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ITS A EASY DAYS DRIVE THERE AND BACK FROM A1 KYNASTON ,ITS A MUST
The Park is home to more than 450 elephants as well as cape buffalo, lion, black rhino, various antelope species, warthogs and the flightless dungbeetle.
Addo Elephant National Park
Addo Elephant Park has the densest population of elephant in the world. Safe from hunters and poachers, the grey giants of the bush now roam in peace through this dense valley in the Sundays River region. An estimated 100,000 elephants roamed South Africa up until 1652 when European colonisation started. In the 1930s, when there were only 11 surviving elephants, Addo Elephant Park was founded, to save the Eastern Cape elephant and Cape buffalo from extinction. In the 1960s, the endangered black rhino was also introduced to the park. Today, this quiet, evergreen valley is home to a breeding herd of over 450 elephants and offers sanctuary to a variety of other animals including antelope, monkeys, warthog, jackal and small cats. Recently, a group of lions was added to the wildlife of the southern part of the park. The dense Addo bush is also an excellent bird watching spot with over 180 species.
The expansion of the Addo Elephant National Park has been touted as one of the most exciting and ambitious conservation projects ever to be undertaken in South Africa. The Park currently covers an area of over 90.000 ha, stretching from Darlington Dam north west of the Zuurberg down to the N2 national road near the Sundays River.
You can join day, night and sunset guided drives or follow 4x4 trails for excellent elephant viewing from your own vehicle. The more adventurous can take a three-hour horseback ride across the bushveld for a close-up look of elephants and other wildlife.
Park facilities include attractive six- and four-bed cottages, four-bed forest huts and two-bed bungalows, available for overnight stays. Day-visitors can relax at a pleasant picnic spot. There is also a restaurant, serving à la carte meals and light refreshments.
Bird Watching
Addo has a rich variety of bird life, as many as 450 species across the expanded Park, while 170 species can be found in the main game area.
The large Bird Hide (Sasol Red Bishop Bird Hide) at the Addo Rest Camp overlooks a reed-filled wetland where you will be able to observe an interesting variety of birdlife and is wheelchair accessible.
The surrounding area offers numerous recreational activities ranging from hiking, 4x4 and horse trails to elephant back safaris.
The word Addo immediately reminds one of the Addo Elephant National Park near Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
A trip to Addo is also not complete without a visit to Addo Croc and Lion Ranch where the visitor can come face to face with crocodiles, lions, tigers as well as with other species of wild animals. Here you can also find chalets, a restaurant and tea garden in lush, shady surroundings.
For such a small place, Addo offers quite a number of activities to suit different tastes and interests. Naturally, the prime attraction is the Addo elephants but it is worth the trouble when in the area to investigate some of the other activities as well.
Day and night trips can be made to Addo Elephant National Park.
1)YOU CAN DRIVE YOUR CAR
2)HAVE A GUIDE WITH YOU IN YOUR CAR
3)DO A GAME DRIVE
Game viewing drives at various Game Farms such as Schotia Safaris and other Lodges in the area.
See lions, tigers, crocodiles and other animals close-up at the Addo Lion and Croc Ranch.
Visits to Citrus and Rose farms.
Scenic drives and day trips in the Addo area.
Trips up the historic Zuurberg Mountain Pass
The Kirkwood Wildsfees (Game Festival)
The Addo Rose and Garden Festival
Camp Matyholweni is easily accessible by car and provides a second gateway into the park from the South. Amenities such as shops, restaurants and a fuel station are available in the nearby town of Colchester. This camp is 39 kilometres away from the main camp and has 12 accommodation units. Two units are adapted for wheelchair users.
The popular Addo Main Camp at the main gate to the park and 15 kilometres west of Paterson offers plenty of activities - such as horse riding, game drives by day or night and a nature discovery trail. There also is a wide variety of accommodation to choose from, ranging from a camp site and safari tents, forest cabins, rondavels and chalets to cottages and a guesthouse. A unique feature is the waterhole lookout point, floodlit at night, within the camp.
Narina Bush Camp is not managed by the park and situated in the Zuurberg area north-west of the main camp. Narina offers four tents, each with two single beds. Due to its true rustic nature, there is no electricity or shops provided but a fully equipped kitchen, hot and cold water shower as well as a toilet. Guests can enjoy guided horsetrails and in the evening gather around the campfire to revive their animal encounters of the day. There also is a bird hide, where one can look for those elusive rare species. To see big game you have to enter the park at the main gate. Bookings are essential for all three camps.
Matyholweni, which means "in the bush" in Xhosa is located near the coastal town of Colchester at the Sundays River Mouth, three kilometers off the N2 highway and provides lovely thatched self-catering cottages.
Addo Main Camp is situated close to Addo town (hence the name) and offers a pool, a restaurant, a fuel station and 61 accommodation units of various types as well as an underground hide for close up game viewing.
Hidden next to the Witrivier in the Zuurberg Mountains about 22 kilometres from the main camp you will find the authentic Narina Bush Camp. It offers a tranquil getaway with lapa and barbecue area in a bird rich forest.
The unique Addo Flightless Dung Beetle is found almost exclusively in the Addo Elephant Park. The adults gather at elephant dung for feeding and at buffalo dung for feeding and breeding.
did you know ?
The dung beetles only have one nesting sequence a year and in this time period they produce only one young beetle.
The Spekboom (Portulaca Afra), a favourite food of the elephants, can be eaten by humans as well. It has a very refreshing smell in the morning but an unpleasant smell by late afternoon.
The Narina Trogon is a largely green forest bird. The male's bare, blue-green throat patch is expanded when calling and both sexes may fluff out the breast feathers in display.
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