What inspires you about the Western Cape?

South Africa is the world’s third most bio-diverse country after Brazil and Indonesia. If you love nature, you’ll adore the Western Cape: half of the country’s biodiversity lies in this single province and it reaches a dramatic crescendo on the Cape Peninsula and around Cape Town. Mountains, forests, beaches, tidal rock pools and glorious gardens all come together in a treasure box of natural wonder.

Why should Cape Town be on everyone’s bucket list?

There’s something special about a city that lies between two oceans and under the gaze of an almost perfectly flat mountain; the setting is extraordinary. And that juxtaposition of city living with on-your-doorstep nature offers visitors a great deal. Cape Town has a vibrant beach culture and the local food and wine is fantastic. So you can wake up in a luxurious city hotel and hike a mountain or spy penguins and baboons, and then get brilliant coffee or a delicious dinner.

What’s special about the Western Cape flora?

Around six per cent of the world’s plants are found in the Western Cape – it’s a mind-boggling collection of flora. And fynbos – the most famous vegetation type – is only one of its many habitats. Botanists rave about the crazy number of species in the fynbos, and how many are localised to a certain area – or endemic. Table Mountain is only 57 km² yet it is home to more plant species than Sweden. And compare Britain’s 20-odd unique plants to the Cape Peninsula’s 160.

What’s unique about the West Coast wildflowers?

While the fynbos of the mountains has wildflowers throughout the year, the season only lasts a couple of months on the wind-scoured, sun-baked West Coast. But it’s worth it: the West Coast National Park in August and September is simply covered in flowers. There are carpets of colour, and poking up through the orange, yellow and white are orchids and hyacinths: it’s all here close to Cape Town.

ONLY HERE: CAPE TOWN NATURE GUIDE