Kirstenboscha botanical garden and an open-air cinema

We went to Kirstenbosch twice: once in the daytime for a walk around the garden, and then in the evening for an open-air cinema.

In short

The garden

We came to the garden on 14 February, after diving. It’s an insanely good botanical garden, probably one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

The plants themselves are great, and you can walk for a very long time. There are separate viewpoints and loads of places where you can just sit: chill, read a book. Very soothing, like many places in Cape Town. And there are ducks running around here too.

Tickets are sold online, and that’s important: cash is not accepted here. We paid 270 rand per person, the rate for foreigners from outside Africa.

A conversation with a stranger

In the garden we met a traveller. We walked together for a long time and talked: about different countries, about how he’d tried to run a business in other African countries, about cultures, about European culture. It was a very memorable walk.

Sometimes I wonder why I can’t just strike up a conversation with strangers myself. It’s good that someone can.

After the garden we went to Tiger’s Milk, a restaurant chain popular in Cape Town.

Open-air cinema

On 12 March we came back to Kirstenbosch in the evening, to The Galileo Open Air Cinema. It runs seasonally, from mid-October to mid-May, and screenings take place at Kirstenbosch and at wine estates.

We watched The Silence of the Lambs, and we really enjoyed it. It’s a cool place, and sitting outdoors is cool.

Tickets are sold online, and we bought ours in advance: 150 rand per person (≈ $9). On site you can buy food, drinks and alcohol. But it’s better to do it right at the start: everything closes during the film.