessed with private transport, but you can get organised tours from Cape Town.

There is a special boardwalk area on Foxy beach, which is one of the best places to see the penguins, which costs ZAR40 (£3.50/$5.35) plus you will need to pay the same again to get onto Boulder’s beach. The beach areas are open daily from 8am or 7am in summer (between Dec-Jan) and closes at 5pm in winter, 7.30pm in summer and 6.30pm at all other times.

As you walk through the gates you will see a small gift shop over to your left with penguin specific gifts that generally seemed quite expensive. On the right were the toilets, which I didn’t use.

Once you walk onto the neat boardwalk path, it will take you approximately two seconds to spot your first penguin. They are right there in front of you on rocks, in the grass, by the edge of the boardwalk (it is fenced so you can’t get off or reach to touch one), and in fact everywhere you look. Apparently there are 3000 penguins here now, and I am pretty sure we saw most of them during our visit. The boardwalk area is fully wheelchair and pushchair accessible.

The species of penguin that you will see is the African penguin, which is also sometimes called the Jackass penguin because it brays like a donkey. This needs to be heard to be believed as you really don’t expect that sound to come out of a penguin. They are black and white and quite small – I would guess they averaged about 18" (45cm) but not all were full-grown adults so it was hard to tell. I believe this is the only mainland colony, others can be found on islands off the coast. The species are considered at risk. They don’t have many land predators, but are at greater risk from seals and sharks at sea, as well as pollution.

You can spend as long or as little on the boardwalks as you wish watching the penguins interact with each other and go about their business. Sadly it was raining when we were there, which meant I had to be careful with my camera but the penguins didn’t seem to be that bothered by the weather and carried on regardless. Most will ignore you but some may look at you with interest, and we did try to ‘dance’ with them (more of a head sway really). There are two boardwalks – one is straight on opposite the entrance gate, the other is over to the right. Both lead down to Foxy Beach, but on opposite side so you will get an excellent view of them here, where lots of them congregate. When you feel you have seen everything at Foxy Beach then come out of the area and turn left out of the exit and follow the path to Boulder’s Beach.

I am not sure how long the path is (it is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs) to Boulders Beach or how long it took us to walk, as you can still see penguins through the fence into the woods (not the habitat we would expect to see them in) so you will find yourself looking for them and taking photos. I wanted a good photo of a penguin looking directly at me, but they weren’t very obliging and preferred to show their profile in the other 86 shots.

You have to pay again at the entrance to Boulders Beach; I believe it is the same as the price at the covered area. Boulder’s beach imaginatively got its name from the large boulders that are sat on it. It can be quite fun trying to see animal shapes in the boulders, and it is certainly striking scenery. Unfortunately as we arrived another group of tourists had walked onto the beach and startled a group of penguins who went running into the water. You can sit on the beach and swim if you wish. This would have been great apart from the fact it was a South African winter and a bit nippy. As it was, there was just one solitary penguin left on the beach, and he preferred his own company to ours so we left him alone. You are advised not to approach or bother the penguins, nor feed them or try and touch them (they bite if threatened) although I have heard that sometimes they will approach you out of curiosity.

As you walk out of the Boulders Beach area you will see some other penguins striding across the rocks to your left. If you wished you could just view the penguins from outside the Boulders Beach entrance or from the public footpath between Boulders and Foxy Beach without paying an admission charge. However I think the modest charge is well worth it and you do see a lot more penguins if you go into Foxy Beach, which is a fantastic opportunity to observe these unique and fascinating creatures at close quarters in their home environment. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 2, 2011

Boulders Beach (Penguin Colony)
4 Boulders Place Simon's Town
Cape Town, South Africa
+27 (21) 786 1758

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Hout Bay beach

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Attraction | "Sailing to Seal Island"

Hout Bay Photo - Hout Bay beach, Cape Town, South Africa

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Whilst based in Cape Town, South Africa we went to the Cape Peninsula area and en route we stopped off to get a boat trip to Seal Island. The boat leaves from Hout Bay which took us about 35-40 minutes to drive to, but that may depend on where you are based in Cape Town. There are a number of charter boats to choose from and it costs about ZAR50 (£4.35/$6.65) but discounts are available for groups. Seal Island is actually called Duikar Island and is home to Cape Fur Seals.We used Nauticat Charters and they had a good sized (22m) catamaran that had been modified with below deck glass windows which would have been lovely to view the seals by had we managed to get a seat down there - howev...Read More

Whilst based in Cape Town, South Africa we went to the Cape Peninsula area and en route we stopped off to get a boat trip to Seal Island. The boat leaves from Hout Bay which took us about 35-40 minutes to drive to, but that may depend on where you are based in Cape Town. There are a number of charter boats to choose from and it costs about ZAR50 (£4.35/$6.65) but discounts are available for groups. Seal Island is actually called Duikar Island and is home to Cape Fur Seals.

