The Aquila Safari & Spa Review

Today I'd like to share with you some thoughts from a recent stay at a Safari & Spa resort in Cape Town. The resort is called Aquila and I'll leave links to the website at the footer.

Aquila is one of the big 5, which is determined by the big 5 animals they have on the Game Reserve at any one time. Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Lion and Leopard. How the big 5 are best described are the animals hardest to hunt and most difficult to hunt or track by foot. 

Although technically I'm unsure if the leopard should be allowed on the list as even the wardens haven't sighted on in 3 years. Apparently they can jump the fence and can come and go as they please. But I'll let that pass for now.

Aquila organises a collection and drop off from Victoria & Albert Marina in Cape Town which is about a two drive, but they stop off for coffee and a toilet break. There is a welcome drink of bubbly at check in which gets you in the mood.

When we arrived a ranger commented that I must be new as my boots are un-scuffed. "Since you're new,' he said, 'why don't you take a look at those giraffes just passing by?" He pointed to the reserve, an expansive space. flat, eddied by mountains at the back and a small watering pond at the front just beyond the chicken wire. In the middle-distance two giraffes feasting on some shrubs.

I would later learnt they could never have their heads below their chest for longer than 8 minutes at a time because the heart needs to pump blood to the brain, impossible for giraffes in a hunched position.

We had some buffet, ordered another bottle of sparkling wine and settled in for the night. The room is modest with an outdoor shower and a fireplace inside. You can what's app customer service and they will send a porter to light the fire for you and brig you a beer. I didn't use the outdoor shower, mainly because it was occupied by creepy crawlies, but I did order a beer and had the fire made every night.

There are two main tours during the day. One at 7am that lasts a couple of hours, and one in the evening at 4pm that lasts a little longer. Between then there is plenty of time to use the spa, have treatments, use either the indoor or outdoor pool, or just relax and drink on the terrace. We stuck to drinking mainly, but the massages and facials were very good.

The tours are truly magnificent. The open truck will circle as much of the 10,000 hector reserve as possible, but you'll always get taken to the lion enclosure. There is a notable hum of nervous excitement when those gates rattle open and you first see the male lion amble slovenly to either his viewing platform or saunter across the hedgerow to be nestle next to one of his three females.

The lions see the truck as one big animal, and don't view it as an opportunity to jump inside and take on the tourists one by one. With there being 4 lions you can imagine they would make short work and make a hearty meal out of 15-20 onlookers. Especially with no wi-fi, and the resort being a good 1 hour run away.

The elephants are playful and even though the guides are told to respect the distance of the elephants, (100 yards I believe) little can be done if they come at a mad rush towards the truck.

Rhinos have very poor eyesight, so can only hear the truck at the best of times. I'm told before they charge they give you a warning. They will urinate and then charge a little bit and then stop. The hippopotamus does not give any warning, and will attack indiscriminately if you're on foot.

We had 3 separate guides whilst at the Aquila Safari, it's good form to tip so take some cash. But it's never expected. The food at the buffet is admirable, and the drinks are so inexpensive you feel obligated to drink the wines in vast quantities. Although that does make it difficult to make the 7am tour.

Rough prices worked out to be £250 a night, for two people, including tours and three meals from the buffet. The treatments and drinks are extra but great value. The roundtrip of organised pick up and drop offs to your hotel in Cape Town work out to be around £100.

It's a very commercial safari, nothing like the ones you get in Kenya so I'm told. But it's an incredible way to see the lions, especially. I've been to Addo Park before and even though the lions are wild in the park, you mainly get them to see them sleeping under trees from a great distance.

Great value, lots of things for the kids to do, and the staff were very helpful and in good spirits.

More info on Aquila Safari Spa & Resort visit their website.