Charming Botanical Gardens Durban
Posted on May 17 2018
As the oldest surviving botanic garden on the African continent and our City’s oldest public institution, a visit to the Charming Botanical Gardens Durban is one of the best things to do here! This is a fun, educational and completely free daytime activity for adults and children.
These serene gardens will capture your attention from the moment you walk through the gates!
You’ve never seen so much green, incredibly beautiful old trees, breathtaking orchids and other flowers in all the colours of the rainbow, adorable winding paths, cascading creepers, dams with ducks (and ducklings if you’re lucky – so cute) and an enchanting 1920’s sunken garden.
List of fun attractions:
- Tea Garden amongst the palm trees
- Indigenous grassland
- Palm walk
- Herb garden
- Cycad garden
- Japanese garden
- Garden of the senses
- Sunken garden
- Living beehive
- Orchid house
- You can have a picnic on the rolling lawn
And MORE! Obviously, there is a lot to see at the Charming Botanical Gardens Durban…
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so this is going to be a photo-heavy post – what better way to show you the beauty of this little haven in the middle of a city.
I loved these bamboos! Had to stop for a pic.
The cutest little family of ducks were wandering around this dam. I couldn’t get close enough for a good photo (mamma was protective of her young), but the little ducklings were so adorable! In case you’re wondering, that is an Hadeda Ibis right behind me – most people can’t stand these birds because of their obnoxious bird call, but I really like them because their dreadful sound reminds me that I’m by the sea. Music to my ears 🙂
SUCH a beautiful old tree, impossibly tall and wonderfully shady.
Now we head into the orchid house…
The beautiful colours of these flowers!
Just outside the orchid house, there is a massive bed of these beauties that look like flames.
And now we approach the 1920’s sunken garden, the sun came and went the day I was there, but it was still lovely:
And finally, the coffee shop amongst the palm trees looks very inviting after a nice long walk around the gardens.
Where to find the Charming Botanical Gardens Durban, opening hours etc:
Address: 9A John Zikhali Rd, Musgrave, Durban
The Gardens are open 365 days a year at the following times:
Winter [16 April – 15 September]: 07h30 – 17h30
Summer [16 September – 15 April]: 07h30 – 17h15
Orchid House: 09h00 – 17h00
Information Office: 08h00 – 16h30
Tea Garden: open 7 days a week, closed on Christmas day and Good Friday
Monday 10h00 – 16h00
Tuesday – Sunday 09h00 – 16h00
The Durban Botanical Gardens often host musical events so keep an eye on their website for upcoming attractions.
And the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA) is attempting to break a star gazing Guinness World record on Friday 18th May 2018! So if you’re in the area tomorrow, and that sounds like fun to you, go and help them make history! Find out more on their website below.
You can find more information on their website: www.durbanbotanicgardens.org.za
