An African Adventure: Day 3 – Robben Island and Two Oceans Aquarium

Where and when: Cape Town, South Africa, 15 September 2025

It’s my last full day in Cape Town. This morning, I have a trip booked to Robben Island. Robben Island is an island near Cape Town, famous for its former maximum-security prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years out of his 27 years in prison.

Robben Island

0910: The tour begins with a ferry ride to Robben Island, which departs from V&A waterfront. It is a large group over 100 people.

0950: Once at Robben Island we are shown on to busses for the first part of the tour. 

The first stop is the former prison visitor centre – political prisoners were only allowed visitors once every six months. All conversations had to be English or Afrikaans – many prisoners couldn’t speak either of the language, so they couldn’t communicate with their visitors.

Many of the prison buildings were built by the political prisoners.

The bus tour also stopped by the stone quarry where prisoners had to do hard labour – without personal protective equipment, causing health issues for the remainder of their lives.

On the bus we also saw the Robben Island village –  previously for prison officers, now housing museum staff and maintenance staff.

Robben Island was leprosy colony in 19th century. A cemetery from that time still remains.

After the bus tour, we had a walking tour of the prison blocks with an ex-political prisoner who told us about the time of his imprisonmentat at Robben Island.

Most prisoners were held in dormitories of upto 30 people. They were given meagre rations and their letters with the outside world was heavily censored.

There were many educated professionals among the prisoners at Robben Island – there were also many illiterate prisoners as well. The prisoners taught each other during their time here, in what became know as the “University of Robben Island”.

Final part of the tour was Nelson Mandela’s cell – as a high profile prisoner, he was held in an isolated cell.

1200: Back on the boat. During the two hours we were on Robben Island, the wind had picked up and the seas had turned rough. I am normally ok with a bit of choppywaters but the waves were so big that I was really quite nervous. I was lucky to have booked the morning tour, because all tours for that afternoon and the next day were cancelled because of the weather.

1330: Boat finally docks at the water front. The return journey took longer due to the rough seas and then when we got back, the boat took another 30 minutes to dock, so I was quite glad to get out.

Tip: If you are planning to visit a Robben Island, book the tours directly on the Robben Island Museum website. They are the only provider of tours on the island.   There are many tour companies selling tickets for guided tours of Robben Island but all they do is book you onto the official tour by Robben Island museum. I booked my tour via GetYourGuide, but all I got was a booking onto the standard tour and I ended up paying twice the price compared to booking direct. 

Two Oceans Aquarium

1500: After lunch, I decided to explore the  Two-Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town.

Being at the southern tip of Africa, South Africa has a unique coast line – the warm water Indian Ocean on one side and the cold water Atlantic Ocean on the other.

The aquarium also serves as a turtle rehabilitation centre. Many injured turtles are rehabilitated here and released back into the ocean.

Overall, it is a great way to spend a couple of hours.

1630: It is time for the evening feeding at the aquarium. So I grabbed a RED cappuccino and watch the feeding. Red cappuccino is made of caffeine free Rooibos. It only grows in the Cape region of South Africa. Rooibos tea is available in the UK, and I like it, so it was a great to be able to try Rooibos Cappuccino (which you can’t get in the UK).

Outside, the weather had turned and Table Mountain has completely disappeared. What a difference a day makes.

For the next time in Cape Town

My time in Cape Town is over, but it has been brilliant. I was very pleasantly surprised by Cape Town, and I will definitely be coming back. Over dinner, I considered what would be on my list for a return visit.

• Visit to Cape Agulhas, most southerly point of Africa
• Visit to Cape Town Winelands
• Hike Table Mountain and/or Lion’s Head
• Spend more time at Camps Bay
• Visit a Rooibos tea farm and a tea tasting
• Spend a bit more time shopping for jewellery

Tomorrow, I head to Zimbabwe to begin the next leg of my trip. More on that in the next post!