Experience a Big 5 safari without leaving the Western Cape. Just two hours from Cape Town, this one day safari takes you to Aquila Private Game Reserve in the Karoo. Passionate rangers lead open vehicle game drives through mountain fynbos and renosterveld. Choose a classic 4×4 safari, or add a quad bike or horseback safari for an adventurous afternoon.
Duration: 12 hours
Tour Days: Mon – Sun
Pickup: Cape Town and surrounds
Route Description
The tour starts with pickup from your accommodation. A scenic 2 hour drive follows, through the Hex River Valley and the Cape Fold Mountains, to the Karoo. On arrival at Aquila Private Game Reserve, guests are welcomed with drinks at the lodge, followed by a buffet breakfast. The morning safari then begins, taken in an open 4x4 vehicle with experienced and knowledgeable rangers. Day trip safari game drives are typically 2 to 3 hours long.
The reserve is home to the Big 5, the lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, and buffalo. Sightings can never be guaranteed. Zebra, wildebeest, klipspringer, and a variety of buck species can also be seen, along with plenty of birdlife. Cape mountain leopards also live on the rugged mountain slopes, but sightings are very rare.
The morning includes a visit to the lion sanctuary. The lions here have all been rescued from the hunting industry and live separately from the rest of the reserve. They cannot be reintroduced to the wider reserve.
A buffet lunch follows at the lodge, with time to relax by the pool in summer or by the fireplace in winter.
In the afternoon, there is a second safari. On the 4x4 Safari Tour, this is another 4x4 game drive. On the combo options, the afternoon is spent on either a quad bike or a horseback safari with an experienced ranger. Horseback and quad bike outrides are typically 1 to 2 hours long. The tour then returns to Cape Town.
Aquila is smaller and less populated than the large reserves of Kruger and elsewhere in South Africa. It is a different experience, but a lovely way to see wildlife in a natural setting close to Cape Town.
Itinerary
Start: 06h30
- Pick up from Cape Town accommodation
- Scenic 2 hour drive to the Karoo
- Welcome drinks on arrival at Aquila Private Game Reserve
- Buffet breakfast
- Morning safari drive in an open 4×4 vehicle (typically 2 to 3 hours)
- Visit the lion sanctuary
- Buffet lunch
- Relax by the pool in summer or by the fireplace in winter
- Afternoon safari: 4×4 game drive (typically 2 to 3 hours), or a quad bike or horseback safari on the combo options (typically 1 to 2 hours)
- Depart the game reserve
Finish: 18h30
- Drop off at accommodation
Highlights
- Safari at Aquila Private Game Reserve, home to the Big 5, just two hours from Cape Town.
- A morning and an afternoon safari in one day.
- Open 4×4 game drives with experienced rangers.
- Wildlife including zebra, rhino, wildebeest, klipspringer, and buck species.
- Visit the lion sanctuary, home to lions rescued from the hunting industry.
- Choose a 4×4 vehicle, quad bike or horseback safari for the afternoon
Meeting
A guide will collect you at your accommodation on the morning of the tour.
Included
- Safari activités as selected
- Welcome drinks
- Breakfast & lunch
- Use of facilities
Included
- Transport (arranged at a extra cost).
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4x4 Game Drives
Duration: 12 hours. Two safaris in one day, a morning and an afternoon game drive in an open 4×4 vehicle at Aquila Private Game Reserve. Game drives are typically 2 to 3 hours.
| Price | $ 279per person |
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Quad Bike Combo
Duration: 12 hours. A morning 4×4 safari followed by an afternoon quad bike safari. Game drives are typically 2 to 3 hours, and quad bike outrides are typically 1 to 2 hours.
| Price | $ 279per person |
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Horseback Combo
Duration: 12 hours. A morning 4×4 safari followed by an afternoon horseback safari with an experienced ranger. Game drives are typically 2 to 3 hours, and horseback outrides are typically 1 to 2 hours.
| Price | $ 279per person |
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