Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Photo courtesy Randy OHC

Kirstenbosch is South Africa’s world-famous national botanical garden, set against the backdrop of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak, and home to over 22000 indigenous plants.

Kirstenbosch is part of the Cape Floral Kindom which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2004.

Kirstenbosch was established in 1913 to protect the immense floral wealth of the Cape region. Located on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, this 528ha (1305 acre) botanical wonderland is magnificent in any season. Paved paths make walking around the gardens a pleasure, and signboards provide information on the trees and plants as you stroll along with a partner, children or simply alone. There is a daily walking tour (at 10h00, no cost) and visitors can enjoy golf cart tours every hour (for just R25).

The glass-topped conservatory is home to numerous plants – including an enormous baobab tree – from different South African habitats. If you’d like to go back in time some 3.2-billion years, the Gondwanaland Garden displays types of plants that were present when there was only one continent on planet Earth.

The Cycad Garden shows off a family of plants that dates back some 200-million years and the Fynbos Walk takes one through the fynbos vegetation, unique to the Western Cape and the Cape Floral Kingdom. The Useful Plants Garden has a selection of medicinal plants used to treat a number of ailments.

If you’re a keen hiker, you’ll enjoy two popular paths, the Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Ravine, which wind their way up Table Mountain. You’ll need to be fairly fit, and to set aside the better part of a day for both these hikes. Afterwards you can refresh and replenish your energy at the Botanical Café outdoor coffee shop (open from 08h00 to 17h00). The Silvertree Deli and Restaurant (open from 08h00 to 21h00, (+27 21 762 9585; www.kirstenboschrestaurant.com) can organise picnic baskets to be enjoyed on the lawns and it serves breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

In summer there are open-air concerts on Sundays, and it’s best to bring a loaded picnic basket and enjoy the gardens at your leisure, as you sip Cape wines. Get there early, as they’re very popular. The Silvertree Restaurant also hosts a Winter Concert programme that is also popular with locals and visitors.

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