South African Game Lodges – Game Reserves – Private Game Reserves

Aquila Private Game Reserve, offering big 5 safaris two hours from Cape Town, makes it easy for you no matter what your time constraints are, we offer half day, full day and overnight safari package options!

Acclaimed for service excellence, renewable energy, social responsibility efforts and conservation programmes, Aquila is more than just an unforgettable wildlife experience, it is an experience in luxurious African hospitality, traditional culinary delights, service excellence and the restoration of pride to the indigenous people and the land.

Overnight Safari
The Aquila overnight safari doesn’t spare on spoiling our guests. Welcome cocktails are served on arrival, either outside, around the pool, or in front of a log fire in the cigar bar. The overnight safari boasts an early morning safari as well as a late afternoon safari with an Aquila Game Reserve specialist and 3 meals daily.

Aquila Lodge
Situated adjacent to the restaurant is the newly built Aquila Lodge, comprising 3 levels, accessible by a glass panelled lift with magnificent Karoo vistas, with 22 rooms facing the reserve and the mountains and another 22 rooms facing away from the reserve. Modern Afro-chic interior design is used in the lodge.

Aquila has a variety of accommodation options to choose from to suit every taste and budget.
Standard Lodge Rooms
Standard Lodge Rooms have twin beds which can be made up to Queen size beds, they look away from the reserve and have a shower en suite. These rooms do not have a view.
Premier Luxury Cottages
The Premier Cottages are positioned on the hillside to offer privacy and have been built in harmony with the rock, which is a principle focal point in the large bathrooms and alfresco showers. They are constructed from wood, stone and thatch and feature fans, air conditioners and fireplaces. Each en-suite bathroom is unique, with twin hand basins, bath and toilet. The cottages offer a wooden deck with panoramic views across the expanse of the reserve. The Honeymoon Suite (the jewel in Aquila’s crown) boasts a private alfresco Jacuzzi.
Luxury Cottages
In keeping with the design and flow of the architecture at Aquila, the Standard Cottages do not compromise the experience nor standard. Each has its own patio, corner bath and outdoor rock shower. Cottages are equipped with mini bars (on request), fans and feature “coal‟ stoves for that extra bit of warmth and cosiness in the colder months.
Premier Lodge Rooms
Premier Lodge Rooms have large balconies overlooking the reserve with magnificent views. Full bathrooms with separate showers and views from the baths. 2 x twins beds which can be made up to Queen size beds.
Family Luxury Cottages
These units are semi-detached and are situated in close proximity to the children’s play area. Units are equipped with mini bars (on request), tea and coffee making facilities and feature indoor fireplaces for that extra bit of warmth and cosiness in the colder months. They are under thatch and feature exterior stone work using raw materials from the area. Children sleep tucked away under the eaves in a charming loft area overlooking the main bedroom below.
Family Lodge Suites
The Standard Lodge Room and the Premier Lodge rooms are connected by a common passageway. The entrance to the passageway may be locked (as can both bedrooms) forming a private and safe place for families.

Aquila Private Game Reserve

Named after the endangered black or verreaux eagle (Aquila verreauxii), Aquila’s story began in 1999 when its owner, Searl Derman, driven by a desire to share his passion for the wild with Cape Town, set about searching for the perfect piece of land to re-introduce the Big 5 to the Western Cape. He was fortunate enough to come across a nature reserve that would later become Aquila Private Game Reserve.

Situated in the historic town of Touws River, in a valley between the Langeberg and the Outeniqua Mountains in the Karoo, the 10,000 hectare conservancy has evolved from its early days of being residence to various antelope species only to becoming the home of the Big 5 – elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard - as well as a significant amount of other wild game, which roam freely on the reserve.

Aquila’s purpose is to protect and preserve Africa’s increasingly threatened wildlife and is fully committed to social upliftment, job creation, skills development and various sustainable empowerment programmes. Creating the ideal, sustainable balance between nature conservation and the empowerment of the local community of Touws River is at the core of how Aquila operates.