An action-packed Big 5 Cape Town Safari ideal for budget travelers or those with limited time available!
This affordable full-day Aquila safari tour takes you on a Big 5 safari in Aquila Game Reserve, the closest Big 5 game reserve to Cape Town. Your safari day tour includes transfers from Cape Town to Aquila Game Reserve and back, as well as breakfast and lunch at the game lodge. An excellent introduction to African safaris and the famous Big 5 of Africa!
This Cape Town Safari tour starts and ends in Cape Town city. Early this morning you are collected from a pre-arranged pick-up point in Cape Town. At about 06h45 we set off for Aquila Game Reserve, only a two-hour drive from Cape Town.
Driving northeast in our air-conditioned transfer vehicle we travel via the Cape Winelands, South Africa's premier wine growing region, and majestic mountain ranges. Reaching the semi-arid Southern Karoo, we arrive at Aquila Private Game Reserve. This is the closest Big 5 game reserve to Cape Town and one of very few Big Five safari destinations in the malaria-free Western Cape Province. Upon arrival at Aquila Game Reserve at about 09h00, we enjoy welcome drinks. A scrumptious breakfast buffet is then served. Breakfast includes juice, coffee, and a selection of teas.
After breakfast, we embark on our exhilarating Big Five game drive in an open-sided 4x4 safari vehicle. The game drive lasts for about two to three hours and is conducted by a professional game ranger. Your experienced guide will regale you with tales of the African bush and its wild inhabitants, providing you with fascinating facts about the local flora and fauna. While you search out the Big Five and the abundance of other wildlife found in Aquila, your guide will also answer questions and point out interesting sightings.
Our game drive ends back at the lodge where a buffet lunch is served. After a leisurely lunch, you are free to relax at the lodge and enjoy the top-notch facilities. Take a dip in the large swimming pool, browse the curio shop, walk the labyrinth or play a game of giant chess. On cold winter days, settle down beside one of the cozy log fires in the lounge and bar areas. Alternatively, you can do an optional (pre-booked) activity, at extra cost choosing from pampering spa treatments, or thrilling quad bike and horseback safaris.
At about 16h00 we depart on our scenic two-hour drive back to Cape Town. Arriving back in Cape Town between 18h00 and 19h00 you are transferred to your post-safari accommodation or pre-arranged drop-off point, bringing your Big 5 Cape Town Safari adventure to an end.
Aquila is a privately-owned game park named after the endangered black eagle, called the Verreaux eagle (Aquila verreauxii). The game reserve is located close to the small town of Touws River on the fringes of the Southern Karoo region and is thus a malaria-free safari destination. This 10 000-hectare sanctuary is home to Africa's Big Five and a rich variety of other wildlife species, including wildebeest, giraffe, cheetah, hippo, zebra, oryx, and other antelopes.
Due to its proximity to Cape Town (only two hours drive from the city), Aquila Game Reserve is an ideal Big 5 safari destination for travelers visiting Cape Town.
Aquila Game Reserve also hosts an animal rescue center that provides sanctuary to animals that can never be released into the wild again. The wildlife rescue center also serves as a temporary home for wild animals that need care and rehabilitation before being released into the wild. The center is not open to the public and interaction with humans is kept to a minimum. Conservation and rehabilitation initiatives have included work with black eagles, rhinos, cheetahs, lions, and more.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does take children.
Children of all ages are welcome to join accompanying parents or guardian on this safari.
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