Kirstenbosch Gardens

Sundays are usually regarded as lazy days, spent relaxing, doing laundry, and catching up on reading. Our first Sunday in Cape Town was no exception, but rather than relaxing in bed, we took a walk through Kirstenbosch – the national botanical gardens. The 1,304 acre park sits at the base of Table Mountain, about 15 minutes from the apartments in Milnerton. The gardens are world-renowned for their diversity and beauty. The tangled trees and giant tropical flowers and palm frond are vaguely reminiscent of Jurassic Park, and all throughout our walk we were wary of baboons lurking in the trees.

We explored various “specialty gardens,” such as the fragrance garden, where visitors are encouraged to pick leaves and examine their texture and scent. The historic Colonel Bird’s Bath is a natural spring that was adapted to purify water before channeling it toward the house in the early 1800’s. Other sites included the medicinal plants, useful plants, weed garden, and stone sculptures.

We ended our day with lunch at the botanical garden’s café, where the food (cranberry and brie baguettes), the view (

Table Mountain as a backdrop to the gardens), and the company (Coach and Mrs. Dooley) were all delightful. As far as lazy Sundays go, our first in Cape Town was incredibly enjoyable and enriching.

- Skyler Serenbetz