“Real Africa. Real close to Cape Town.”
The Aquila website states, “Real Africa. Real close to Cape Town”. The Aquila game reserve is situated two hours from Cape Town, following the N1 towards Worcester and taking the R46 Ceres turnoff.
You can choose to drive there yourself or book one of their transfer options at an additional cost. Transfer options range from a standard mini-bus (accommodating up to ten people), private transfer (up to four people), to a romantic fly-in experience for two. Visit their website for more information on how to get there.
Overnight stay and safari at Aquila Game Reserve
You can choose to simply visit Aquila for a game drive, or you can make a weekend out of it by booking accommodation. We stayed there for a weekend. I recommend booking one of the premier rooms as these rooms have breathtaking views of the reserve, and you might spot animals in the field while relaxing in your room. An overnight stay includes lunch, dinner, and breakfast at their exclusive guest restaurant. All three meals are buffet offering a variety of food options to choose from.
At night you can head up to the lounge/bar area to chill and sip on cocktails (or whatever you enjoy drinking).
Also included in their overnight stay is an unforgettable afternoon and morning safari. Doing two safaris is fantastic as it increases your chances of seeing all of the animals on the reserve. Some animals may not be as active in the early morning, so you might spot them on the afternoon drive (and vice versa). Our guide was highly knowledgeable and enriched our game drives with exciting facts and stories about the animals. Our guide was very experienced and made the trips memorable and fun.
Naturally, there’s no guarantee that you will see specific animals. Still, the reserve does have rich wildlife, so chances are excellent that you will see animals on your game drive. For example, we got close to a rhino crash on our early morning safari but didn’t see any zebras. Then on the afternoon drive, we saw zebras up close and a bloat of hippos. So it depends on the time of day and where the animals roam.
Instead of going on a classical game drive (in a vehicle), you can also choose to explore the reserve on horseback or quadbike.
Stargazing, spa, and putt-putt
Aquila lights a few fires at night, where guests can braai marshmallows and stargaze if the weather is lovely. Unfortunately, we missed out on this experience as the weather was cold, cloudy, and rainy. Still, I can only imagine this being the perfect ending to an adventurous safari day. Not to mention the spectacular sight of a starry sky without the city’s light pollution.
The Tranquila Spa offers massages, treatments, and facilities, including a steam room, sauna, and indoor pools. Because the weather was colder on our visit, we enjoyed spending time in the indoor hot pool after our safari day.
The Aquila kids club offers an indoor and outdoor play area for kids, daily activities, and a junior ranger program. And although the putt-putt course is meant for kids, it was a cute, silly activity for us grownups too.
Some notes:
- Warm clothes. Pack thick, warm clothes if you’re considering booking a safari by vehicle. They provide blankets, but an early morning game drive (especially in colder months) can be icy. I wore a down jacket, scarf, and gloves to keep me warm.
- No TV. There are no TVs in the rooms. If you enjoy watching something before bedtime, bring a laptop or tablet with your favourite series or movie. The communal lounge/bar area does have TVs streaming sports, so you might be able to catch that iconic sporting match after all 🙂
- Wifi. The complimentary guest WiFi is extremely slow, making it practically unusable (my experience from my stay there in Oct 2020). Cell tower coverage is good, so you can use your data to connect to the internet.
- Something to eat. The early morning safari departs at 7:00, but the breakfast buffet only opens a little later. If you prefer to eat something before starting the day’s activities, pack something like rusks to enjoy with the complimentary in-room coffee or tea before heading out.
- Fly-in safari. Book a fly-in safari and choose between a helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft. The route takes you over breathtaking views of the Hex River Mountains and Cape Winelands Vineyards. Booking a fly-in safari includes luxury road transfers to the nearest airport.
- Private safari. A private safari allows for a more exclusive experience as it will just be you and your accompanied person (people) in the vehicle (with the game ranger).
- Premier room. The premier rooms have a balcony overlooking the reserve – increasing your chance of seeing games roaming freely on the reserve.