Imhoff Farm, Cape Town

The land on which Imhoff Farm stands is known as Imhoff's Gift and was granted in 1743 to the widow Christina Diemer by Baron Gustaff van Imhoff, Commissioner Extraordinaire of the Dutch East India Company. The grant was subject to the condition that vegetables be grown and supplied to the company at a fixed price. Nowadays farming is no longer viable, but visitors are invited to experience an authentic old Cape farmstead. What was originally the farmhouse built 250 years ago, including barns, stables, dairy, silo and slave quarters, now houses a wide variety of unusual shops selling reasonably priced goods, many of them hand-made - and a restaurant. At Imhoff Farm also find a nature park and wildlife sanctuary where visitors can take a walk amongst the blue cranes, ostriches, llamas and monkeys, and children enjoy pony rides.