Happy faux Monday to all those back at work after the long Heritage weekend. With the sun out and the smell of charred meat in the air, I wanted to share what I got up to. This Heritage weekend I decided to do things a little bit differently. Instead of the usual “Braai Day” shenanigans, I opted to explore a few of my favourite places in Cape Town and also help you create affordable options for summer outings when the holidays start rolling around.

City Sightseeing Canal Cruise 
My first day of exploring started on Saturday when we experienced the most stunning weather in the Cape. The sun was out and the day was just too beautiful to spend in doors. Obviously my first choice for a location when exploring Cape Town, is without a doubt the V&A Waterfront. There’s lots to see, eat and do in the area and that’s exactly where I went. For a girl on a budget, that is always the first thing I look at. I look for activities that won’t break the bank because I kinda got this “grown up” light bulb moment where I decided to see where majority of my money goes to and needless to say, eating out, petrol and exploring were at the top of that list.

Nonetheless, as I headed out to the V&A for lunch, the water seemed calm and that brought me to the realization that I wanted to cruise the canal. The last time I cruised the V&A canals was for my birthday last year. Or was it this year? When I booked the ticket I thought that I was booking the canal cruise ticket, only to find out that it was the harbour cruise. While the kids loved the whole cruising around business, I wanted to do the canal cruise that I did a few years back.

Yes, I often make use of the City Sightseeing services and it’s always at the top of my recommendations on things to do in the city. I am so bummed that the route changed of the canal cruise. My favourite part of the cruise was waiting for the gates to open and having the boat rise a bit higher in the water, before getting to cruise the canal. I guess it’s not a biggie but that was my fave part and I wish they would bring that little feature back.  The first stop is just behind the Two Oceans Aquarium, where you follow the signs on the jetty.The cruise duration is about 20-25 minutes between Cape Town’s Foreshore and the V&A, and can also be used as a water taxi. A water taxi you ask? Yes! You get to skip all of the traffic, with a quick cruise to or from the CTICC. This quick cruise is quite popular amongst tourists as there’s an on-board audio commentary in 15 languages, with a special audio channel for kids.

Tip: if you book online, you pay less than what you would if you purchased your tickets at the ticket office.

Two Oceans Aquarium Okay, let’s skip pass the part where I clearly have a love affair with the aquarium and let’s focus on the fun part. Yes I’ve been to the aquarium countless times before but I was in the area on Sunday and decided to pop in again because… I don’t have a reason and I just love the aquarium.

I mainly wanted to go to the Aquarium at that specific time as I wanted to see the divers feed the stingrays. I have to say that I am not sorry I went! Not only is it a feast for the eyes but it is so informative for both adults and children. I definitely urge you to visit the Aquarium at least once in your lifetime or for those visiting from out of town, make it a priority when you visit our beautiful country.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens Yesterday – after spending all night up and running on zero sleep, I had to get out to nature and just breathe in some fresh air. We went for an afternoon stroll around Kirstenbosch and I can’t even begin to describe the world of wonders it did. It’s that time of the year where the flowers are just starting to bloom and the setting makes for beautiful picture taking opportunities.

We settled down under the trees for a picnic (and maybe a quick power nap) and it definitely had me questioning my outfit. I didn’t realise how warm it would get and I was left with a bulky black batwing dress that didn’t leave much room for exploring that much. I would suggest you wear a pair of comfy shoes as Kirstenbosch requires lots of walking. Even though it was on the warmer side, I really wanted to make it to Boomslang. If you’re not familiar with it, Boomslang is a Tree Canopy Walkway where you get a bird’s eye view of the botanical gardens and the mountain. If you’re not uber fit to walk steep inclines, there’s some benches along the pathway where you can rest a minute or two but for the most part, it’s easy to navigate and it really is worth every step.

So that’s a wrap up of my Heritage weekend! What did you get up to?