Another incredible day trip the hubby and I planned in Cape Town incorporated Robben Island and Table Mountain. After a relaxing breakfast at 52 De Wet we took a taxi to the V&A in time to board the 11am ferry to Robben Island. I would thoroughly recommend pre booking your tickets at Robben Island Museum Tour as the tour was fully booked when we arrived. It also saves the hassle of queuing as you can book and print tickets online in advance.
There is a small museum, toilets, a café and gift shop to keep you entertained whilst you wait for the ferry. The ferry takes about half an hour and to be honest is really what it says on the tin, nothing glamorous or exciting! On arrival you are split into coaches and taken on a guided drive around the island. It's a great way to see more of the island than you would have a chance to on foot. There is a break midway to see the penguins and incredible views back towards Cape Town as well as grab a drink, snack or use the toilets.
The next part of the tour is a guided walk around the maximum security prison conducted by an ex political prisoner. This part of the tour was really interesting and brought the entire place to life. We learnt about the different menus for the different prisoners and saw how they lived and worked. There is also a chance to see Nelson Mandela's cell (pictured below) and ask questions about prison life.
Post the tour it is a short walk back to the harbour where again there are toilets, a gift shop and snacks on sale before returning to the mainland via ferry. The entire tour takes around 3.5 hours and costs 300 ZAR per person. Ours took slightly longer than planned as the ferry was late. This is such an interesting trip and one I would recommend everyone to take whilst in Cape Town.
On our return to the V&A we decided to take a little lunch break! After a wander around the V&A we decided on Harbour House, which is a gorgeous seafood restaurant right on the waters edge with a large terrace to dine outdoors. I had a huge and incredible sushi platter for 195 ZAR and the hubby chose marinated tiger prawns with French fries for 205 ZAR. We also had a couple of glasses of white wine. The food was delicious, the setting was gorgeous and the price was amazing for what we had! This was a perfect lunchtime spot.
After lunch we took a taxi from the waterfront to Table Mountain. Again pre book your tickets at Table Mountain Cableway for 350 ZAR per person to avoid queuing on arrival. The cable car takes a few short minutes and rotates so everybody can get a great view. At the top there is a café and toilets as well as a gift shop. However, the most important part is the guided walkway with the incredible views:
You can hike up and down table mountain, take helicopter rides and even abseil! Ensure you go to Table Mountain on your first clear day in Cape Town. Tickets purchased online are valid for one week from your chosen date and are refundable. In bad weather the cable car will close and on a foggy day you just will not be able to appreciate the views. However, you must make this a priority for your visit, the scenery will take your breath away, pictures cannot do it justice.
There were plenty of taxis available to take us back to our hotel for a quick swim, shower and sun downer!
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