Aquila Private Game Reserve & Spa

Hotel information

Room information Room upgrade information

Range of lodges and cottages, with coffee and tea making facilities, in-room safe, seating, USB charging points, fan and air conditioning, mini-fridge (with complimentary water only), and bathroom amenities. Please note that there are now in-room television or telephone services. Standard Lodge rooms offer a comfortable and basic overnight stay with en-suite shower. These rooms do not have a view of the reserve, and are conveniently located next to the restaurant and mezzanine bar with access by stairs and lift. These rooms feature twin beds, which can be made up to 1 queen-size bed.

Full Board option: overnight stays include lunch, dinner and breakfast. Afternoon and morning safari. Complimentary eco-synergy project tour. Access to the overnight mezzanine level bar and lounge. Use of the exclusive overnight guest restaurant. Complimentary WiFi. Access to the communal pool and wet bar (with use of loungers and towels). Kids access to the children’s entertainment area. Access to the African curio shop. When staying 2 nights, guests may substitute one game drive with a complimentary horseback safari. When staying 3 nights, guests may substitute the game drive with a complimentary horseback adventure. All 2 and 3-night guests enjoy free spa access to make use of the communal services and facilities (treatments are optional and at an additional costs). All of the above mentioned inclusions are subject to availability.

Full Board option: overnight stays include lunch, dinner and breakfast. Afternoon and morning safari. Complimentary eco-synergy project tour. Access to the overnight mezzanine level bar and lounge. Use of the exclusive overnight guest restaurant. Complimentary WiFi. Access to the communal pool and wet bar (with use of loungers and towels). Kids access to the children’s entertainment area. Access to the African curio shop. When staying 2 nights, guests may substitute one game drive with a complimentary horseback safari. When staying 3 nights, guests may substitute the game drive with a complimentary horseback safari. All 2 and 3-night guests enjoy free spa access to make use of the communal services and facilities (treatments are optional and at an additional costs). All of the above mentioned inclusions are subject to availability.

Room upgrades

Karoo Cottages offer a unique, rustic feel with additions such as an indoor fireplace, outdoor shower, corner bath and small patio. The cottages are aligned with the reserve, situated on a dry Karoo river bed. Walk ways from the main safari lodge area and restaurant provide ease of access to communal services and facilities. Karoo Cottages have twin beds, which can be made up to 1 queen-size bed.

Premier Lodge rooms are spacious, with magnificent views of the reserve from the balcony or patio. Furnished with a useful sleeper couch, which can accommodate one child (under 12 years) for an overnight stay. With en-suite bath and shower. This accommodation has parking for ease of access, and is also located next to the restaurant and mezzanine bar. These rooms feature twin beds, which can be made up to 1 queen size bed.

Premier Cottages offer a rustic overnight experience, with units privately positioned on the hillside and built in harmony with the rock – which is also the focal point of the large bathrooms and alfresco showers. With a private wood deck patio with panoramic reserve views, perfect for enjoying unforgettable sunsets, and a log fireplace. At check-in, guests staying in Premier Cottages will enjoy a complimentary bottle of house wine, and can opt to replace one game drive with a horseback adventure. Premier Cottages are available in a range of configurations, sleeping maximum 2 to 4 across king, twin and bunk beds dependent on the cottage selected.

We witnessed and reported animal cruelty

Jul 9, 2025 Emily F

We witnessed animal cruelty. During the game drives they stop at a bar area with baboons so tourists can take photos. My family and I witnessed some of the guides stoning with giant rocks, and whipping the baboons, including babies, for the sole purpose of their own sick personal amusement. Please report them!! Help protect innocent animals from these violent guides! Try to get photo and video evidence of the abuse if you can - but either way, please report anything you see. We reported the abuse we witnessed to the NSPCA - please do the same. It was really easy. I can’t include contact info in the review, but it is easy to find by Googling “NSPCA contact info South Africa”. Aquila management has been alerted to this cruelty multiple times, by multiple guests, visiting at different times over several months. They have failed to effectively put a stop to it. If you haven’t made your reservation yet - don’t. You’ll risk witnessing disturbing, live animal cruelty shows that will sicken you and ruin your trip. Search for ethical wildlife tourism instead, and make sure wherever you book is not part of The Aquila Collection. (They own multiple properties with different names.) Read less

