Kirstenbosch Garden is a collection of stunning botanical gardens in the heart of Cape Town. Today, we walked through the park (easily an all-day activity), spread out a blanket and read in the sun for the afternoon and finished the evening with an appetizer and glass of wine at Moyo, the in-garden restaurant. Not too shabby!

For lovers of plants and just plain beauty, Kirstenbosch is a must-do. Manicured paths meander through acres of native plants from Southern Africa, including common fynbos (a genus with hundreds of different species in the Cape), 200 million year-old cycads and prominent, colorful proteas, including our favorites Pin Cushions and Silver Trees. The city has done an amazing job putting together the park. In the summer they have Sunday night concerts, which gives us a good excuse to come back in December.

Hybrid Protea in honor of Nelson Mandela