Aquila Private Game Reserve Head Office — Local services in Green Point

My partner and I went to Aquila Game Reserve.

Taking into consideration Aquila’s website and their costs, we believed that the facilities and service would be outstanding but this was not our experience. Aquila’s facilities and service failed dismally.

We arrived at Aquila at 11:10 and as lunch was at 12:00, we walked around to see what we could do, regretfully there was nothing else to do.

The front reception staff were very strict about gaining access to the rooms. Besides us, we overheard two other guests complaining about not being able to gain access to their rooms. I know it stipulates that check in is only at 14:00 but if Aquila had more activities, guests would not get bored waiting to gain access to their rooms.

Eventually, at exactly 14:00, we were handed the key to our room. The room felt like they stuck us in a broom closet. It was stuffy and there was not much ventilation. The shower was mouldy – absolutely disgusting. My partner asked for a fan but was told by staff that they do not provide fans as there is air conditioning in the room. The mirror above the dressing table was placed too high up on the wall, and irrespective if one was tall, one could not use the mirror sitting down. As there were not much activities, it would be a good idea to have a TV in the bedroom.

After we checked into our room, we decided to sit in the bar lounge which was deserted. They did not stock any of the alcoholic beverages we selected. Later at dinner at the restaurant, we ordered two shots of Sambuca from the barman. The barman suggested that he first needed to check if the Sambuca was drinkable by lighting a tot of it to determine whether or not the Sambuca was good to consume. We immediately cancelled our drinks order. The food was average.

At the spa my partner found the gown too small and had to ask for a towel to cover up. Please note that people come in all shapes and sizes.

On the game drive we saw two elephants and a handful of rhinoceros, springboks and lions – not much wildlife. Before departing Aquila, the staff were unable to give us proper directions to Inverdoorn Game Reserve.

Considering the cost, the experience was not worth it. In our opinion it was a rip off.

Summary • Very rigid about gaining access to the rooms • Our accommodation was like a broom closet • Mouldy shower • Lack of entertainment • Not much...

If you want to rate this, you will have to seperate.

First of all; the reserve itself with its animals. It is a huge RESERVE, and I say it like that because who expected a place like Kruger should inform himself what this exactly means and what they do. They offer two huge territories, one for the lions and one for all other animals (obviously), where they give the animals a safe place to stay and rescue them against hunters. The animals seem super satisfied, have plenty of food and possibilities to walk around. This is also the reason, why you may not see veryone of them on your trip. Bad for you, good for them. The guides are just awesome, very very informative information and super kind. More tours through the day for different chances to see the animals.

Second the accommodation. We had a Premier Lodge with a balcony on Reserve site, and being on the bed and watching the giraffes grabing some food in the sunset just melted my heart. Watch out for a room with a balcony and a nice view! The members working there seem quite unorganzied, as it would be a new Hotel, but they are nevertheless very friendly. The food is okay. Plenty options for buffet, but as in the most locations it repeats and after two days you start to imagine some other food. They did a star watching tour, as we were there for the weekend. They made a fire on the outside with marshmallows and there was a guy with an telescope who explained to you his wisdom and that was just amazing, especially in the middle of dark nowhere! Never thinked about that but welcome to Africa; the Spa there is pretty pretty cold during winter. The most relaxing spot is actually the sauna with a temperature, that I would expect in every room. But the massages are great! If you do so, combine it with the Quad tour which is just amazing!! And last but not least; Hygiene. Definitely would expect something different from a 4 star resort than having birds in the dining hall and in the Spa. I know that this is a problem there but don't make it to my problem, especially regarding on the price.

So all in all, I would do it again. Because Point 1 I mentioned was just overhelming. But expect more a 3* resort and look forward for the wonderful silent, peacefull animal experience which is definitely worth it, especially if you can't to...

We knew that we weren't going to get an authentic safari, but we booked into the deluxe safari cottage (their best room - approximately £800 a night) to ensure a comfortable stay with awesome views. The room was perfect with an expansive balcony, jacuzzi, lovely shower and roll top bath with a view. Unfortunately that is where the compliments end. Our two main negatives in relation to the room were that the mini-bar was empty and that there was no phone, so the only way to contact reception was to walk there (a few hundred metres). The best thing about the safari was that it was private (this comes with ordering the deluxe safari cottage), other than that I'd have to say that it was more like driving around a zoo without the fences. It was a bit Noah's Ark, there appeared to be two of everything. Two osterich, two rhino, two giraffe etc etc. The only preditors on offer were some lions in a small caged area. The experience was very rushed and involved dozens of other vehicles all zooming around, trying to skip through the animals before converging at a meeting point at the end which appeared to be more about the drivers catching up with each other rather than anything to do with the hundreds of tourists who were left to their own divices. So after the safari we went to dinner which was probably the worst food I've experienced during my many visits to South Africa. Absolutely no love whatsoever from the "chef". Had we known, we would have brought our own food and stayed in the cottage. Aquilla Private Game Reserve really needs to up their game as from our viewpoint, they have very little regard for the consumer experience and it felt more like they were herding cattle, getting everyone in and out as quickly as possible. If you're in Cape Town and want an animal experience I'd suggest going to boulders bay to see the penguins. Much more fun and a...