Floral Kingdom

Apart from the beautiful garden at Chelaya where one can rest and relax enjoying the bird life and nature, the Helderberg area offers numerous nature reserves, botanical gardens, walks and hikes for nature lovers.

Helderberg Nature Reserve

Helderberg Nature Reserve: The Helderberg Nature Reserve is situated in Somerset West on the slopes of the beautiful Helderberg Mountain overlooking False Bay.
There are picnic spots, an information centre, a gift shop, exhibitions and hiking trails for young and old. Bontebok graze the slopes and tortoises can be seen lazily mowing the lawns.
Fynbos is the common name for the fine leafed, thick, shrub-like vegetation which occurs in the winter rainfall area of the southern and south-western parts of the Western Cape . Fynbos consists of three main plant types namely ericas, restios and proteas.
There are several trails in the Reserve, of which only the Brown Route is non-circular.
Approximate distances of each route:
Yellow route: 3km
Black route: 0.6km
Blue route: 5.3km
Red route: 2.2km
Green route: 2.2km
Pink route: 2.6km
Brown route: 2.8km
Opening hours
1 Nov – 30 Nov 7h30 – 17h00
1 Dec – 28 Feb 7h30 – 20h00
1 March – 31 March 7h30 – 19h00
1 April – 31 October 7h30 – 17h30
Entrance fees
Vehicle : R5.00
Bus : R250 (prior arrangement only)
Adult : R10.00
Child : R5.00 (under the age of 13)

Harold Porter Botanical Gardens at Betty’s Bay

Harold Porter Botanical Gardens at Betty’s Bay: Harold Porter Botanical Gardens is approximately 40 minutes away from Chelaya. You will get there by taking the exceptionally scenic Clarence Drive along the coast. This botanical garden is nestled between the sea and the mountain side streams, waterfalls and is the Cape’s richest fynbos region with over 1600 different plant species. There are various walks and hikes that one can take depending on fitness levels and time constraints.
Contact Information:
Tel: +27 28 272 9311
Fax: +27 28 272 9333
Email: Harold.Porter.NBG@sanbi.org.za

Operational hours:
Mon – Fri: 08h00 – 16h30
Weekends and Public holidays
08h00 to 17h00

Entrance Fees:
Adults: R16 Senior Citizens: R10
Students: R10
Children: R6
Pre-school: Free

Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens

Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens: The Stellenbosch Botanical Garden is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa. The Garden is beautifully maintained and includes three glass houses (tropical, succulent and karoo), Lotus lily / Koi fish ponds, Japanese Garden, Herb Garden and arboretum.

The garden is widely regarded as an open-air laboratory and serves as a centre for training, science, conservation and recreation. For this purpose rare plants have been imported from all over the world. This Botanical Garden, a mostly undiscovered gem in the historical centre of Stellenbosch, gives joy to all its visitors. The garden is small and compact, but time and again visitors are surprised by the atmosphere and the variety of plants and plant products found here.
The restaurant is set in the middle amongst large trees and is a wonderful place to have refreshments after browsing through the garden.
Address: Botanical Gardens, Cnr Van Riebeeck & Neethling Street, Stellenbosch.
Telephone: +27 (0)21 808-3054
Opening hours: Daily from 08h00 to 17h00. Closed on some public holidays.

Helderberg Farm

Helderberg Farm: Helderberg Farm is situated on the foothills of the Helderberg Mountain between Somerset West and Stellenbosch and is about a 15 minute drive from Chelaya. Enjoy the flora and fauna on one of the hiking trails.
Young and old can choose routes from 1- 20 km.

Open daily 08:00 – 18:00
• Distance : 1- 20 km
• Hiking Trail Grade: Easy to moderate to difficult
• Picnic & Braai area in Granny’s Forest at starting point.
• Overnight hut ideal for beginners and families with young kids. 1 km from starting point
• Mountain Bike route: 9km. Grade: Moderate to difficult
• Unforgettable views over False bay, Table Mountain, Stellenbosch Winelands from viewpoint on yellow route.
Tel:(021)8554308
Fax:0865209306
Cell:0833815331
Email: heldpls@mweb.co.za

Vergelegen Estate

: Vergelegen is situated in one of the richest floral regions of the world and, in 2004, started a 10 year alien clearing programme to restore 2000 ha of farm land to become a pristine example of the Cape’s natural flora and fauna. The entire operation will cost approximately R14 million and is considered the biggest private project of its kind in South Africa.

The programme is part of an ambitious, multi-dimensional conservation project on Vergelegen. It is geared towards combating alien and invasive plant infestation and nurturing the return of natural vegetation, wetlands, birds and animals. 140 ha of this land is Renosterveld of which only 4% remains in South Africa due to unsustainable farming.

The estate holds regular wetland and fynbos walks.

Phone : +27 21 847 1334 – Fax : +27 21 847 1608

Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens

: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.

Kirstenbosch was established in 1913 to promote, conserve and display the extraordinarily rich and diverse flora of southern Africa, and was the first botanic garden in the world to be devoted to a country’s indigenous flora. Kirstenbosch displays a wide variety of the unique plant life of the Cape Flora, as well as plants from all the diverse regions of southern Africa, both outdoors and in the Botanical Society Conservatory. There are over 7 000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species.

Contact information:
Tel Information: +27 21 799 8783
Tel Ticket Office: +27 21 799 8782
Tel Garden Office (weekdays only): +27 21 799 8899
Fax: +27 21 797 6570
Email: kirstenboschinfo@sanbi.org.za

Operational hours:
Sep – Mar (Summer): Mon – Sun 08h00 – 19h00
Apr – Aug (Winter): Mon – Sun 08h00 – 18h00
Conservatory: Mon – Sun 09h00 – 17h00

Physical Address:
Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Cape Town, South Africa
Postal Address: Private Bag X7, Claremont. 7735

Entrance Fees:
Adults: R37
SA Students (with card): R25
Children (6-17yrs): R10
Special Free entry for school holidays 27 June – 15 July 2011
Under 6 yrs: Free
BOTSOC Members: Free
SA Senior Citizens (with ID): Free on Tuesdays, except on public holidays

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