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South Africa
Covering 36 hectares, Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens is situated in Cape Town, South Africa at the foot of the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.
A well known exhibitor at Chelsea Flower show, displaying the floral diversity found in southern Africa, this natural paradise offers a comprehensive taste of the Cape's flora and fauna.
Enjoyed by locals walking their dogs and tourists alike, often seen picnicking on the manicured lawns which lead to ponds frequented by bird life, an afternoon can be had in the warmth of the sunshine and peaceful sound of Cape reeds moving in the breeze, perhaps only marginally dogged by inquisitive and noisy guineafowl.
Permanent Shona stone sculptures from Zimbabwe are positioned around the grounds while organised events including changing art exhibitions showcasing contemporary, local talent and botanical drawings can be viewed and purchased. During the year bonzai and orchid workshops are held as well as summer concerts in the warm evenings under starry, African skies.
Craft markets provide outlets for local communities to showcase their work while the deli and restaurant offer local specialities and champagne breakfasts. The ever popular tearoom refreshes hikers with cups of rooibos tea and tasty cakes.
Ancient cycads are housed in their own protective amphitheatre while rockeries and streams provide interest for youngsters. The shady camphor avenue offers some respite from the heat of the day and if you are lucky, the sighting of owls, almost hidden in the upper branches. This is near the conservatory, home to southern African succulents and cacti, the majestic baobab, the smaller kokerboom and rock plants.
Paths for children, the blind (sensory trail) and wheelchair users are all catered for while longer trails radiate into uncultivated areas and the surrounding Table Mountain National Park. These surrounding routes, enjoyed by dedicated walkers follow in the footsteps of historical figures such as General Smuts, leading to native silver trees which shimmer in the sunlight and the location of van Riebeeck's hedge on the slopes of the mountain - the Dutch national credited with establishing a refreshment station for seafarers at the tip of Africa in the1650s. Here the occasional mountain tortoise can be spotted ambling along on the hot, dusty sand.
Energetic visitors can walk past beds of ericas and proteas to embark on a winding route up Nursery Ravine to Castle Rock, the imposing stone hunk above the gardens and admire the vegetation or fynbos, as it is called, from above. You might be lucky to spot a disa orchid, indigenous frogs or just admire the sunbirds and sugarbirds darting around dipping their long beaks into nectar rich blooms.
www.sanbi.org/frames/kirstfram.htm
Wynberg NU (2), Cape Town 7800, South Africa +27 21 799 8783
Google map: bit.ly/ktkoeL
• Cities are always best seen on foot, and Cape Town is no exception - enjoy modern creative Cape Town or an historical City tour.
• Enjoy a local theatre production with music ranging from opera, to swing, jazz, kwaito and hip-hop.
• With the Cape Town Design Route guide you can explore the city’s top design shops and art galleries.
• A Cape Malay Cooking Safari involves a visit to the Bo-Kaap museum, a tour through this historical area and cooking course and lunch in a local resident’s home.
• Get into the groove on a Cape Town Jazz Safari.
• Abseil off the top of Table Mountain.
• Party the night away at a shebeen and stay over in a local bed and breakfast in the townships.
• Shriek all the way to the bottom when you go sand-boarding.
• Take in the breath-taking views from the top of Table Mountain (weather permitting).
• Visit the District Six Museum and immerse yourself in the memories of what was one of Cape Town’s most colourful communities before residents were subjected to forced removals during the Apartheid era.
• Stop, shop, have a bite to eat or explore the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront.
• Begin your evening with sundowners on the Camps Bay strip or at the fireside at one of the city’s award winning restaurants and end off by catching some live music on Long Street in the City Centre
www.CapeTown.Travel
Semi-classy African bush themed restaurant, where you can try game meats such as warthog, crocodile, kudu, ostrich etc.
If you don't want to commit to a large expensive game steak, try the smoked venison platter starter.
267 Long St
(Dinners only)
Google map: tinyurl.com/ylbhnu7
Try the ostrich burger, washed down with a Jack Daniels and peanut butter milkshake. Hefty and delectable.
Salad portions are generous and colourful
273 Long Street, Cape Town
Google map: tinyurl.com/y8knzjl
Visit the Penguin Colony and get close (as close as the boardwalk and fencing will allow you, which is within a few metres) to lots of penguins. They strut their stuff for the tourists and their cameras. When you're done, leave the colony itself and turn left on along the footpath to the other side of the Boulders Bay. Here you can sit and watch the penguins parade by a few feet away, or, if you're really lucky, swim with them.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is a heavenly place to visit. On the slopes of Table Mountain, with clear crystal fresh air, one of the nicest things to do is listen to the open-air concerts on a summer's evening.
