Aquila Private Game Reserve

We did Aquila as a day trip from Fish Hoek(Cape Town), leaving at 4:30am and arriving just after 7am. (Had a private driver, payed R3000, for both ways and waiting time). We were early for the morning safari that started at 8am, but had coffee and breakfast first from 7am (included). The breakfast buffet looked good, but unfortunately the food didn’t taste great. The lodge itself looks beautiful when you arrive, it’s giving luxury vibes with the pool and surroundings. We went mainly because we really wanted to see see some of the known safari animals while being in South Africa. The drive lasted about 2 hours in a truck with around 10–14 other people. Our guide was funny and very knowledgeable, and we were lucky to see almost all of the Big Five (everything except cheetah) That said, it is a large enclosed reserve, and the animals are clearly used to vehicles and attention. If you’ve been on safari before, it may feel less wild and authentic. I’m glad we did it and ticked the box, but if I had known more beforehand, I might have chosen to save the experience for a more remote, fully wild safari like Kruger for another vacation recommendation: After the morning safari (we finished around 10am), you still have access to the pool and facilities until 12. Instead of staying, we grabbed a coffee and drove via Stellenbosch on our way back to Cape Town. Make sure to book wine tastings or lunch in advance! We had a short stroll through Stellenbosch and stopped at Jordan Wine Estate for lunch and wine tasting, the perfect way to have late lunch before afternoon swim in the ocean in the evening

We (4 people) went oñ a day safari at Aquila. We dined there that evening but as their rooms were fully booked, we overnighted elsewhere. The buffet dinner was superb, having excellent flavour and quantity. An excellent bottle of their Dekkersvlei Cabernet wine complemented the experience. Their eveñing safari tour was also great. The animal stock is very good - we got to see the 'big five', with an amazing close-up of a herd of elephants that passed within three metres of our truck. I can wholeheartedly recommend Aquila to anyone wanting a genuine wild animal safari experience compacted into a short trip. Staff were excellent & friendly. Restaurant & other amenities were excellent.

Get a day trip booked and have a great time! We didn't stay at the accommodation but it looked fantastic. Really good fun driving around and seeing the animals and nice welcome/mid tour drinks. *Edit in response to Aquila who have misinterpretted my initial review (thank you for your reply, I acknowledge your comment, to be clear I wasn't saying anything negative, but I'll amend for clairity* - for anyone who is expecting a full blown safari - national park style, this isn't that, it's a private game reserve safari, so essentially it's like a big zoo where the animals are together (different in that it's a massive fenced area rather than a small enclosure!) with wild animals where you are driven around to see the animals that they have on the reserve - the 'big 5' and others; but the lions have their own space. Very different to a zoo, but a similar experience if you follow. All very positve stuff, but not the same experience as you'd find in national parks where you may or may not find what you want - but that's part of the fun. As above this is a very good day out and worth a visit and the scenery and buildings are stunning.

I was really excited to come to Aquila, being a big animal lover. I did expect that it was going to be somewhat like a big open air zoo however it didn’t even feel like that. The service was nice and they tried to make up for the lack of authentic animal experience with drinks and food etc. however the actual animal experience was disappointing. The few animals that are there seem happy enough, bar the lions who had absolutely no reaction to several trucks with dozens of people on them. Overall our driver tried to give everyone a good view of the animals however I did not like it at all when our driver and another one revved their engines to wake up the poor lions who obviously were sleeping. I am happy that they have each other for company, that’s my sole consolation. Conclusion if you’re going for the animals expect to be a bit disappointed. I saw more wild life on the drive there. Unfortunately it seemed a bit like an over commercialised tourist trap at the end of the day. Would not recommend if it’s a genuine experience you’re looking for. The actual resort seemed decent they have a nice pool and well maintained grounds and my favourite part of the experience was the sparkling grape juice that they served as a non alcoholic complimentary drink.

I would like to submit a complaint about the so-called Sunset Safari that we booked at your safari park. According to the information provided and based on previous experiences, this safari should last approximately 4 hours, including a sanitary stop along the way where food and drinks are offered. This was an important reason for us to specifically choose this safari. To our great disappointment, the safari turned out very differently. After about 2 hours of driving we were already back at the park around 18:10. There was no sanitary stop, and no food or drinks were offered, which used to be part of the experience. This made the safari not only much shorter than expected, but also far less comfortable. When we raised this issue with the manager, we felt that our complaint was not taken seriously. Instead of a proper explanation or solution, we were simply offered a drink, as if that resolved the situation. We were also told that we would receive an offer or discount for a future visit, but we have never received anything regarding this afterwards. Considering the price and the expectations created when booking this activity, we do not find this acceptable. It is very disappointing that the experience turned out this way. An activity that is presented as an extensive multi-hour sunset safari, but ends after only two hours without the promised stops and refreshments, simply does not feel worth the money. For this reason, based on our experience, we would not recommend this safari park to others and advise people to carefully consider alternative parks before booking a safari here. We hope you will take this complaint seriously and provide a clear explanation as to why the safari differed so significantly from what was promised.

We had a fantastic stay as a family (1 x 10 month old on board!). Welcome drinks excellent. We stayed in the Karoo cottage with the world’s biggest bed. Suitable for a young family with a cot (one child). Great air con too! The game drive was incredible, if bringing a child it’s a bit of a bumpy ride so bring a secure carrier and we would suggest keeping them facing inwards. We saw all the animals up close and our guide was excellent too! The kids area was open from 7, Jasmine was so unbelievably excellent with our little one as we played together! Food was a buffet service for all 3 meals but a great variety and delicious dinner food. Wine was great too. We had a windy few days so struggled with the lack of shade around the pool (although that is nobody’s fault), and the pool was quite chilly, which on a hot day is welcomed! All in all, great work team. Thoroughly recommended!

We had an amazing half day safari, we saw so many wildlife ♡ the buffet style lunch was average, desserts were great. Welcome drinks were lovely. I totally forgot about the pool available so we missed out on that after the safari. But over all a great time.

Good for a tourist experience within driving from Cape town but much more orchestrated than the real thing. Lions kept separate to ensure you saw them. Good lunch and drinks included in day Safaris. A good version for families with young kids