Living in South Africa, we often take the Big 5 for granted. Talk about the endangered rhino has become commonplace and the buffalo is about exciting as a cow. But when was the last time you were actually on a game drive? Probably not since you hosted overseas visitors or took that epic once-every-5-years family safari holiday. I didn’t even realise my kids hadn’t seen the Big 5 outside of a zoo until I was piling them into the car for our day trip to Aquila Private Game Reserve.

Aquila is one of the few game reserves in the Western Cape where you can see the Big 5, and the Aquila Cape Town Safari has been rated as one of the Top 10 day trips by Sawubona Magazine. It’s quite a journey, but the 2 hour drive from Cape Town, along the N1 towards Touws River, takes you through some of the most beautiful mountain passes, past the vineyards of the Hex River Valley, and into the shrubby terrain of the Karoo.

Aquila is a tourist hotspot for overseas visitors on holiday or conference in the Cape. The day safaris are offered with or without transport to Aquila and include buffet meals, a guided game drive, a visit to the ARC rehabilitation centre, and optional extras such as a horseback or quad bike safari in the reserve.

Breakfast

Our Morning Safari kicked off with arrival drinks of champagne, sparkling apple juice, fruit juice, and sweet hot chocolate in a double shot glass. Accents and dialects from Japanese to Tamil filled the dining hall of the Boma Restaurant as we plated up our breakfast from the buffet spread. There was everything from cereals, fruits, and yoghurts, to hot options like eggs, cheese grillers, fish cakes, and samoosas. Well, almost everything. There was a very disappointed American who couldn’t find pancakes.

Game drive

Aquila runs their day trips on a well-timed program, and at exactly 10:15 the hum of game vehicles signalled the migration from the restaurant and pool area – where a peacock was proudly modelling his feathery attire for the cameras – to the parking lot. The large crowd filled 4 game vehicles, but there wasn’t one mass exodus of noisy tourists barrelling towards the wildlife. Instead, once each vehicle was filled, it would move out and enter the fenced off reserve on its own, driving separately around the park so that each group was guaranteed an intimate experience.

Our guide, Bheki, has been at Aquila for 3 years and expertly drove us around the 4,500 hectare reserve, sharing his knowledge of the individual animals. We learned how hippos are only territorial over water and that they won’t attack unless you get between them and the water. Bheki explained that a group of zebra is called a “dazzle” because their stripes dazzle the eyes of predators when they move as a unit. We spotted young giraffes, fidgety springbok, graceful ostriches, shy dassies, solitary blue and black wildebeest males who were too old to fight, and a truck of Japanese tourists waving madly at an eland as if expecting it to lift its hoof and wave back.

Game drives last anywhere from 2 to 3 hours, with a break in between where you can climb out of the vehicle, take photos, chat with other visitors, and enjoy a refreshing drink. And as the lions are kept in a separate enclosure, there is no threat of being mauled by wild predators.

Big 5

The Aquila lions have all been rescued from canned hunting, and because they were born and bred in captivity they are unable to survive in the wild. While they are physically capable of hunting, they are unable to cope with the competition for food and are therefore fed once a week. Entering the lion camp, you’re hit by the stench of bird poo…or something dead…but I’ll stick with bird poo, because of the small dam with ducks at the gate. It didn’t take long to spot the lions, who were loving the sunshine and resembled overgrown house cats waiting for a belly scratch. Taking full advantage of their lethargic state, we were fortunate to get very close. It’s only when you see a lion close up that you can appreciate the sheer size of their paws and heads, and the cold, deadly look in their golden eyes.

While we didn’t see buffalo, we spotted 2 more of the Big 5 on the reserve: elephant and rhino. I had to suppress a giggle when one of the tourists said, “Oh look, it’s feeding itself!” when they spotted an elephant grazing on the hill, as virtually every animal at that stage had been feeding. Sadly, 2 rhinos were poached in the last year, and the only male was brought in 3 months ago. I’m always nervous about advertising rhinos, because the threat of poaching is so huge, so even though Aquila has a dedicated, highly trained anti-poaching unit in place, I can only but encourage visitors to be aware of the effects of social media.

ARC

The final member of the Big 5, the leopard, can be found at the Aquila Rehabilitation & Conservation Centre (ARC), where the animals are either part of an endangered species breeding program or have been rescued from canned hunting or other terrible conditions. It was heart-breaking to hear that this poor creature’s claws had been removed and that he would never be able to hunt in the wild. It was bitter sweet to know that you could spot this majestic animal if he wasn’t shy and hiding away, but that it was only the result of some cruel action. ARC is also home to a cheetah pair who they are hoping to mate. The only problem is cheetah females are incredibly picky about their mates and won’t settle for just anyone. Here’s to hoping for cubs in the future.

Lunch

There is no chance of going hungry at Aquila – even when you have to wait your turn after 2 new bus loads of young men! Lunch is a buffet spread of colourful salads and vegetarian dishes, succulent meat options, freshly baked mini-rolls, light cheese and biscuit platters, and rich, creamy desserts. On a beautiful day, you’ll have to hurry to get a table outside, but even if you don’t, the indoor and upstairs seating won’t leave you disappointed. Visitors must please note that drinks are charged as extras for lunch.

Puttering around

Once lunch is done, you’re free to potter around the lodge or enjoy a horseback or quad bike safari. The sparkling turquoise pools would’ve been our post-safari hangout if it were summer, but it’s still winter and I’d promised my little boy that we would go find the jungle gym. The kiddies play area has recently had an upgrade and on top of the beautiful big jungle gym and indoor entertainment zone, there is now a 9-hole putt-putt course. We couldn’t resist a family challenge before petting the Shetland pony and bidding farewell to Aquila.

Stay

Aquila Private Game Lodge  offers 4-star lodging in a choice of Luxury and Premier Cottages, sleeping 2, 4, or 8 guests. Each cottage has en-suite bathrooms, outdoor showers, fireplaces, ceiling fans, and mini-bars to keep you in a state of luxury in the rugged Karoo.

Although a tad pricey for the every day South African, Aquila Private Game Reserve is a fantastic day trip for travellers in search of the Big 5 in the Western Cape. Click here for fees, times, and map.

When was the last time you saw the Big 5?

Feature image supplied by Aquila Private Game Reserve