South Africa is home to an innumerable amount of beautiful, rare plant life that can barely be matched by any other country in the world. And there is no better place to see the beauty of this great flora than the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town.
South Africa's National Flower
This prestigious garden provides a great deal of fun for anyone looking to spend their free time in the mother city. It is situated underneath the eastern slopes of iconic Table Mountain, which provides an awe-inspiring backdrop when walking through the various pathways of the garden.
You can also climb from the gardens to the top, along a pathway called Skeleton Gorge, the easiest and most popular trail up the mountain. On the hike you can expect to see a great variety of indigenous rare plant species and can, as you move forward, look back on the view of the divine garden.
The summer South African months allow the array of wild, indigenous flowers to flourish, providing an abundance of color and smell. You can expect to fall in love with the tranquil garden as you walk around and find the many things to see and do, for example, inspecting one of the many Zimbabwean stone sculptures or the famous South African proteas dotted around.
On your walk around the garden you will come across the many picturesque streams and ponds and admire the beauty of the wildlife that surrounds the garden. Exotic birds make their home in this beautiful, protected garden and as a result many keen bird watchers head there to have a picnic and watch the birds dip and swerve in the warm summer air.
There are a number of different styled gardens including the Fragrance garden, The Dell and the Water-Wise Garden. Don’t forget to check out Van Riebeeck’s Hedge – planted way back in 1660 to protect the Cape Colonists cattle!
What you do and how long you stay in the garden is completely up to you; the garden provides a self-serving restaurant, a tea-room, a gift shop, and a nursery for young children so you may explore the heavenly gardens to its full extent.
On The Slopes of Table Mountain
If exploring the plant life on a relaxed walk and a picnic with a nice bottle of South African wine is not for you, you might like to try one of the many concerts that take place in the garden during the summer months. The concerts vary in musical form to cater to everyone’s taste and are an amazing way to spend the dying hours of the sunlight. You may take a picnic with you to any of the concerts; however food and drinks are available around the garden, and the view of the sun going down behind the mountain makes for a very special evening before you are immersed in the lights and action of the stage.
The concerts take place every Sunday from November to April. The concerts include everything from classical music for the more sophisticated ear, to carols at Christmas and modern music for the younger generation. There is so much to do and see in the gardens that a trip to Cape Town is not complete without a visit!
For more great ideas on what to do and see, we will be delighted to help you make the most of your Cape Town vacation and holiday time.
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