South Africa 2015: Loco Lounge, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

We met up with Cand and drove up to the most biodiverse national parks that South Africa boasts in Kirstenbosch one sunny day. The scenery in this country is ridiculously photogenic. I still can’t get over it.

First, breakfast at Loco Lounge.

What a view.

Entrance was only 55 Rand (SGD $5).

We walked across the new Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway.

The underside of the walkway looks neat too.

The Dinosaurs and Cycads section was super cool. Life-sized, anatomically-accurate dino and pterosaur tin sculptures (by David Huni) populated the area amongst the millions-of-years-old Cycads.

This Cycad (Encephalartos Woodii) is one of the rarest plants in the world. I believe this is a clone of the only male specimen researchers found in Durban. A female has never been discovered. The cage in here is to protect its suckers from being poached.

Nelson Mandela planted a pepper-bark tree (Warburgia Salutaris), a famous medicinal tree in South Africa, on his visit to Kirstenbosch in 1996. It meant to symbolize his healing to the nation. Apparently, the yellow Strelitzia behind this bust is named after him! It took the park nearly 20 years of selection and cross-pollinating to develop the golden yellow hue of the normally-orange species.

Narrow-leaved Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia Juncea). So pretty and bird-like!

King Protea is South Africa’s national flower, a blooming beast with spiky petals for extra ferocity.

We basically climbed to the top of the park.

The variety of plants was just as breath-taking as the mountain the park rests against.

Wearing Dressin kimono, Newdress dress, Tutu Anna socks, Zalora shoes. Photo assist: Scott.

A keepsake each.