Robben Island

Since the end of the 17th century, Robben Island has been used for the isolation of mainly prisoners. Robben Island was first used by the Dutch settlers as prison. It is believed that one of the first prisoners was probably Harry die Strandloper. Amongst its early permanent inhabitants were political leaders from various Dutch colonies, including Indonesia, and the leader of the mutiny on the slave ship Meermin. After a failed uprising at Grahamstown in 1819, the fifth of the Xhosa Wars, the British colonial government sentenced African leader Makanda Nxele to life imprisonment on the island . He drowned on the shores of Table Bay after escaping the prison.

Starting in 1845 the island was used as a leper colony with lepers from a colony near Caledon moved to Robben Island. This was initially done on a voluntary basis. Prior to 1892 an average of about 25 lepers a year were admitted to Robben Island, but in 1892 that number rose to 338, and in 1893 a further 250 were admitted.

During the Second World War the island was fortified and BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX–X and 6 inch guns were installed as part of the defences for Cape Town. It was also used as a prison.

This, island with a rich history, is an island in Table Bay, 6.9, west of the coast of Cape Town. Robben Island is the Dutch name for "seal island". The island is 3.3km long and 1.9km wide, roughly in an oval shape.

It is of particular note that it was here that Nobel Laureate and former Presidents of South Africa Nelson Mandela and Kgalema Motlanthe, alongside many other political prisoners, spent 27 years imprisoned during the apartheid era. Among those political prisoners was current President of South Africa Jacob Zuma who was imprisoned there for ten years.

Cape Town tours can include Robben Island and can be combined with a tour to the Victoria Falls. Cape Town tours can also be combined with a self drive to the Kruger National Park.

Vist our partner blogs for more information:

• Mauritius Honeymoons
• Cape Town for You
• South Africa Lodge Review
• South Africa History

National Park of the Month - Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 square kilometres, extends 360 kilometres from north to south and 65 kilometres from east to west. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

History of the Kruger National Park Sabi Game Reserve (1898 - 1926)
In 1895, Jakob Louis van Wyk introduced in the Volksraad of the old South African Republic, a motion to create the game reserve which would become the Kruger National Park. That motion was accepted for discussion in September 1895 by a majority of one vote, resulted in the proclamation by Paul Kruger president of the Transvaal Republic, on 26 March 1898, of a "Government Wildlife Park." This park would later be known as the Sabi Game Reserve and was expanded into the Kruger National Park in 1926. During 1923, the first large groups of tourists started visiting the Sabie Game Reserve, but only as part of the South African Railways' popular "Round in Nine" tours. The tourist trains used the Selati railway line between Komatipoort on the Mozambican border and Tzaneen in Limpopo Province. The tour included an overnight stop at Sabie Bridge (now Skukuza) and a short walk, escorted by armed rangers, into the bush. It soon became a highlight of the tour and it gave valuable support for the campaign to proclaim the Sabie Game Reserve as a national park.

1926 - 1946 After the proclamation of the Kruger National Park in 1926, the first three tourist cars entered the park in 1927, jumping to 180 cars in 1928 and 850 cars in 1929.

During 1959, work commenced to completely fence the park boundaries. Work started on the southern boundary along the Crocodile River and in 1960 the western and northern boundaries were fenced, followed by the eastern boundary with Mozambique. The purpose of the fence was to curb the spread of diseases, facilitate border patrolling and inhibit the movement of poachers.

1994 - present In 2002, Kruger National Park, Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique were incorporated into a peace park, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

The park lies in the north-east of South Africa, in the eastern parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. Phalaborwa, Limpopo is the only town in South Africa that borders the Kruger National Park. To the north and south of the park two rivers, the Limpopo and the Crocodile respectively, act as its natural boundaries. To the east the Lebombo Mountains separate it from Mozambique. Its western boundary runs parallel with this range, roughly 65 km distant. The park varies in altitude between 200 m in the east and 840 m in the south-west near Berg-en-Dal.

The highest point in the park is here, a hill called Khandzalive. Several rivers run through the park from west to east, including the Sabie, Olifants, Crocodile, Letaba, Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers.

The climate of the Kruger National Park and Lowveld is subtropical. Summer days are humid and hot with temperatures often soaring to above 38 °C. The rainy season is from September until May. The dry winter season is the ideal time to visit this region for various reasons. There is less chance of contracting malaria and the days are milder. Viewing wildlife is more rewarding as the vegetation is more sparse and animals are drawn to the waterholes to drink every morning and evening.

African Fingerprints Safaris and Tours offers Kruger Safaris and Kruger Tours to the Kruger National Park.

Photo Week - 28 August 2012

This photograph of a leopard was taken recently on a safari to the Kruger National Park. We were staying at Pretoriuskop and were on our way to Skukuza. Around 8am we noticed a number of cars and to our surprise they were looking at a leopard. This she was on the left side of the road and then crossed the road to another tree on the right. After a few minutes she decided to take a stroll down the road before disappearing in the bush. This certainly has been one of my best sightings of a leopard in Kruger. Luckily there were not too many vehicles which kept the leopard calm. Let African Fingerprints put together you next Kruger Safari to the Kruger National Park.

Namibia 2012

I was fortunate enough to travel through a large part of Namibia during the month of may for just over three weeks. I will share my experiences visiting Etosha, Epupa, Sossusvlei, Kunene, Kaokoland, Purros and Swakopmund.

Monkeyland - Plettenberg Bay

In January we ventured out to Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. The highlight of the day on our South Africa Self Drive was the visit to Monkeyland, located east of Plettenberg Bay. It was a great experience walking in the natural forest with all the different apes and monkeys roaming free.

Monkeyland opened its doors to the public on the 6th of April 1998. Our unique primate sanctuary is currently the top eco-tourism attraction on the Garden Route and for very sound and sunny reasons. Monkeyland has captured the hearts of visitors in its efforts to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates. The sanctuary is exceptional as it caters for several species of primateswho are not caged. They are free to move about the forest and this they do most harmoniously.
At Monkeyland, the emphasis on searching for the primates, and the reward is to see the various species as they are meant to be: free and in a natural habitat. The transfer of information about these fascinating creatures enhances your visit to the sanctuary during a safari. The safaris are conducted by multi-lingual game rangers and are fun, exciting and educational. Our guests leave our sanctuary with a greater understanding of the primates of the world and the threats they are facing.

On the guided safaris you can expect to see a variety of primates, ranging from the Gibbons of Asia to the Lemurs of Madagascar. The knowledgeable rangers will tell you all about these fascinating mammals as you encounter them roaming free in the forest. They also point out, identify and explain the many wonders of life in the forest, from the rich diversity of bird life to the intricate workings of the forest itself.

South Africa Tours - Photographic Safaris - Mauritius Holiday
Hunting Buffalo - Pretoria Accommodation - RSA Travel Directory