Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

This is frequently cited as one of the best botanical gardens in the world and if you visit you will see why. The setting on the edge of Table Mountain National Park is unbeatable even when the table cloth is rising and falling.

The easiest way to arrive is to take the "hop on hop off" city tour bus. This allows you to enjoy some wine tasting on the way back to Cape Town. Don't miss the coral trees, the protea garden and the recently-installed treetops walkway. Plus if you are peckish the cafe at the bus stop entrance serves English cream tea.

This is considered one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world. Located on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, on the outskirts of Cape Town, it boasts over 500 acres and encompasses areas of cultivated gardens and nature reserve spaces. It retains 2,500 native plant species. It also has a library, a research centre, an education centre and the headquarters of the South African National Biodiversity Institute.