We used Nauticat Charters and they had a good sized (22m) catamaran that had been modified with below deck glass windows which would have been lovely to view the seals by had we managed to get a seat down there - however you can’t actually see anything else at this level, so this could be disorientating and also unpleasant if you suffer from motion sickness. The boat holds sixty people inside, and a further eighty on the upper (outside) deck. I presume the sixty inside seats includes the lower deck viewing area. There are toilets (I didn’t use) as well as a licensed bar (not at 8.45am thanks) which also sold snacks like crisps and chocolate. The boat trip takes about 40 minutes and on the morning we went it was quite busy, mainly with Japanese tourists. I chose to stand at the back of the boat, outside but under cover. As it was raining I wanted to be able to get a good view and covered up with my waterproof jacket fastened to the neck with hood securely up. Seal Island is situated close to some cliffs (I believe called The Sentinel) and can not be landed on, as I believe it is a protected area (nor is there anywhere to land it would seem).

The boat smoothly glided across the tranquil waters of the harbour and we admired a large, sleeping seal on the breakwater. I didn’t bother trying to take a photo, because we were going to see loads of them basking on the island but I got my camera out ready as the boat sailed beyond the harbour walls into slightly choppier waters. This may be an understatement about the slightly choppier waters…. I was glad to be at the back of the boat and not watching the massive waves coming towards us as we went up and down over the waves. Another boat from a rival charter company left at the same time as us and I watched it behind us, disappearing from my main-deck level view every time we went over a wave and dipped back down again. I don’t think I have ever been on such a rough boat and a number of people were feeling unwell. I concentrated on not falling over with the swell and trying (and failing) to take a photo of the other boat mounting the waves. The motion of the boat made holding the camera steady somewhat of a challenge.

When we got closer to the island our boat held back and the crew informed us they were waiting to see if it was safe to continue. A lot of people seemed to be coming down from the upper deck, which may have been at crew instructions I’m not sure. The other boat wasn’t bothered about stuff like 3m high waves (my best estimate) crashing onto nearby rocks. It sailed (or perhaps ‘bounced’ is a more appropriate word) along the seemingly quite narrow stretch of water between the cliffs and the rocks that made up Seal Island which seemed a bit foolhardy to me, but I am not really qualified to judge. I peered round the corner to see if I could see any of the island or some seals but the spray and rain was now coming directly towards me at an almost horizontal level, so I retreated back plus I did not want to risk getting water in my camera. Whilst the other boat had carried on and managed not to get wrecked on the rocks, our boat turned back in the end. Of course I was disappointed not to see the seals on the island, as they are photogenic creatures, but I don’t think I was the only one who was a little bit relieved to know that we weren’t venturing any further in those sea conditions. The journey back was uneventful and I thought possibly a little less bumpy.

Once we got back to the safety of the calm harbour waters the boat steered towards some seals frolicking on a small, half-sunk abandoned boat moored up there, and turned around so all passengers could get a view of them and take photos. It wasn’t the wildlife scene we had imagined before we set off. Allegedly you can also see whales and sharks in the waters of Hout Bay (beyond the harbour), but it wasn’t possible to spot any in these conditions. A bit later we had driven up the hill some way and looked down over the bay and the waters seemed much calmer, so it may just be the luck of the draw. If you want to come here in winter then I think you may need to have some flexibility in your itinerary. Sea sickness tablets would not go amiss either.

There is a café and gift shops by the harbour. The café does a lovely hot chocolate to warm you up after a windswept trip and if you use the café you can visit their toilets which are kept clean and tidy.

It is worth mentioning that I was here in August (i.e. winter time in this part of the world) so bad weather is a seasonal risk. Should you be coming at a different time of year or the weather was milder then I would recommend a visit here and hope that you are luckier than we were. The boat trips run several times daily weather permitting. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on September 19, 2011

Hout Bay beach
Victoria Avenue, Hout Bay
Cape Town, South Africa 7806
+27 21 790 1264

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Victoria and Alfred Waterfront - Alfred Mall

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Attraction | "Spend a Day at the V & A "

Clock Tower at V & A Waterfront Photo - Victoria and Alfred Waterfront - Alfred Mall, Cape Town, South Africa

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The V & A Waterfront is situated by Cape Town’s harbour and is a modern and busy shopping and entertainment area. It is close to the football stadium and you can see Table Mountain from here also (clouds permitting). It is from here that you can access boat trips around the harbour and also to Robben Island, the former prison that held political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela. It is quite a vast development and includes some hotels and top-end luxury apartments, plus private mooring spots for your yacht. The full name is Victoria and Alfred (not Albert as I first assumed) Waterfront. Alfred is Queen Victoria’s second son, who tipped the first load of stone to build the breakwate...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 19, 2011

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront - Alfred Mall
Dock Road
Cape Town, South Africa 8001
+27 21 408 7500

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