The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is one of the most beautiful gardens of its kind in the world, and is a must for any visitor to Cape Town. The Gardens have an incomparable site on the eastern side of Table Mountain. The 36-hectare landscaped section seems to merge almost imperceptibly with the 492 hectares of fynbos (native flora) that cloak the mountain slopes. In 1895, Cecil Rhodes purchased the eastern slopes of Table Mountain as part of a plan to preserve a relatively untouched section of Table Mountain. He bequeathed the property to the nation on his death in 1902. Portions of the hedge that Jan van Riebeek planted in 1660 to isolate his settlement from the Khoikhoi can still be seen. Although there are some magnificent oaks, Moreton Bay fig trees and camphor trees, the gardens are devoted almost exclusively to indigenous plants. About 9,000 of southern Africa’s 22,000 plant species are grown in the gardens.