Situated at the eastern end of the Garden Route & under an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth, Addo Elephant National Park is home to over 550 elephants as well as lion, leopard, buffalo & black rhino, making it a malaria-free Big 5 safari destination.
Experience In addition – Addo has established a corridor to an Indian Ocean marine reserve, so can now add southern right whale & great white shark to its impressive list of animals & has announced itself as a Big 7 reserve, quite the title!
There is a wide selection of lodges to choose from, both inside the park & nearby.
With such close proximity to Port Elizabeth, Addo is a wonderful safari destination to add to your self-drive Garden Route itinerary.
Activities Addo Elephant National Park offers a variety of safari activities.
Guests can enjoy open 4x4 game drives in search of big game as well as expert-led walking safaris & horseback expeditions.
A range of hiking trails – from short walks to 3-day treks – are also available for the more adventurous traveller.
Addo is a botanist’s paradise as it contains 5 of South Africa’s plant biomes, while the bird count is a staggering 450.
Some of the family-friendly lodges have Kids Clubs that offer a range of exciting activities, including scavenger hunts, arts & crafts, educational games, DVDs & do-it-yourself pizza nights.
When To Travel Wildlife viewing in Addo Elephant National Park is good throughout the year.
Because it has an arid to semi-arid climate, animals are attracted to waterholes at any time, but more so during the driest winter months (June to September). The drawback to winter is that nights can become chilly & winter clothing is needed for early morning game drives, especially when using an open vehicle.