Gerald Crawford was born in South Africa, studied electronics, telecommunication, eco-travel and african travel concepts. He taught responsible tourism in South Africa. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail me on. E-mail Address: southafricantravelarticles@12234455.co.za Website Address: http://www.12234455.co.za
Visit the island where Nelson Mandela (Madiba) was imprisoned for 27 years for his beliefs.
Robben Island is known the world over as a place of banishment exile, isolation and imprisonment. For nearly 400 years, colonial and apartheid rulers banished those they regarded as political troublemakers, social outcasts and the unwanted of society to this 575-hectare rocky outcrop in Table Bay.
The Island's unwilling inhabitants included; slaves; political and religious leaders who opposed Dutch colonialism in East Asia; troublesome local Khoikhoi and African leaders who resisted British expansion in South Africa; Leprosy sufferers and other sick and the mentally disturbed; French Vichy prisoners of war; and most recently, political opponents of the apartheid regime in South African and Namibia.
Robben Island's Most Famous Prisoner:
During the apartheid years Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs. Yet people such as Nelson Mandela emerged to lead South Africa to democracy, with a message of tolerance, reconciliation and hope.
Those imprisoned on the Island succeeded in turning a prison "hell-hole" into a symbol of freedom and personal liberation.
The Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island:
The Robben Island visitor experience begins at the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, at the Clock Tower Precinct inside Cape Town's V&A Waterfront.
The Gateway is the "mainland front door" to Robben Island, symbolising the importance of the island in South Africa's young democracy. The Gateway houses a 150-seater auditorium, boardrooms and a Robben Island Museum shop, among other facilities. Digital, interactive exhibition spaces on all three floors of the Gateway building provides the visitor with a historical context of Robben Island's Maximum Security Prison, as well as reflecting the broader span of the island's history.
Robben Island receives upwards of three hundred thousand visitors each year, with the highest percentage being South Africans. More than 95% of the visitors described their visit to Robben Island as a positive uplifting, eye-opening experience.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- South African Test Cricket Tour of India 2008 - History, Schedule and The Teams
- Africa Travel Guide
- Explore Africa. Ignite the Adventure
- Missionary Work in Africa & Dangers Of Travel
- Breaking the Poverty Cycle in Africa-the Case of Infrastructure Investment
- Luxury Travel Tours To Africa
- Malaria Prevention - South Africa
- South Africa's Only True Desert
Inside Look At Movie Studios In Hollywood
By: Todd Cordisco | 31/12/2009Overview of Hollywood movie studios and the various tours offered at each of the studios.
Tourism earnings the only way forward for Ireland
By: Seamus Maguire | 31/12/2009The current economic crisis pertinently emphasises the fact that Ireland cannot rely on our industrial output to create the necessary GDP to keep Ireland afloat in what is the worst world depression in history. We need to look at increasing our tourist revenue to substitute for the decreasing earnings from industrial and service sectors.
Real Gap Year Adventures
By: babs23 Ellison|Allisson|Karoll|McAndrew} | 31/12/2009Want a real gap year experience? You will not believe some of the cool extreme sports gap years at Xtreme gap Year. Xtreme Gap Year is a real gap year company focussing on value, fun and adrenaline travel Xtreme gap yearis a different style of gap year company, founded on the principals of being great value, they offer fun exciting gap years. The gap year industry has received a lot of press recently, not all of it h...
Hotels in Kovalam welcome you to Kerala
By: Gaurav Kaushik | 31/12/2009Premium hotels in Kovalam - Lavishness in the most soothing setting and that’s what the premium Kovalam hotels are for. Replete with facilities like range of guestrooms to decide from, in house multi- cuisine dining options, leisure amenities, the list in this category is never ending. Hotel Samudra, Surya Samudra Hotel and Poovar Island Resort are a few to name in this category.
