Spanning almost 750 acres (300 hectares, the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden centers on the 230-foot (70-meter Witpoortjie Falls. With a breeding pair of Verraux’s eagles plus areas devoted to bush veldt and wildflowers, the garden has a wild feel to it—but collections of ferns, succulents, birds, and butterflies impress.
Named for the anti-apartheid activist and politician who was imprisoned on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela, the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden opened in 1982. Formerly known as the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden, the falls were already a favorite retreat from Johannesburg in the 19th century. Today the gardens are home to over 600 species of plants, more than 200 different types of birds, a range of reptiles, small antelope, and jackals, and a restaurant.
The Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden sits about a 15-mile (24-kilometer) drive northwest of downtown Johannesburg. There’s no public transportation and self-driving in South Africa is dangerous, so many travelers visit on a tour that includes door-to-door transfers.
The gardens are open from morning until late afternoon daily, and are a popular weekend destination for locals. Late spring (October and November) is the best time to enjoy the wildflowers; the falls are at their most dramatic during summer and autumn (November through February); while the eagles raise their young in winter (June through August).
In South Africa, nature is never far away. Pilanesberg National Park offers the chance of spotting the “Big Five”—elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and rhino—in an authentic wilderness location within day-trip distance. Or, for more of a safari park experience, try the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage area.
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