Whether you’re greenfingered or not, Kirstenbosch is more than just a Botanist’s dream. Perfectly manicured gardens meet dense forests and unruly stretches of the peninsula’s renowned fynbos, all at the foot of Cape Town’s show-stealing landmark, Table Mountain. Welcome to “the most beautiful garden in Africa”.
Founded in 1913 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, these botanical gardens may not have been on your radar before, but as any local will tell you, they should be. Home to 7,000 species of plant – entirely native to southern Africa – it’s here that you will witness the Cape Floral Kingdom in all its glory.
Behold the ancient baobab, lush fern garden and arid desert display in the Conservatory, before wandering the Peninsula Garden where you’ll find over 2,500 species of plant, originating from the Western Cape area.
In the Fragrance Garden, a collection of sumptuously scented flowers have been elevated so that you won’t have to break your back getting a good whiff of them all. And over in the Medicine Garden, you’ll receive a lesson in the various medicinal qualities of a number of flora and fauna.
But it doesn’t stop there. Covering a mighty 528 hectares and protected as part of Table Mountain National Park, you’ll be strolling grounds punctuated by a pretty Sculpture Garden, an oasis-like natural lake, free-falling waterfalls and, you can’t forget to pause at the wishing well – you never know, it might just come true.