you are here: | Top Billing enjoys a winter getaway in Matroosberg
Top Billing enjoys a winter getaway in Matroosberg
Top Billing enjoys a winter getaway in Matroosberg
Two hours North East of Cape Town, just off the N1 near Touws River, Aquila Private Game Reserve offers a vision of wildlife not seen in this area for centuries.
At the gateway to the Karoo, visitors typically road-trip the R62, renowned for its wine-farms, olives, fruit and cuisine. What this safari experience adds is a hub for big game conservation, which Assistant Manager Dougal Paterson is proud to say, puts animal welfare at the heart of all they do.
A point of pride for Aquila is that they reintroduced big five to the Western cape for first time in 255 years, allowing a number of South Africans and international visitors alike to enjoy the beauty of Africa’s most iconic animals.
With the sound of hippo setting the scene, the cottages transport you into the heart of Africa. Built largely from stone, thatch and wood – with bathrooms set in rock – Aquila blends luxury with the environment. If you’re looking to unwind, the Aquila Safari Spa uses all natural products, harnessing the powers of indigenous plants and herbs, and transports you to another world.
The open Karoo brush also makes for excellent game viewing with Head Ranger Memory Khumalo, and there are no shortage of amazing species to spot.
Rescued from areas of over-population, the elephants share their new home with the first rhino born in The Western Cape since before the eighteen hundreds, and central to the conservation effort has been establishing a free-roaming sanctuary for lions rescued from canned hunting.
The reserve is now researching whether a new generation of captive-bred lion can be re-introduced into these wild surrounds from birth.
If you’re looking for more of an adrenaline rush, you can take on one of South Africa’s three steepest 4x4 trails with Didi De Kock of the Matroosberg Nature Reserve.
Enjoy beautiful views as you head up the tallest peak in the province, approaching two and a half kilometres high, and as you get three quarters of the way up, the rock formation shows a pinnacle, in the shape of a sailor standing alongside his ship.
The Afrikaans name for sailor is ‘Matroos’ – from which the mountain got its name.
Harmony returned from his 4x4 trip excursion with a hearty appetite, and Aquila’s Chef Mark treated him with a mackerel salad, gemsbok, ostrich, mash, butternut flan and some vegetables- perfect for a chilly winter’s evening! Next time you’re headed up the N1, take a turn at Touws River. You won’t regret it.
