Tag 22/29 - Safari

Yesterday we spontaneously booked another safari. We really wanted Anni to see her beloved lions 🦁 before we flew back home. So we went on safari to the Aquila Private Game Reserve, which is about two hours outside of Cape Town in the Karoo semi-desert.
Unfortunately everything there was super touristy. The complex consists of a hotel complex with several buildings, lodges and a pool with a pool bar (and a very questionable audience). The facility is directly adjacent to the “animal enclosure” (which has 10,000 hectares). It was good with children because the safari itself “only” lasts about 2 hours and you can actually see almost all of the “typical African animals”. If we had gone on a safari just for us adults, we would definitely have chosen a different one because at times it felt like a huge zoo and we liked seeing animals in the wild (like in the Addo Elephant Park) worlds better . But there is also the risk that you only see a few animals (that's the problem with patience with the kids 🙈)
We were really lucky and, apart from the leopard, we have now seen the Big 5 (elephants, rhinos, buffalo, lions and leopards). We also saw giraffes, hippos (at least their noses), ostriches, a whole herd of elands and a few monkeys. The lions were pretty close when they took their lunch break just 2 m next to us 🫣 As the “papa lion” (like Anni always says) woke up and stared intently at us, but a shiver went down the spines of one or the other in the open safari truck. The lion's gaze was so piercing.
Afterwards we ended the evening with a breathtaking view, great wine (2 bottles are already in our luggage) and the best food (unusual tapas menu) ever 🤩 at the Maison winery. The food was a 12/10. You definitely have to go there if you're in the area and love food and wine (a little more expensive but worth it).
At the end there was a sparkling starry sky ✨
All in all a perfect day ❤️🦒🦛🦏🐃🐘🦌🐒🦁