Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Beautiful green lawns stretch across this land with the magnificent view of the Eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is ranked as one of the most beautiful botanic gardens in South Africa. Don’t miss this one whilst visiting Cape Town.

Kirstenbisch Botanical Gardens

Fun facts about Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens:

• On every Sunday afternoon from the end of November until the beginning of April, open-air music concerts take place at Kirstenbosch.
• Kirstenbosch offers guided club car tours of the garden every day.
• As an alternative to eating at one of Kirstenbosch’s restaurants, one can also buy a picnic basket from Silvertree Restaurant or the Kirstenbosch Tea Room and have a picnic in the Garden.
• Kirstenbosch offers wonderful hiking trails up Table Mountain
• Kirstenbosch’s New Year’s Eve concert is one of the biggest events in Cape Town on 31 December.

False Bay

Photograph by Michael McSweeney

Congratulations Cape Town!!!

New York Times has voted Cape Town as one of the Top Ten Hippest Cities in the World.Not only has Table Mountain been added to the 7 Wonders of the World but Cape Town was voted as Design Capital of The World 2014. Pretty impressive!

Cape Town, Western Cape

Cape Town at Night

Cape Town Lightning

Photo by: Glenn Kasner

An electrical storm which went over Table Mountain. Brilliant photography

7 World Heritage Sites

Did you know South Africa is home to 7 World Heritage Sites?

Here they are:

Cradle of Humankind, Johannesburg, Gauteng

1. The Cradle of Humankind 

The discovery of early human activity dating back 3 million years ago. The most popular      cave is Sterkfontein where over 500 fossils and over 9000 stone tools artifacts were     discovered. 

Australopithecus sediba was discovered two years ago.

2. The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park 

iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal

It is now known as the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park. The Park was declared a World     Heritage Site on the 1st of December 1999. The Wetlands is home to the largest Hippo      population and over 1000 crocodiles. the Wetlands has a very special visitor during   November, the Leatherback Turtle and the Loggerhead Turtle uses the protected beaches to lay their eggs.

The Leatherback Turtle

3. Robben Island 

Robben Island, Cape Town, Western Cape

Famously known as the prison where President Nelson Mandela was held for 27 years. The   Prison was used for many reasons such as training and defence station in World War II     (1939-1945) and a hospital for people with leprosy, and the mentally and chronically ill    (1846-1931).Political and common-law  prisoners were kept on the Island during this time. 

Nelson Mandela

4.Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park

Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, KwaZulu-Natal

SA-Venues describes it in perfect detail:

"The Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park has exceptional natural beauty in its soaring basaltic buttresses, incisive dramatic cutbacks, and golden sandstone ramparts. Rolling high altitude grasslands, the pristine steep sided river valleys and rocky gorges also contribute to the beauty of this world heritage site."

Visit their site: http://www.sa-venues.com/game-reserves/kzn_drakensberg.htm

Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, Limpopo

5. Mapungbwe Museum, Limpopo

 The two main sites, Mapungubwe and K2, were proclaimed National Monuments in the early 1980’s. Boundaries are being set for the creation of a cross-border peace Park, named Mapungubwe National Park, this is also now a World Heritage Site.

6. Cape Floral Kingdom

Cape Floral Kingdom

The famous Fynbos region is found here. It is one of the richest areas for plants in the World. It is home to 20% of the continent's flora.

 7. Vredefort Dome

This is the biggest meteorite impact that geologists have yet found on Earth and it is nearly twice as big as the impact that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. It is also the oldest impact crater that has been found on Earth. It is mainly for these reasons that it has been made a World Heritage Site. 

Vredefort Dome, Free State

Source: 

Cradle image: http://johannesburg.jozibeartours.co.za/images/mar.jpg

Cradle info: http://www.southafrica.info/travel/cultural/sterkfontein.htm

Skull: http://www.savingwater.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Australopithecus_sediba.jpg

St Lucia: http://www.south-africa-tours.com/images/st-lucia2.jpg

Leatherback Turtle: http://www.wildlifeextra.com/images/leatherback-underwater.JPG

Robben Island: http://www.robben-island.org.za/

Nelson image: http://members.shaw.ca/mklerck/robbenisland/madibajail.jpg

Robben Island: http://www.flintstours.co.za/images/robbenisl.jpg

Drakensberg image: http://www.nature-reserve.co.za/images/1ukhahlamba001.jpeg

Mapungubwe: http://reservedlife.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/62290_resized_mapungubwe_entrance.jpg

Cape flowers: http://www.safarinow.com/files/images/travel-guide/Cape%20Floral%20Region/300%20wide/CF-Watsonias.jpg

Vredefort Dome image: http://news.cheapflighthouse.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vredefort.jpg

Vredefort Dome: http://www.vredefortdome.org/index.html

Cape Town Book Fair 2012

One of my favourite things to do is to read. Nothing like escaping into a realm of fantasy with characters that you start to love and hate.I think this event is definitely on my to-do list.

The Cape Town Book Fair 2012 starts on the 15 - 17th June at the CTICC (Cape Town International Convention Centre). Exhibitions, workshops, displays and fun activities for the whole family. Book lovers get to meet publishers, writers and editors for some of the most loved novels.

The programme is spread over 3 days and includes activities such as:

• Book signings
• Publishing workshops
• Poetry recitals
• Lots lots more

Click on the link for the programme: http://www.capetownbookfair.com/pdf/ctbf-book-lovers-programme-version-33.pdf.

 Described as a "literary feast", one of the highlights in this month's event Calendar.

Visit the Cape Town Book Fair's website: www.capetownbookfair.com.

Cape Town Book Fair, CTICC

Floor view, Cape TOwn Book Fair