Escape to the serenity of the Durban Botanic Gardens and tantalise your senses with a diversity of flora and fauna, from orchids, palms, ferns and cycads to birds and reptiles. Indulge in an old-fashioned high tea with scones or an open-air concert at the lake.

Africa's oldest surviving botanical gardens, the Durban Botanic Gardens are a magnificent testimony to more than 160 years of dedication and care by a succession of curators.

Not only do these gardens offer travellers a scenic respite from the busy city, but they're world-renowned for their indigenous and exotic plant collections from the subtropics – cycads, ferns, bromeliads, palms and orchids, among many other stunning flowers and more than 80 magnificent heritage trees.

Animal species that complement the flora include a variety of birds, butterflies and tiny reed frogs, so take your binoculars and birding book along. Spend time feeding the ducks at the lake or simply spread out a rug and lie under one of the massive old trees that flank the paved pathways meandering through the gardens.

The Orchid House is a popular attraction and a must-see when you visit the gardens. Marvel at the spectacular collection of orchids, each with distinctive and vividly colourful blooms, before moving on to the award-winning Sensory Garden.

The herbarium is another element of these botanical gardens that should not be overlooked. It houses thousands of carefully catalogued plant species, mostly endemic to the province of KwaZulu-Natal.