Aquila Private Game Reserve

Aquila is situated in Touws River, in a valley between the Langeberg and Outeniqua mountains in the Karoo.  This slice of heaven is a mere 2 hours drive from Cape Town.  The property is on a huge 10 000 hectares, which is home to the Big 5 (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard) as well as plenty of other wild game which roam the massive grounds.

I had the privilege of spending two nights at Aquila as a birthday surprise.  What a wonderful experience for my food and wine blog in Cape Town!!!!

They offer day safari packages as well as overnight safari experiences.   There are game drives, horse riding as well as quad biking adventures available.  The indulgent Tranquila spa offers various treatment packages, a sauna, steam room and heated pool.

All meals are included in the package, and there's something to suit every palate.

Our Experience at Aquila:

We drove up on the Friday afternoon and offered a welcome drink on arrival.  We then had a quick bite to eat, and were shown to our room, which was spectacular with the most stunning views.

It was a chilly 6 degrees, but our room was warm and toasty as the air conditioner was set at 26 degrees.... thank goodness!!

We had the opportunity to go on two 2 hour game drives which was an awesome experience.  Being up close and personal with the big 5 as well as zebra, springbok, giraffe, gemsbok and ostrich was indescribable.  We stopped halfway for snacks and a much needed glass of old brown sherry.

 When we returned from the game drive, we all gravitated towards the bar that had 3 huge log fires going.  The evening was spent chatting to other guests from around the world, and then we had dinner in the restaurant.  We were spoilt for choice as their buffet had so many delicious dishes.

After dinner we experienced the star gazing, which was absolutely  incredible.  We met at the boma where a guide pointed out the stellar sights of the Karoo skies.  It was wonderful to see so many stars and galaxies as due to light pollution we don't get to see that many usually.  We then toasted marshmallows over a huge firepit.

The weekend was an unforgettable experience, and as a food and wine blogger in Cape Town, I would highly recommend a visit to Aquila. 

It is a once in a lifetime treat.

  The staff were friendly and helpful and added to the magical experience.

A definite must if you haven't experience Aquila