One of south africas most famous sights, robben island is located four miles to the west of cape town. Pre book your ticket to robben island to secure your visit enjoy the comfort of a hotel pickup learn about life during apartheid through the voice of a former prisoner visit the cell where nelson mandela was imprisoned. Ill forever remember having walked inside and peeped through that historic mandela jail cell where he was held for most of his 27 years in unjust imprisonment at the dreaded robben island, on march 27, 1998, alongside then editorinchief of time magazine and later news chief executive of the. Bus tour guide was informative, interesting and entertaining. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century such as the maximum security prison for political prisoners, witness the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression and racism. Take a trip around the island take a guided tour of robben island which will include the various homes of expolitical prisoners and other landmarks. The running of these ferries does depend on the weather. Optional extras where prebookings are required can be selected at. Robben island museum a top attraction tourist site in cape town and south africas symbol of oppression must be on your bucket list of tours to do when. Enjoy a ferry ride take an enjoyable 45 minutes ferry boat to robben island enjoying the sea breeze and the scenic beauty. The sorting system of prepaid tickets at the robben island ticket.
You can buy your tickets at the waterfront, at the robben island information centre near the lighthouse, or you can pre book tickets online. Mar 15, 2014 robben island by charlene smith, who is a renowned writer and documenter of south africa and other countries, is an inspiring story of this place of horrible imprisonment which became a symbol of hope after nelson mandela was released. Ferry to robben island times there are several ferries leaving for robben island throughout the day. Voices from robben island by jurgen schadeberg 1994, trade. The tour commences with a ferry trip across the bay to robben island. Portion will be subject to the availability of robben island tickets at time. Apr 5, 2021 during the apartheid years robben island served as a prison for. Nov 28, 2018 robben island tickets cannot be resold and can only be used by the registered passenger. Battle of the books robben island the heritage portal. The prison island robben isalnd in the board bay before cape town was for decades under the regime of the. The infamous prison was nelson mandelas enforced home for 18 of his 27 years in jail, and also housed other political prisoners. From the 17th to the 20th centuries, robben island served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Early bookings are essential for the busy period between novmarch.
The tour includes a return trip, for more info visit. Passengers should arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled times of. Failure to produce corresponding proof will result in full price being charged. The journey takes around 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to admire spectacular views of cape town and table mountain and to look for the whales, dolphins, penguins and fur seals that inhabit table bay.
Please pre book your robben island tour online before your holiday starts to avoid disappointment when you arrive in cape town, especially if it is the festive season. We wiil book and reserve you a boat trip ticket ptivate tour for robben island and see the. Apr 05, 2021 pre book your ticket to robben island to secure your visit enjoy the comfort of a hotel pickup learn about life during apartheid through the voice of a former prisoner visit the cell where nelson mandela was imprisoned. Cancellation policy reschedules are only allowed 48 hrs before the tour. It was a training and defence station in world war ii 19391945 and a hospital for people with leprosy, and the mentally. Children under 2 enter for free with a presentation of a birth certificate.
During peak season robben island has 4 ferries, the earliest sets out at 09. Robben island ferry and prison tour for nonsa citizens pre booked ticket. Worth it for the views of cape town from the water alone. When you arrive on the island you are split into two groups. If youre staying in cape town for several days, try and get on a robben island tour at the earliest opportunity, as you cant be 100% sure that sudden changes in the weather wont rule it out later. Best things to see and do in cape town world travel guide. Prison tour guide, an ex political prisoner, was extremely interesting. This new, extensively updated edition of robben island details the island s political and social history as a mailstation. Robben island tours and times things to do in cape town. One group goes on a bus tour of the island first while the other groups sees the prison cells, meets a former political prisoners, and culminates with a visit to nelson mandelas cell. It takes its name from the dutch word for seals robben, hence the dutchafrikaans name robbeneiland, which translates to seals island.
Its advisable to pre book with robben island tours or online. When i pleaded they were kindly able to get me a spot the next day. Things to do in cape town and everything you need to know about robben island, the attractions, history and information for visitors, tourists and residents. Guide to the history and importance of robben island.
