Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, nature walks, fynbos, South Africa, Cape Town,

The Kirstenbosch Botany tour

Includes: Fynbos tour with accredited guide and botanist, entrance fees, transfers return City Bowl.

2-3 hour Fynbos walk: ZAR 450 p.p.

In the crook of Table Mountain’s verdant Eastern slope lies Cape Town’s most prized natureal jewel: the stunning Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
There can be no more perfect way to unravel a summer’s day than with a leisurely ramble through the rolling lawns and flower gardens of this gentle landscape, and no better guides than Ince and Duncan: qualified Botanists, nature enthusiasts, passionate conservationists and experts in the miraculous plant kingdom called Fynbos.

Native to the Western Cape, the tiny Cape Fynbos (“fine bush”) Kingdom comprises over 9 000 species, making it more diverse than that of any other region, barring the Amazon River forests. Your guide will unfold the wonders of these hardy little plants, their intriguing survival strategies, and their fascinating curative properties.

In the indoor greenhouse, you can see plants and flowers from a number of different regions, and on the lawns there are often remarkable outdoor exhibitions of Zimbabwean stone sculptures.

Wander down a shady pathway into the bowels of the valley, and you might find yourself at the spring where famed 18th century writer and artist Lady Anne Barnard is known to have bathed in the nude. Climb up into the Garden’s higher reaches, and you will tread trails that could call you on towards the breathtaking Skeleton Gorge ravine, Rhodes Memorial, and Constantia Nek.

Founded in 1913, Kirstenbosch Gardens was unique in its time as the first botanical garden to be created with the express aim of preserving the indigenous flora of the region. Five out of the country’s six different biomes are represented here; most importantly, the Cape’s very own plant Kingdom: Fynbos.

These extraordinary plants play a crucial role in the eco-system of the area, and have adapted to their environment in several intriguing ways; notably in their ability to draw sustenance from poor soil, and in their incorporation of seasonal fires into their life cycles.

Several species have medicinal properties long known and taken advantage of by the Khoisan and other indigenous Cape peoples. Some, such as Rooibos and Honeybush, are now beginning to draw interest across the world. Most visually striking of the Fynbos species are the Protea family, of which the Garden boasts an impressive array.

Set against the imposing backdrop of a mountain shaggy with stone pines and silver trees and crowned in mist, Kirstenbosch is an endlessly varied pleasure which never fails to delight.

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