Hotels in Cochin
By: Gaurav Kaushik | 31/12/2009Places to Visit: Important places to visit in Cochin are Dutch palace, Mattancherry, Jewish Synagogue, Mattancherry , St. Francis Church, Fort Cochin, Santa Cruz Basilica Church, Bolghatty Island, Willington Island, Gundu Island, Siva Temple, Ernakulam, Kalady, Chinese Fishing Nets, M angalavanam, Pallippuram Fort, Malayattoor Church and Thattekad Bird Sanctuary.
Museums in Austin
By: Joe Cline | 31/12/2009Austin isn’t short on history and its museums are a way to experience every bit of that history. Whether you’re a history buff, have children or just want a nice way to spend an afternoon in Austin, give these museums a try. They are but a small sampling of the variety of museums in this city. AMOA - Downtown (located at 823 Congress Avenue) The Austin Museum of Art – Downtown (AMOA) is a branch of AMOA which has a few locations around town. This version was opened in 1996. It has over 12,000
Christmas Camping in France
By: Lorraine Waddell | 31/12/2009Camping in France at Christmas may be slightly in the chilly side, but you will find the spirit of family and generosity that surrounds you will warm you up in no time. Whilst the celebrations are different in every region, each is as spectacular as the next. Though...
4 Seasons of Camping in France
By: Lorraine Waddell | 31/12/2009Many people might consider themselves to be fair-weather campers, believing that camping holidays should be saved only for the sunshine of the summer months. But camping in France can make for a fantastic holiday all year round, with each of the four seasons offering something different. Autumn Everyone associates the autumn with...
Transkei - Green Rolling Hills Scattered With Round Thatched Huts of the Xhosa People. - "african Experience"
By: Gerald Crawford | 01/01/2009 | TravelTranskei is situated between East London and Durban in the Eastern Cape - South Africa. You will find green rolling hills scattered with round thatched huts, and a stunning open coastline.
Cape Town Lure Visitors With Spectacular Beauty and a Rich Cultural Diversity
By: Gerald Crawford | 18/10/2008 | HotelsExcursions in Cape Town South Africa: Robben Island and Table Mountain, Capman's Peak Drive lookout Chapman's Peak, Penguins on Boulders Beach, Cape Point.
Robben Island Cape Town South Africa
By: Gerald Crawford | 02/05/2007 | TravelRobben Island is known the world over as a place of banishment exile, isolation and imprisonment. For nearly 400 years, colonial and apartheid rulers banished those they regarded as political troublemakers, social outcasts and the unwanted of society to this 575-hectare rocky outcrop in Table Bay.
Free State is the Agricultural Heartland of South Africa
By: Gerald Crawford | 02/05/2007 | TravelHowever, the Free State is landlocked so it doesn't have Cape Town's beaches, and its economy is based on large scale maize agriculture and mining, neither of which are particular decorative. But, it is seriously underrated.
Haute Cuisine - South African Durban Style!
By: Gerald Crawford | 02/05/2007 | TravelThe Bunny Chow is a very simple affair consisting of a hollowed-out quarter, half or full loaf of bread filled with any available curry including beef, mutton, chicken or beans. The Bunny Chow should be freshly made out of mature curry and the piece of bread, or virgin, which was removed to make room for the curry should be placed on top of the Bunny before it is wrapped. Some chefs add sambals to their Bunnies but many feel that this is an unnecessary elaboration.
Tourist Attractions in the City of Durban South Africa
By: Gerald Crawford | 02/05/2007 | TravelDurban offers a variety of historical places of interest to visit in between trips to the beach.
Best Beaches in Kwazulu Natal South Africa
By: Gerald Crawford | 02/05/2007 | TravelWith some 600 kilometres of coastline only a handful of popular breaks get crowded, but many quieter waves can be found along the coast, with many good roads making for easy access. With all this on offer any surf fanatic would be sorry to miss this awesome coastline, and your adventure could even find you surfing a strip of coast that has never before been touched!