Cape Town is a beautiful and diverse city with endless options regarding what to see, where to eat, and where to go. Take the pressure off of planning a date by trying to do something amazing and expensive, and instead, consider some of these cost-effective and fun ideas:
- Walk to a Bakery
Skip the convenience of a car ride and take a stroll hand-in-hand through the city streets until you reach your favourite Cape Town bakery – there are tons around, and they all serve wonderful home-baked goodies which range from breads to sticky-sweet confections. You can talk relatively uninterrupted, enjoy the fresh air, and skip the tension most car rides bring from trying to avoid those pesky taxis. With your chosen baked item securely tucked away, consider heading down to the V&A Waterfront and watch the seals play in the jetties, or stop and watch some local buskers playing guitar, singing, and dancing.
- Picnic at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
As much as I love hiking in the mountains and in Tokai forest, it is unfortunately becoming ill advised to go it alone, and we’d preferably have you enjoy it in a large group, due to safety in numbers. However don’t despair, as a perfect summer date can be had by packing a picnic basket and blanket and heading to the lush lawns of Kirstenbosch. For a small entry fee, you and your partner will step into a world of wonder and sweet scents. There are a variety of hiking trails you can scope out, or you could just wander through the various garden sections and enjoy each other’s company.
- Playing house at House & Home
I confess, I saw this on a television show and couldn’t stop laughing at the characters – until I realised how much fun doing this would be! Have your date (sans food and drinks) in a House & Home store (Mr Price Home, or Bed Bath & Beyond are two good substitutes). Relax on the leather couches, curl up on the beds and talk, test out the different baths, the ideas are endless. Just don’t stay too long in one spot or shop assistants will start to look at you strangely, and in a worst case scenario you’ll both be escorted out. On the plus side, you could both get some great ideas on how to decorate your home or apartment.
- Alphabet Dates
Throw cut-out letters (or scrabble tiles) into a hat and randomly pick a letter. Then plan your date night around that letter – from foods that begin with it, to wearing colours that begin with it, you can go crazy! Theme topics of conversation that revolve around a subject matter beginning with the letter; you can even plan activities based around it. Eg: the letter G is picked – so wear green or grey, drink grape juice (or wine), plan a trip to Grabouw or the Gardens in Cape Town (where you can feed some cute squirrels). You could talk about gardening, golf, giraffes, green-living, gogos, gems, giants, you name it. Or plan a gaming night that revolves around board – or computer – games. Whichever letter you pick, ensure you have fun!
- Wine Tasting
Wine tastings are quite cost effective and a visit to the lush winelands is a must while you’re in the Mother City, as the longest wine route in the world starts in Stellenbosch. There are numerous wine estates found in and around Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, and almost all of them will offer vineyard tours and wine tasting. If you choose to use the Franschhoek Wine Tram, you can hop on and hop off at your leisure, and get to enjoy numerous wine tastings in one day, without having to worry about driving.
What dates have you planned in Cape Town?
Main image courtesy of Nick Gray (Flickr)
