Aquila Private Game Reserve & Spa | Cape Town, South Africa | Virgin Atlantic Holidays
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Aquila Private Game Reserve & Spa
Cape Town, South Africa
4 stars
Imagine days spent viewing the Big 5, and evenings whiled away socialising and stargazing around the fire pit - it's the stuff safari holiday dreams are made of, and that's what you'll get to enjoy when you stay here at Aquila. Just a two-hour drive from Cape Town, an irresistible mix of exhilarating game drives and reserve relaxation awaits you. Amenities include a large swimming pool, mezzanine bar with incredible views, and an Karoo style buffet restaurant serving up delicious cuisine. Be sure to bring your camera - there's going to be a lot to see, and you won't want to miss a thing.
Amenities
Safari
Bar
Internet Access
Restaurant
Safety Deposit Box
Spa
Swimming Pool
Explore the local area
Located between the Langeberg and Outeniqua Mountains in the Western Cape, a 2 hour drive from Cape Town.
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.
Hotel details
Dining
Restaurant. Mezzanine level bar and lounge.
Fun and Games
Pool. Tranquila Spa* with luxurious African treatments, indoor and outdoor pool, and sauna and steam rooms. Aquila Kids Club*. Junior Ranger programme*. Curio Shop. Eco-synergy tours*.
Additional Information
* Denotes local charge.
Trip advisor rating
3.7/5
1,055 reviews
Excellent
40%
Very Good
22%
Average
16%
Poor
10%
Terrible
12%
“Not a happy customer”
Oct 02, 2025Yoda2171
Absolutely unacceptable experience. We were promised the reserve would be open for a morning safari with a buffet breakfast, so we woke up at 5am and drove over 2 hours to get there on time. On arrival, we were casually told that it wasn’t open and that we could “just do a sunset safari instead.”
This is completely unprofessional and shows zero respect for guests’ time and money. Clear communication is the bare minimum, and failing to inform us in advance is inexcusable. We wasted our morning and our fuel because of their negligence.
I would strongly caution others to think twice before booking, as reliability and honesty clearly aren’t a priority here.
“The best experience we’ve ever had as a family.”
Sep 24, 2025Roduff
We had booked Aquila for a safari on our trip to South Africa. I had read the reviews and my expectations were not very high, but I am happy to say my expectations were greatly surpassed. Our flight was delayed by a few hours, so we ended up missing our first safari. When we arrived we checked in and we were led to our chalet. The accommodation was not luxurious and nor was I expecting it to be, after all it is a game reserve with a hotel, not a hotel with a game reserve. It was still clean and had comfortable beds. Our only complaint if any would be that it was a bit dark in the rooms. We found the food was delicious and we found the buffet style nice as it was different to the generic restaurant experience, and you didn’t have to wait for your food. We also have a daughter with an allergy to egg and the staff were very good dealing with this. The safaris were amazing and the animals were beautiful. Contrary to the other reviews, we found it did not resemble a zoo at all as all the animals have over 10,000 hectares of land to walk freely on. Only the lions were kept in an enclosure, this is because horseback safaris are hosted here and a lot of the animals here are rescued. We had a very knowledgeable and engaging driver named Keanu. All the staff were so friendly and kind to us. The landscape was breathtakingly gorgeous. After dinner they had marshmallow roasting and stargazing. The man who hosted the stargazing was funny and kind and we all enjoyed this experience a lot. We would recommend visiting here to anyone and everyone as we all enjoyed it so much and we find all the bad reviews completely different to the experience we had.
“Just a bad and horrible experience and waste of money”
Sep 24, 2025francisca a
We booked a safari at Aquila Game Reserve for 13 people (including an infant), and 12 of us attended. Before our drive, some of us even spent extra money at the spa to make the most of the day. Sadly, what should have been an amazing experience quickly turned into one of the worst. Our driver was shockingly rude and disrespectful, which ruined the entire atmosphere. After paying such a high price and giving additional business to the spa, we expected professionalism and hospitality, but instead we were treated poorly and ended up cutting the trip short. A truly disappointing experience.
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Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. However, ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: https://www.atol.org/about-atol/atol-certificates.
This product offers you combinations of a hotel and flights at an inclusive price. This product enjoys the protection of the Package Travel, Package Travel and Linked Arrangements Regulations 2018.
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