Dusk descends gently over the sloping green lawns and the air, scented from the diverse range of flowers and plants, is filled with a different choice of music each Sunday evening.
Take a picnic including some superb chilled South African white wine to sip, while you relax, take in the views and listen in one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.
Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Private Bag X7, Claremont
Tel: +27 21 799 8899
Fax: +27 21 797 6570
INFORMATION OFFICE: (021) 799 8783/8620 weekdays: (021) 7614916 weekends
www.nbi.ac.za/kirstenbosch/mainpage.htm
The best aquarium I've ever been to with species I never even knew existed like the giant spider crabs, which can grow up to 1 metre tall, and the tomato clown fish, whose males can turn into females at will. You'll also see sharks, stingrays, penguins and crocodiles. Well worth a visit, plus it's near all the great shops so when you're tired of fishing for bargains…
Dock Road, Victoria and Albert Waterfront, Capetown
Tel: +27 21 418 3823
The West Coast is only now starting to be discovered by tourists. Yes, the water is cold and yes, the wind can blow but the views and of course, the seafood, more than make up for it!
Paternoster has a great beach and a lovely, unspoilt fishing village feel. Head to the hotel for some of the best 'honest' seafood you'll find in the Cape.
Head up West Coast Road for about 80kms
www.paternoster.co.za/
It's extremely thought provoking to see how these citizens have come to live in such an interesting, tight community. You will see schoolchildren in nothing more than a corrugated hut, and women cooking for hundreds. There are also very different ethnic groups that keep to their own township.
Vicky's B&B is in a township where you can stay and experience true hospitality. It is also a moving experience; the children have very little, and yet are very happy.
They want to travel the world, just like you. Their hopes and dreams are the same as anyone's. Don't miss this really interesting and emotion-provoking experience.
All hotels, Guesthouses, B&B will have information, try and book with one that puts money back into the townships
Kalk Bay Harbour - reminiscent of a Cornish fishing harbour. Arrive about lunchtime to watch the fishing boats come in with their catch of the day. It's fun watching the catch being landed and then auctioned off. The seals come right up to the harbour edge to pick up the scraps thrown overboard.
Kalk Bay
Great guest house in St James, which is next to Kalk Bay. Very clean and friendly, great value, huge rooms.
In Cape Town you're spoiled for choice when it comes to beaches, but if you're looking for something a bit different try Boulders - it has it's own colony of penguins which mingle with the beachgoers. The beach itself is nice, although the water is a little cold in winter.
Unsure of the exact address, but as the neighbouring penguin colony is a major tourist attraction it should be easy to find
Eat under the stars, in a treehouse or lounge around on the huge outdoor sofas and enjoy tribal dancing and other performances. Under 12s can join in a drumming workshop (parents allowed too!) or take an ecology tour around the grounds - there's a cheetah centre on the estate too. Almost forgot, Spier Estate also has a great deli; buy food and wine for lunch and picnic at the lakeside.
Slightly old-fashioned, possibly colonial style, hotel, which offers a touch of class at a price the non-business traveller, with or without his family, can afford.
Relaxing garden, outdoor pool - the very opposite of the modern American style hotel.
Tel.
021 6833044
Stay in nearby Hout Bay or Constantia for cheaper accommodation. Visit the marina and take a boat trip to the seal colony. Travel to Hermanus and in season, there are whale-watching boat trips and scuba diving as well as a reasonable drive to the southernmost tip of Africa - Cape Aghulas.
Try Grootbos nature reserve at www.grootbos.com
A tour company run by a young man from the Cape Town Flats area trying to get his business off the ground. Chris took us on a wonderful day's tour of the wine fields and to the Cape of Good Hope. He was fun, informative and relaxed. We felt good about redressing some of the financial imbalances only too visible as a result of the years of apartheid.
Tel: Chris on 083 246 1924
They can be seen at Boulders Beach.
Buffels Bay is in the Cape Point Nature Reserve. Turn left from the access road just before reaching Cape Point itself. The beach is extremely quiet and has seawater pools for swimming, colourful rockpools for the kids and a collection of braii machines (concrete firepits for bbq'ing).
The view is magnificent and with very few people the beach is teeming with wildlife including buck, ostrich and baboons. The baboons can be pretty persistent trying to steal your sausages from the fire so ask a local about borrowing a baboon whip to scare them off if they come round!
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