Waleed and I were fortunate to spend the weekend of 5 to 7 May 2017 at
Aquila Private Game Reserve situated in Touws River. We celebrated our 8-year wedding anniversary, which was the perfect excuse for a local getaway.
From Cape Town, it is about a 2-hour drive on the N1, using the toll road. It is an extremely scenic drive where you are towered by the Hawequas Mountain Range, part of the Hawequas Nature Reserve, where the indigenous shrubs and proteas are mesmerising. You pass Rawsonville and Worcester and go through the Hex River Valley. The pass is littered with baboons who often sit in the middle of the road and are unperturbed by oncoming traffic.
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| The Hex River Valley |
The Hex River Valley is awash with different shades of green as the vineyards shed their late harvest and there are numerous hawkers selling grapes on the side of the road. Caution if you do go this way that there is a sign up to say they use it as a hijacking tactic. Despite the sign, which was an official road sign, people were still stopping to purchase the sceptically acquired grapes.
Arriving at Aquila
You are met with a drink on arrival and are ushered to lunch which ends at around 3pm. It is a buffet with extensive options to choose from. While having lunch on the veranda, there were a number of peacocks milling about picking at the scraps that fell to the floor.
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| Aquila Private Game Reserve |
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| The view from the veranda |
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| A pair of peacocks |
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| Aquila lodge |
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| The view from our bedroom |
After checking in, we got ready for our first game drive, which was at 4pm. We bundled onto the truck brimming with enthusiasm to see if we could spot the Big 5. The dry, red sand is a constant reminder of the Karoo desert and the cracked ground led to some dead blue gum trees, which were contrasted by the pale, blue sky.
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| The grey clouds were a premonition of an impending downpour. |
The Game Reserve is situated on between 10 to 15 000 hectares of land, which is an awesome backdrop for pictures. One of my most memorable moments was seeing a white rhino cow with her calf metres away from our vehicle. They were lying down and eventually got up and walked away.
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| The white rhino cow and her calf |
In spitting distance of the animals
Our game driver, Freddie, was excellent at reading the animals’ footprints and sharing titbits of information about all the animals. On both drives we also exceeded the allotted time to make sure we saw all the animals we were able to.
A bull elephant walked right pass our truck to feed on a pile of veg. He was soon joined by another young bull elephant and a number of ostriches. We also spotted some Springbok, giraffes in the distance and a dazzle of Zebra before we headed for the lion enclosure.
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| The elephants and ostriches |
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| A springbok |
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| A dazzle of zebra |
Luckily, they had just been fed (a horse from a nearby farm) and our presence didn’t seem to disturb them.
While we were watching, a lion with his belly nearly dragging on the floor headed over for seconds.
According to Freddie, when lions are fed and don’t have to hunt, they will finish all the food they are fed because they are not sure when they will get their next meal.
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| The lions relaxing |
After a little drizzle of rain a spectacular rainbow appeared just as we came across some eland. We stopped for a sunset break and had a chance to socialise with the other people on the truck. We also got to enjoy some grape juice and snacks while enjoying the scenery. We got back from the game drive just in time for dinner.
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| An eland in the foreground |
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| Such a picturesque view |
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| Waleed - the reason for my smiles |
We enjoyed a lovely candle-lit buffet, courtesy of the people who stole some cables. The food was underwhelming but forgiveable since they prepared it without electricity. Unfortunately the spa was also out of bounds since there was no power. But there was an option to do some star gazing at 9pm. Because the electricity was out, the view of the stars was even more spectacular. The peace and quiet was also a reminder that we were out of the city.
A chilly, 7am game drive
The next morning we woke up to the sounds of the hippos, which were nearby. We got ready to go for the sunrise game drive. After some coffee and rusks we headed for Freddie’s truck. It was extremely chilly, the kind of cold that chills your bones. Most of the same passengers from the previous game drive accompanied us. We started chatting to couple, who’ve been married for 26 years and were celebrating the woman’s (Judy’s) birthday.
