Travel Plans for 2011: South Africa Part Two

As promised, today we continue our research about Cape Town (the latest destination on our travel wish list) with other interesting information about this lovely city and its surroundings – we hope you will find them useful too.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

A special place that we don’t want to miss is The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which covers 36 hectares, just 13 km away from downtown Cape Town.
The garden is easy to find: you can get here by car, going from Cape Town towards Muizenberg and following the signs to Kirstenbosch, or by bus – there are several bus services operating 7 days a week.
Botanical garden tours are available for walkers – there is a special audio guide for walkers, providing some useful safety tips – as well as for those who prefer the comfort of a shuttle car – the ticket is 45 Rands per person.
The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden was opened in 1913 and is home to thousands of species of plant, with two main types of vegetation: Fynbos (South African shrubs) and forests. Rare plants such as the giant baobab and other millions-of-years-old species are the attractions of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, near Table Mountain, South Africa

The garden lies at the foot of Table Mountain and has a Mediterranean climate, with the best time to visit during summer, when most plants are in flower.

Robben Island

Robben Island is another popular attraction of the Cape Town area. Located about 7 km from the city, the island is famous for its amazing landscapes, the rare species of animals it houses, as well as for its history: over the years, important political personalities such as former president Nelson Mandela, were imprisoned here.
A tour of the island lasts for roughly three hours and includes transportation by ferry, a walking tour and a visit at the museum.

Aerial view of Robben Island, South Africa

While on the island, you can take a few pictures of the famous Robben Island Lighthouse, built in 1864 and electrified in 1938. Penguins are also very popular amongst photographers.

Those were the most interesting things we found out about Cape Town during our research and we hope to have the opportunity to write about each of them after our planned visit there.

Had your own South African holiday recently? Have any suggestions for places to see in the surroundings of Cape Town that you wish to share? Please send them to us using the comment box below.