Robben Island

Robben Island is the former prison island, 11 kilometers out the coast of Cape Town. During the Apartheid, Robben Island was the prison island where the political prisoners were send to. Robben Island was also used as a lepra camp.

Probably the most famous prisoner was Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela was sentenced to solitary convinement in 1964. Nelson Mandela was convicted because of his leadership and fight against the Apartheid. For Nelson Mandela this fight against the Apartheid resulted in 27 years in prison, of which 18 were in solitary convinment in Robben Island. When Nelson Mandela and the other inmates arrived in 1964, they suffered by the way they were being handled. But Mandela and a few of his friends soon got respect from the gaurds. But years had to pass before the government softened the treatment of their political prisoners.

When Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, this proved to be a turnover for South Africa. In 1994, the first democraticly held elections gave Nelson Mandela the leading role he wanted back in the '60's.

Nowadays, Robben Island is used as a museum, to show the tourists what the life of the prisoners ment. After arrivel, you will go with a guided tour, first to the prison where you can see Nelson Mandela's cell. Several former inmates have given some of their personal belongins to Robben Island, so tourists can see what the inmates were making through during their inprisonment.
At the end of the tour, you will drive around the Island in a bus.

To visit Robben Island, you have to buy a ticket at the Nelson Mandela Gateway, next to the Clock Tower at the V&A Waterfront. The ferry to Robben Island will take approximately 40 minutes.
When you are unable to buy a ticket at the Nelson Mandela Gateway, you could try to go with a township tour, most of these tours have a visit to Robben Island included in their program.