BIG5 private Safari near Cape Town
Description
Aquila Private Game Reserve is known for conserving the Karoo and uplifting the Touws River community. PLEASE NOTE: Aquila is a private game reserve, and we do not control their facilities or wildlife. It offers a close-up wildlife experience ideal for time-limited travelers, just a short drive from Cape Town. If you’re looking for dramatic wildlife interactions—like predators hunting and animals fighting for survival—this may not be the right option. Aquila offers a more controlled, accessible, and family-friendly safari experience. Our role is to guide you on this special journey with the help of our professional, knowledgeable tour guides. We aim to make your trip exciting, informative, and filled with the natural beauty and unique wildlife that our part of the continent has to offer. PLEASE NOTE: Santacruise Tours offers private transport to and from the safari only. Game drive transport it's NOT PRIVATE and it's provided by the lodge.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This is a half day afternoon safari. Arrival time is 12pm starting with lunch and followed by 4 X 4 safari drive.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Clients provides pick up address
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(12)
We booked this tour with Tingo and I can honestly say the trip would have been a completely different experience had we not. The company really makes or breaks a trip. Professionally, Tingo was prompt and ready at 5am in the morning with a fantastic attitude. Throughout the entire trip he spoke to us about landmarks, culture, and any other questions we had. The conversation never died and was so informative. I left the car feeling so much more informed and aware of life here. If you have the chance to book with Tingo, don’t walk, run at the opportunity. He made this trip all the more magical. AND he made a point to realize what we were interested in so he stopped at the most beautiful viewpoint for us. Thank you, Tingo!!
Wow—thank you so much for such a beautiful and thoughtful review! 🙏✨ It truly means the world to me to hear that I could make your experience even more special. Hosting you was an absolute pleasure, and I’m so glad the journey, conversations, and stops along the way added to the magic of your trip. I always aim to tailor each experience to my guests’ interests, so knowing you enjoyed the viewpoints and cultural insights makes it even more rewarding. Thank you again for trusting me with your journey, and I hope to welcome you back to South Africa very soon!
We had day tour with Tingo where he picked us up at 05:00 to get to the private game safari location. Not only was he on time. He was an amazing driver who was very insightful about South Africa. We had a great conversation the whole ride there and back where we learned so much about the country. On our way back he stopped at amazing view points so we could see more of the beauty of Cape Town/SA. If you are looking for a transfer I’d definitely book with Tingo.
Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙏 It was truly a pleasure hosting you and sharing the journey to the private game safari. I’m glad you enjoyed the conversations, the views, and the beauty of Cape Town along the way. Your support means a lot, and I really appreciate you choosing to travel with me. Wishing you many more amazing adventures, and you’re always welcome back to South Africa
Our guide Tingo was amazing. Our trip to the Safari Park was comfortable. Tingo was so knowledgeable about the history and culture of Capetown.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m really glad you enjoyed the safari and felt comfortable throughout the journey. It was a pleasure sharing some of South Africa’s rich history and culture with you along the way. I truly appreciate you choosing Santacruise Tours and hope to welcome you back for more adventures soon
We took the trip up to Aquila for the day and we are glad we did . Had breakfast when we arrived. We know it’s not the biggest in South Africa but it is well worth the trip. We went out on the truck and straight away we seen giraffe with its baby . The elephants come right up to the truck was amazing. We the drove for a bit then saw zebras and rhinos. The tour guide was full of experience and knowledge and had been there for 10 years. We then saw the lions what was fantastic so close . We seen all others animals and wild baboons. Had buffet lunch which was good then relaxed about the pool. It is a must if you go to Cape Town
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m so glad you enjoyed the day safari at Aquila—sounds like it was a truly special adventure. Seeing the giraffe and her baby, elephants up close, and of course the lions must have been unforgettable moments. It’s wonderful to hear that the guide’s knowledge and experience made the trip even more enriching. And a relaxing lunch by the pool is the perfect way to end a safari! We’re thrilled you found it worthwhile and hope to welcome you back for more amazing experiences in South Africa soon!
Crap. It’s all fenced in. No natural brush. They feed the animals hay which they try to hide by putting it in dried creek beds but it’s visible. The lions are in an enclosure secluded from other animals so they are fed too. They tell you that you will be lucky to see animals but with no high brush the animals are visible from miles away. This was equal to an amusement park ride. Yes you’ll see all the animals so that’s cool but we had just done a real safari so this was a joke to us. We opted for the quad ride which was fun but our leader explained NOTHING and seemed very stoned. The van ride from cape town was hell. A few seats don’t allow for leg room. I’m 5’8 and literally didn’t fit my legs in the seat. It’s 2.5 hours away. No ac either. He had it blasting but it wasn’t cool. Worst five hours of the trip (just the van).
We apologize for your experience. Aquila is one of our suppliers and will pass your concerns to them. As for our accommodations for transportation we apologize for your uncomfortable ride. If you return on holiday we would love the opportunity to make your trip more memorable. We, at SantaCruise pride ourselves on giving the most memorable holiday experience and do not expect anything less.
This was an awesome tour! We were able to see the Big 5 as well as some additional animals during this safari tour. Top tier experience!
The safari is a great mix of good things, from the drive and the animals. Thank you for booking with us
Great tour. I seen all 5 of the animals but I wish the Hippo would have been more active on land but overall, it was still a great experience.
Awesome! I love the drive to the safari it adds the experience of the beauty. Hope you will share the information to other people. Thanks
My experience with SantaCruise Tours was exceptional. We were with them for 5 days to go to dinners, the botanical gardens, tabletop mountains, wineries, a safari, and more. The staff is prompt, courteous, and knowledgeable. This made for an overall exceptionally great experience. I highly recommend SantaCruise for your Cape Town Adventures.
It's a must to see the big5 when in Africa. Can't forget the mass turn up of the baboons😀
I have done many activities and trips with Santacruise Tours with my group of friends. Tingo was our tour guide. If you want to have a trip in which you can laugh a lot, you should go with Tingo. Great guy. We had nice tours to a Township, Safari, shooting, transfers to the airport and many more. They have 15 years experience and can tell you a lot of stories. We continue the tours with Santacruise tours until the end of our trip. I definitely recommend these tours to other tourists, travelers!
Thanks Alex. Am so glad I had an opportunity to host you and friends. I also learned from you about social media tricks, that was awesome. Can't wait to have another tour with you.
This is a review long overdue. My wife and I plus another couple we did the Half Day Safari Tour plus other activities under Santa Cruise tours. Each experience was amazing. We recieved the upmost respect and history knowledge for each event. You get A+ service for a great price! Each person was on time, friendly and made us feel like family. We were visiting from US and this made us all feel comfortable. I would easily recommend Safari Tours for any and all events that they are providing!!!
Thanks Temi. Am so glad that you still remember the great services and great hospitality we offered your family and friends. Our efforts is to keep up with first class services. We know understand the value of your time and vacation and we try to put more value to it in creating great memories. Thanks once again for taking your time write about us