Forecasts are not necessarily reliable here as i experienced when i visited. Tickets can be booked online via the robben island museum website. Apr 12, 2021 ferry to robben island times there are several ferries leaving for robben island throughout the day. I did pre book robben island all of the boats were cancelled the day i booked and i was offered an immediate refund, as they had no open spots until weeks after i was leaving cape town. Robben island 1939 1945 edited and published by the naval heritage trust, simons town 20, paperback, illustrated, 344 pages. Robben island museum a top attraction tourist site in cape town and south africas symbol of oppression must be on your bucket list of tours to do when planning a holiday in south africa. From the harbour, you will board a bus in order to tour the main sites on the island. Cape town,robben island and cape town city tour with table. It was used as a prison for opponents of apartheid, including nelson mandela, and is now a museum. Visit the nelson mandela gateway to robben island to learn about. Robben island is slightly more than 7km from cape town about 4 12 miles and the waters are sharkinfested, with rough waves crashing against a rocky shore so swimming to the mainland would be incredibly difficult. Ferries typically depart at 9 am, 11 am and 1 pm so prebooking is essential to secure your spot. Positive id will be checked against all ticket details for access.
This comprehensive and informative guide to one of the most controversial pl. A tour of the island is three and a half hours long and takes you on a journey through every aspect of what life was like on the island. Aug 21, 2019 pre book this one as it is very popular. Robben island museum cape town central, south africa. All our robben island tours come with prebooked tickets and can be conducted in half or fullday tours with a combination of other top attractions in cape town. It seems absurd to complain, though, when one is about to tour a former prison. Read robben island the memoirs of dan zwelonke mdluli by dan zwelonke mdluli available from rakuten kobo. Robben island best known as the maximumsecurity prison where former south african president nelson mandela was incarcerated for 18 years has been a place of harshness and brutality, but also a place of love, suffering and triumph. This tour includes entrance fees to places of interest as per the itinerary and your pre booked robben island tickets. Nov 05, 2020 reading the diary of anne frank on robben island with dr.
Robben island ebook by dan zwelonke mdluli 9781493123605. This south african island, where mandela was imprisoned for eighteen years, has been a mail station, a place. Underground parking is available by the radisson red and silo hotel. We went in early july, not a busy time for capetown, we booked in advance. It is important to arrive 30 minutes before departure. We are booked on a 17 day tour of south africa in may and will only have 4 days in cape town before returning home.
The robben island excursions are operated by a nonprofit foundation, and tickets are sold on a firstcomefirstserved basis. Nobel laureate and former president of south africa nelson mandela was imprisoned on robben island for 18 of the 27 years he served behind bars before the fall of apartheid. Fully revised, this new edition of robben island provides absorbing accounts of daring escapes, maritime disasters, lepers ostracized from mainland society, the fates of the great xhosa chiefs of the nineteenth century, and the unique bonds of friendship and compassion forged among the political prisoners confined on the island during the. A trip to robben island from cape town go live young. Inscribed on unescos world heritage list in 1999, robben island is known for being used as a prison, leprosarium, psychiatric hospital and military defence post. Robben island ebook by charlene smith 9781920545796.
Robben island museum, cape town central 7400 south africa. This is a nonfiction book written as fiction, an harrowing task. Robben island museum, cape town central 7400 south africa we will start this amazing experience with a pick up from your hotel at. Robben island is a place of scenic beauty rich memory and a fascinating history. Robben island museum in crisis mode with 50% salary cuts. Its history as a prison is almost as old as the first dutch settlement on the cape, dating all the way back to the 17th century. South africa tour packages with airfare from usa smartours. The windswept island, with its astounding legacy of confinement and brutality for those exiled there and its paradoxical existence as a sanctuary for bird and animal life is a place of mystery and amazement to the many who visit it. Robben island photos and premium high res pictures getty images.
Robben island cape town nelson mandelas island tickets. There are a few guided scheduled tours which depart from nelson mandela gateway to robben island at clock tower between 09h00, 11h00, h00 and 15h00. Robben island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Robben island by smith, charlene penguin random house south. Robben island dark tourism the guide to dark travel. Nov 28, 2018 as robben island is resplendent with beautiful vistas and amazing past, you should put it in your bucket list looking to book a holiday package. The trip will take about three and a half hours, including the return trip and a tour of the island. Robben island or robbeneiland afrikaans is an island in south africa, located off cape town, 6.
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