"Located in Table Bay, visible from almost anywhere in Cape Town, Robben Island looms in the background much like Alcatraz in San Francisco. But this infamous island has 400 years of its own fascinating history. Once occupied by wildlife and indigenous peoples, it was important for trade and hunting during the Age of Exploration before later becoming home to everything from banished convicts to a whaling station and even an insane asylum. Today, it's where 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." - Katie Jackson Katie Jackson Katie Jackson is a New York City-based writer who covers travel, food, and more. Her work has appeared in USA Today, The Sunday Times, Esquire, Outside, New York Post, and Travel + Leisure,
