From bomb shelters to leper colonies, there are countless facilities that have been repurposed to attract visitors. Here are some of them.
Source: The prison where Mandela was held is now a tourist attraction
Life In Lockdown | Day 35: Take a virtual tour of Robben Island; Nomvelo Masango; Times Live
While the idea of touring an infamous prison from the comfort of your couch may seem weird at first, you’ll be glad you did.
Source: LIFE IN LOCKDOWN | Day 35: Take a virtual tour of Robben Island
Living In Lockdown: The 7 Best UNESCO World Heritage Sites You Can Visit Without Leaving Home; Sandra MacGregor; Forbes
The coronavirus has brought travel to a standstill. But thanks to Google and UNESCO, you can visit many of the world’s best World Heritage Sites without the crowds or the jet lag.
Source: Living In Lockdown: The 7 Best UNESCO World Heritage Sites You Can Visit Without Leaving Home
13 Cool Things to Do in South Africa in 2020; Matt; Nomadic Matt
Planning a trip to South Africa? This guide can help you decide what to do! It has a list of Matt’s favorite things to do when in the country.
The Perfect Two-Week South Africa Vacation; Robert Glazier; Goway
Spend two weeks touring one of the most beautiful countries in the world, returning with amazing memories of a trip to South Africa. Robert Glazier don’t mind going out on a limb when he says South Africa is one of the most scenically-attractive destinations anywhere. It is blessed with a wonderful climate year-round, which makes it …
8 must-visit heritage sites in SA; Eyewitness News
Each is unique and offer a range of experiences, including plant life, wildlife, majestic mountain views, cave paintings and more.
Nelson Mandela Centenary: Six places to visit that are connected to Madiba’s legacy; Luke Daniel; The South African
If you want to learn more about Nelson Mandela and his fascinating story, here six places of important historical significance to Madiba and his fight for freedom.
Source: Nelson Mandela Centenary: Six places to visit that are connected to Madiba’s legacy
14 Things you Must Do in Cape Town; Brooke Saward; WORLD OF WANDERLUST
Ever since my first visit four years ago, I’ve long been obsessed with the city of Cape Town and its flexibility to take on so many personas. Part city part adventure hub, there’s so much to see in Cape Town and surrounds, that I’m sure a list thrice this long would be easy enough to create. However the beauty of Cape Town is that you can pick and choose the best activities that suit your interests, so for WOW readers, I’ve selected the 14 things you must do in Cape Town to make the most of the city in a few days.
1. Visit the top of Table Mountain
The crowning jewel in the crown that is Cape Town is without a doubt the view on top of Table Mountain. If time is on your side and you don’t mind an early start, hiking Table Mountain is a great way to start the day and feel like you’ve “earned” those views.
Source: 14 Things you Must Do in Cape Town | WORLD OF WANDERLUST
Musings on a visit to Robben Island; YTSL; Webs of Significance
When I think of South Africa, I think of Nelson Mandela. One of the world’s very few genuinely great political leaders in recent memory, he’s someone I felt — and, actually, continue to feel, even after his death — much admiration, respect and affection for. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the number one slot on my “must go to while in South Africa” list belonged to the island that was home to the maximum security prison where Madiba spent 18 of his 27 years behind bars as a political prisoner.
Located just 11 kilometers or so from Cape Town, Robben Island is a small, fairly flat and rocky island in Table Bay that’s home to more than 130 species of birds (including African penguins!) but doesn’t have any trees indigenous to it.
Dire Straits: Robben Island Museum operators determined to keep top tourist attraction afloat; Marianne Thamm; Daily Maverick
Considering that over eight million people have visited UNESCO World Heritage site the Robben Island Museum in the past 20 years, the near sinking of a chartered passenger vessel, the Thandi, and the emergency evacuation of around 70 passengers on 15 September is an anomaly. But it has highlighted a problem that has plagued the museum since it first opened to the public in 1997 – to get the some 350,000 visitors per annum safely on and off the island. On Wednesday members of the museum executive and the South African Maritime Authority briefed the Western Cape Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Economic Opportunities on the incident. By MARIANNE THAMM.
