Robben Island

Robben Island is a former prison and World Heritage Site about 12km from Cape Town which rose to fame as a prison for political prisoners between 1961 and 1991. The most famous Robben Island inmate was Nelson Mandela who spent many of his 27 years of imprisonment there.

Today tours are conducted of the prison on Robben Island (some of the guides are former inmates). The 3-4 hour involves a half-hour boat trip from the V&A Waterfront out to the island and a tour of the prison facilities (including a visit to Mandela's old cell). Visitors are also taken on a 45 minute bus tour of the island with informative commentary from a tour guide.

The views over the bay back onto Table Mountain are also worth seeing and the half-hour boat trip is very enjoyable.

• These tours are fairly popular so you will have to pre-book at least a few hours before
• Try to bring a little snack and something to drink or you'll be shelling out on the way
• There are several tour operators so try to find the deal which best suits you