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South Africa Travel + Tourism Guide: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

National Botanical Gardens Kirstenbosch

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (Tel: 021 799 8783) is a popular tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage site in Cape Town up there with Table Mountain and the Waterfront in terms of numbers of visitors.

Founded in 1913, Kirstenbosch is dedicated to conserving the great diversity of South Africa's indigenous flora. Of the 25,000 plants at Kirstenbosch the vast majority (with only a few exceptions) are native to southern Africa. Covering 528 hectares, the land originally belonged to Cecil Rhodes who left it to the nation on his death. Cecil planted te avenue of camphor and fig trees that remain today but otherwise the land was rough and inhabited by wild pigs.

The garden was first developed by the British botanist Henry Harold Pearson. Now Kirstenbosch is known for its diverse fynbos flora particularly proteas and its natural forest. There is also a 36 hectare cultivated garden, greenhouses and a herbarium. The free walking tour begins at 10am each morning and there are hourly shuttle trolley tours.

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Kirstenbosch hosts outdoor concerts in the summer and there is a cafe and restaurant in the gardens. Kirstenbosch is a starting point for the the Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge ascents of Table Mountain.

Kirstenbosch Access

Open 365 days a year. 8am-7pm (September-March) and from 8am-6pm (April - August). Admission 35 Rand. Kirstenbosch is 13 km from downtown Cape Town city centre. Driving from the city, take De Waal Drive (M3) in the direction of Muizenberg, at the first traffic light intersection turn right (south) into Rhodes Drive (M63) and follow the signs to Kirstenbosch. There are weekday buses from Cape Town and Mowbray Station and the Golden Acre bus terminus.

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