They talk about the weather a lot; the people tasked with running the ferries and vessels that traverse the choppy eight nautical miles between the iconic Robben Island and the Cape Town harbour.
Meet The 10 Historical Prisons In Africa And Around The Globe; MA; How Africa News
Regularly, a jail is not a place you’d need to visit, and unquestionably not a vacation spot. In any case, some memorable detainment facilities around the globe have turned out to be renowned points of interest and are even viewed as an absolute necessary attractions. Here’s a rundown of ten notable and Infamous prisons which are interested in people in general
1. Alcatraz Island, California – The little island of Alcatraz in front of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf was the site of the primary beacon in the Western United States. It turned into a jail in 1934 and stayed dynamic till 1963. The greatest security jail was home to famous detainees like Al Capone. 36 detainees attempted to get away from the rough island throughout the years, the majority of which were caught, shot and murdered, or suffocated.
EAT, DRINK & … 24 HOURS IN CAPE TOWN; Sarah Buitendach; Financial Mail
Got a few hours to kill between meetings or sneaking to the Fairest Cape for a weekend getaway? Here are a couple of picks to jazz up your itinerary:
Stay
The Silo Hotel at the V& A Waterfront is part of the brilliantly converted grain silo structure that’s been reimagined by architect Thomas Heatherwick.
Later in the year, the keenly awaited Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa will open its doors in the building. For now though, one can stay in the rather plush hotel and make the most of its creature comforts and the view of the city and Table Mountain.
Head for the Willaston Bar, nab a bottle of Cinsault, settle into a deep-buttoned velvet couch near the 5.5m windows and get cosy.
Eat
Make like the city’s trendy crowd and do the Hokey Poke!
7 Reasons You Should Visit Robben Island, South Africa; WorldAtlas.com
Robben Island is not any ordinary island in the sea but has a long history of political imprisonment with the great leader Nelson Mandela being one its most famed political prisoners.
1. Easily Accessible From Cape Town
Robben Island is located in the Table Bay, 6.9 km from the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The roughly oval-shaped island is about 3.3 km long and 1.9 km wide. It covers an area of 5.07 square km. The island is quite flat in nature and erosion has reduced its height close to the sea level. The island is open to tourists and can be easily visited from the tourist hotspot of Cape Town.
2. Nelson Mandela Served 18 Years Of Jail Term On This Island
Robben Island and Mauritius heritage site ink ‘twinning’ deal; IOL
Two Unesco World Heritage Sites have signed a twinning agreement that will solidify their links.
Robben Island Museum and Le Morne Cultural Landscape, in Mauritius, have joined forces.
Both these sites are a symbol of cultural diplomacy.
“As a World Heritage Site, continuous innovation and capacity building is key as stipulated by its Capacity Building Strategy, adopted by the World Heritage Committee in 2011,” says Robben Island Museum’s chief heritage officer Pascall Taruvinga.
“The strategy responds to the identified needs of a diverse and growing audience for capacity building for World Heritage conservation and management activities.
‘‘Development of resource materials such as best practice case studies and communication tools are among the activities foreseen by the strategy.
“Therefore, the twinning agreement between the museum and Le Morne Cultural Landscape is a fulfilment of this strategy.
Celebrate Heritage month by visiting South Africa’s top Heritage sites; Kriya Gangiah; Jacaranda FM
Whether you’re feeling out of touch with your heritage or seeking inspiration, here are SA’s top beautiful heritage sites you need to explore this heritage month.
South Africa has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, areas that have been given special international status for their unique qualities. If you are interested in culture and natural history, then you may well want to plan a visit to at least one of these sites.
Robben Island
One of the most famous tourist destinations in the Cape, Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela and many other Freedom Struggle heroes were imprisoned. Stand in the jail cell of Nelson Mandela and experience life in the yard as you go on a guided tour done by previous inmates, which together with the location, history and prison conditions make for a highly emotive experience.
