Each September, a thin swath of arid land at Africa’s southern tip explodes into one of the world’s most astounding displays of botany. Over 8,000 plant species splash the fynbos (Afrikaans for "fine bush") with horizon-wide color: purple proteas, red disas, a thousand hues of pastel daisy. Cape Fynbos at its finest can be explored out of one of two family-friendly lodges at Grootbos, a 4,324-acre private nature reserve an hour and a half from Cape Town ($387; grootbos.co.za). Hiking, biking, and horse trails snake among the blooms, and white-shark cage dives and world-class whale-watching liven up the shore.

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