,url-https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripexpert.com%2Fimages%2Fmarker-fade%402x.png(18.43417,-33.98847)/18.403223119676113,-33.89416472589358,9.058000638356095/1280x214@2x?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoidHJpcGV4cGVydHdlYiIsImEiOiJja2Fud3l2MDcwbXZ0MndyeGF3eGI3ZWhzIn0.zLqNa1RECyZZadF8zfQM5w)
Robben Island MuseumvsKirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Both are recommended by writers. Overall, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is preferred by most writers compared to Robben Island. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden comes in at 96 with endorsements from 11 reviewers such as National Geographic, Afar Magazine and Lonely Planet.
Robben Island Museum
Time Out
Condé Nast Traveler
Afar Magazine
Fodor's
Travel + Leisure Condé Nast Traveler Travel + Leisure
Frommer's
Robben Island, Cape Town Central 7400, South Africa
From $0/night
Time Out "For nearly 400 years the island served as a place of banishment - not just for supposed criminals but also for many other unwanted members of society, including lepers." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "A bracing ferry trip to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent much of his 27-year sentence, puts South Africa in its historical context." Full review
Afar Magazine "Robben Island served as a place of isolation and imprisonment for over four centuries, but today it is a World Heritage Site and museum." Full review
Fodor's "Made famous by its most illustrious inhabitant, Nelson Mandela... it is finally filling a positive, enlightening, and empowering role in its latest incarnation as a museum." Full review
i
Make bookings at least three weeks in advance. Take sunglasses and a hat in summer.
Travel + Leisure "Today, the on-site museum organizes daily tours of the island that begin with a 30-minute catamaran ride from the Nelson Mandela Gateway." Full review
Condé Nast Traveler "This island off the coast of Cape Town is where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27-year prison sentence." Full review
Travel + Leisure "Visitors can tour the former prison and see the cell where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. Other attractions on the island include a penguin sanctuary and lepers' graveyard."
Cape Town Travel Guide
August 5, 2021
Frommer's "Aside from the heart-wrenching moment when you see the minuscule cell... much of the island tour can feel a touch formulaic." Full review
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Online booking is advised as tours can sell out far in advance.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Concierge
Lonely Planet Time Out Condé Nast Traveler Afar Magazine
National Geographic Fodor's
Michelin Guide Travel + Leisure Frommer's
Rhodes Drive, Newlands 7700, South Africa
From $0/night
Concierge "Located a ten-minute drive from central Cape Town, this modern Eden is devoted to indigenous plants, and you'll find about 5,000 of South Africa's botanical species here."
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"Location and unique flora combine to make these 36-hectare botanical gardens among the most beautiful in the world." Full review
Time Out "The grounds have a tangle of walking trails... like the Bath in the Dell, a wild almond hedge planted by Jan van Riebeeck back in the 1600s, and a lane of gigantic yellowwoods." Full review
i
The weekly Sunday summer sundowner concerts have become a tradition
Condé Nast Traveler "Perfect for anyone who is a nature-lover or in need of open space." Full review
Afar Magazine "The world-famous botanical garden is a stunning venue, as the sun begins to set over the backside of Table Mountain and the bandshell lights twinkle." Full review
National Geographic "Landscape gardens feature numerous varieties of flora from the Cape Floral Kingdom." Full review
Fodor's "Spectacular in each season, these world-famous gardens showcase stunning South African flora in a magnificent setting." Full review
Michelin Guide 2 Stars
"Kirstenbosch Gardens is located on the former estate of Cecil John Rhodes, on the eastern slope of Table Mountain." Full review
Travel + Leisure "The Cape Peninsula is one of the world’s six Floral Kingdoms, home to thousands of plants found nowhere else in the world." Full review
Frommer's "Established in 1913, Africa's most beautiful garden spread is filled with indigenous wonder—7,000 plant species, many of them rare or threatened" Full review