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| A sunrise game drive |
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| A close up of the hippo |
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| The view after sunrise |
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| The buffalo trying to hide |
Our first stop was a watering hole where we saw some hippos. We watched them for a while and they eventually got into the water. A little ride later, we saw some more hippos just opposite our accommodation. I was surprised by how big they were, considering we were just a few metres away. We also saw some Wildebees, went back to the lion enclosure, and then saw buffalo. We came across the rhino cow who was nursing her calf and then saw the elephants again. That took the Big 5 count to four.
Aquila Animal Rescue Centre
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| The leopard at ARC |
Freddie then took us across the road to Aquila’s Animal Rescue Centre (ARC) so we could see the leopard, the one who put 5 in Big 5. Here they rehabilitate rescued animals. We saw a leopard that had been caged in a 2m x 2m cage and overfed. When he came to Aquila he was put in a big enclosure, with a smaller area and a space where the vet could treat him. He has shed lots of weight because of his diet but still prefers the smaller enclosure, a remnant of his past.
There was a crocodile that was adopted after a crocodile farm in Worcester closed down. There were a pair of lions who were rescued from a canned hunting farm, who will live out the remainder of their lives here. There are also a pair of cheetahs who are part of the cheetah breeding programme. The Animal Rescue Centre is non-profit organisation and offers employment opportunities for many. They have an aquaculture farm of about 30 000 tilapia (fish) and have great ambitions of growing all their own fruit and veg for consumption at the Aquila lodges.
A poaching attack
A few years ago they had a poaching attack at the Aquila Game Reserve where they killed and dehorned two white rhino and injured a third. They’ve since had to take drastic measures to prevent future attacks on this endangered species.
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| The white rhino cow and her calf on our morning game drive |
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| Another rhino just hanging around |
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| Waleed watching the elephants |
Back at the lodge
We headed back for breakfast and had the rest of the day at leisure, which I spent poured over my book. We had dinner with the couple from the game drive and then tried to engage in the star gazing but the cold, Karoo wind cut right through us and we retired to the communal lounge to chat next to the fire.
A horse-back safari highly recommended
Because we had a two-night stay at Aquila they offered us a complimentary horse-back safari. I highly recommend this as you don’t have the hum of the truck and you get really close to the animals. The peace and serenity in the park is palpable. The horses are tame, well-behaved and walk in single file behind the Game Ranger. They became a bit antsy with the elephants in the mountains, which were too close for comfort for them. But other than that it was an amazing experience. My horse was Stardust and he quickly learnt that I did not like to gallop :)
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| We look like we're experts :) |
Take advantage of a special offer
Aquila is the perfect weekend getaway for a special occasion or even just to escape the city. They run a winter special so check out
their website. They even have an overnight-stay package. With
The Entertainer App you can also take advantage of their buy one get one free deal.
Aquila is great for a one or two-day stay because it is a contained area. The only thing it is missing is a hiking or walking trail so you can stretch your legs. Because it is quite a distance from the nearest town, it would be wise to pack some snacks. They do have a little curio shop that stocks a limited range of snacks and some kitsch souvenirs. All meals are included in your package and you only pay for your drinks. The buffet is halaal and there are lots of options to choose from, with local specialities like ostrich.
Be advised that none of the rooms have any televisions, which we actually appreciated. There are televisions in the communal lounge areas with access to DStv. They also have a number of boardgames available. It gets warm and cozy with the fires going and is a great way to pass the time in the winter months. Because there was no electricity on the one evening, the Wifi was down but generally you'll be able to access it. Access is best in the dining area and the communal lounge areas. Cellphone reception is limited, regardless of your network, because it is in the middle of nowhere. Despite this, it is a great way to unplug and enjoy the peace and tranquility.
Hi there, I enjoyed reading about your experience. :-) For interest sake, are there any special activities for the kids? From Arlene
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting Arlene :) The game drives are great for kids. We had a two-year or three-year old on one of our game drives and she seemed like she enjoyed it. She got very animated when she saw the animals. On occasions, like in the lion enclosure, they asked us to keep our voices down. They also have a dedicated play area with loads of activities and toys and I think there are staff to watch over the kids. I'm not sure what the operating hours are though. Also, there's a swimming pool outside (weather permitting) and an indoor (heated) pool at the spa. I forgot to mention that there's no televisions in the rooms. So it was great for us to catch up on reading. But you might want to pack some puzzles and other activities to keep the little ones entertained. But it's a great family venue.
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