CHRISPIN 360's video: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is proof that not all gardens were created equal. Go on, pay it a visit. You can thank us later. It’s a favourite among locals and visitors alike for many reasons: picnics on the lawns, hiking up Skeleton Gorge, enjoying a glass of chilled Chardonnay before a summer sunset concert, exploring the many shady trails, and taking in the panoramic views from the canopy walkway, to mention just a few. THE GARDEN’S HISTORY Regarded as one of the great botanic gardens of the world, Kirstenbosch—or rather, the land on which it sits—was bequeathed to the government by Cecil John Rhodes. At the time, it was nothing more than ramshackle farmland overrun with pigs. In 1913 a botanist called Harold Pearson set about transforming the land into a botanic garden devoted to the country’s indigenous flora. It now contains over 7000 species of plants from southern Africa. The 528-hectare Kirstenbosch Estate (which includes the Garden) falls under the Cape Floristic Region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.