The Historical Side to Cape Town
Robben Island
The historical Robben Island is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 12 kilometres from Cape Town. Boat trips to the Island leave from the V&A Waterfront.
For almost 400 years, Robben Island was a place of exile and imprisonment where those who were considered political troublemakers or social outcasts were sent to live out their lives. Robben Island is now open to the public and tours can be taken showing where the prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, lived out their sentences.
- www.waterfront.co.za
- Tel: +27 (0) 21 408 7600
The Castle of Good Hope
The Castle of Good Hope was built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company as a maritime replenishment station. It is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa.
- www.castleofgoodhope.co.za
- Tel: +27 (0) 21 787 1260
Museums
The South African Museum
This museum houses inspired exhibitions and collections which will give you a better understanding of the earth and its biological and cultural diversity, past and present. You will also find the Planetarium next door – it is a celestial theatre which recreates the night sky and transports you through the wonders of the universe.
The District Six Museum
District Six was originally the 6th municipal district of Cape Town and was established in 1867 as a mixed community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, labourers and immigrants. In 1966 during the Apartheid regime, the area was declared a white area under the Group Areas Act, and by 1982 the life of the community was over and over 60 000 people were forcibly removed from the area and their houses flattened by bulldozers.
The District Six Museum, established in 1994, serves as a memory to this area and the people who lost their homes and livelihoods.
- www.districtsix.co.za
- Tel: +27 (0) 21 461 8745
Townships
Township Tours are a great way to experience how the majority of South Africans live. Be guided through Khayelitsha (the second largest township in South Africa) or Langa (the oldest township in SA) by one of the residents of the area and see local industries and visit a shebeen (township bar).
Many tour companies advertise townships tours of all kinds. Give us a call on +27 (0) 21 488 1500 and we will book one for you.