Great food and sights - use lock box for valuables

Jul 9, 2025 Denise C

I love the reserve and thought the experience was worth the price. I spent about $170 to share a room of twin beds, and this included complimentary wine on arrival and at a rest stop, 3-4 good buffet meals, and two excursions. I enjoyed the excursions and got to see lions up close as well as baboons and elephants. However, the roads are very bumpy. They should smooth out some of those roads. Do not do this if you have a bad back. My only other complaint was that my roommate had $200 stolen from her suitcase and another friend had $80 missing. Please use the safe box in the room. Read less

A Brilliant, Authentic African Safari Experience

Jul 4, 2025 ChildishChazbino

We spent a couple of nights here in November 2024 as a large family vacationing around SA. We wanted an authentic Safari experience and absolutely loved it! Upon arrival, we were greeted with some sparkling wine. The staff were polite and attentive. The actual reserve itself is very well kept, near the rear with the pool and swim-up bar is a gorgeously maintained grass area that looks out straight onto the range. We frequently saw herds of Elephants and Ostriches roam around. We were also lucky enough to have a room that saw straight out onto the range. This was phenomenal to wake up to. The food during the buffets were lovely - lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and perfectly cooked meats. Great variety and allergen cards attached to each one. Inside the food hall and walking around - you can tell that a lot of money was put into it, lots of gorgeous exposed wood - gardens were kept lovely and not a piece of rubbish around. Our room was also great for what it was, quite modern - very clean and comfortable. not much more you could ask for! The safaris themselves were fantastic. We had an evening and morning one. A lot of the family opted out of the morning one due to how much you are thrown around the truck due to the massive bumps in the roads - but it's to be expected. Myself and my partner were in our element, we are keen photographers and took some incredible photos of Lions, Hippos, Elephants and much more. It was a fantastic experience. A highlight for myself was when a troup of Baboons stormed the half-way stop at the Safari. It was quite a reserved spot in the middle of the reserve and you can tell the Baboons frequently attacked here to steal food on a daily basis! I noticed one pop up out of nowhere, and within seconds there were about 10 of them converging on me and a few others. It was bloody scary but exhilarating. A few of the staff managed to shoo them away but managed to take some great snaps of them whilst they were there! A wonderful stay and a gorgeous reserve. I would definitely return. Read less

Anniversary getaway

Jun 20, 2025 AartiS331 Cape Town, South Africa

The Aquila experience is fantastic. Welcome drinks, adequate time for relaxation and activities. The buffet lunch, dinner and breakfast was perfection. They catered for everyone and the selection was various. The rooms are neat, tidy and easily accessible. Two game drives which offer insights, great exposure to the animals and our guide Tyler,… Read more

There Are Much Better Places To Go And See The Animals

Jun 17, 2025 marshap1919 Stoke Poges, United Kingdom

The setting over the reserve is lovely. The view from the back of the accommodation block is a tip. The staff also have conversations from distances and their voices carry. The rooms are tired and ours was not particularly clean. It wasn't vacuumed when we went in and it wasn't vacuumed the next day either. There were stains on the sofa, It was cold and we put the heater on, but still wasn't warm enough. The food is buffet style and passable. The game drives are in large vehicles and when they are full - 24 ish people it is not always easy to see the animals / get good photos. Some drivers turn the vehicles round other don't. Several of the animals are fed ie the elephants, lions, and some others There are 4 elephants, 4 lions (in an enclosure), hippos, zebra, eland, rhinos (4 maybe 5), buffalo, ostrich, we saw one giraffe, babboons. There are far better places to go than here. We thought it was over priced for what you get and there are far better places to go to see the animals. This place is just a money making machine and the money is not put back into it. Really it is an open zoo. It is not a wild safari place. Read less

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