A is for Addo Elephant National Park
24 January 2012
I have joined a group of international bloggers who are taking up the challenge set by blogger, Julie Fox (a British Ex Pat writing about living and travelling in Portugal) to write a personal A-Z of their country. Each letter of the alphabet is the basis of the blog and it can be about anything from travel, food, what you hate or love about your country etc. Bloggers have joined in very enthusiastically from countries like Canada, Portugal, Dominican Republic, Poland, Greece, USA and Australia to name a few – it is turning into something quite exceptional, so, if you have a particular interest in a certain country, look no further, keep an eye on my blog or Facebook page where you will see links to these PERSONAL views.
South Africa is all about Adventure and,
although other subjects sprang to mind beginning with “A”, the Addo Elephant National Park won hands down. Being a huge fan of elephants coupled with my love of the outdoors and our amazing National Parks also helped.
The original section of the Park was found in 1931 to provide a sanctuary for the eleven remaining elephants in the area. Today, this finely tuned ecosystem is home to over 500 elephants including buffalo, black rhino, spotted hyena, leopard, a variety of antelope and zebra as well as the unique flightless dung beetle.
The Addo is the third largest of our 19 National Parks covering about 180 000 hectares (444 700 acres). Plans are well advanced to expanding the Park into a huge mega- Park to include a marine protected area that is home to the world’s largest breeding population of Cape gannets and endangered African penguins.
The Addo is situated in a malaria free area about an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, a super addition onto any trip to Cape Town and the Garden Route. 
One can stay in the National Park accommodation which ranges from inexpensive huts to lovely cottages, there is great waterhole and a restaurant and you can book game drives with rangers or just drive around in your own vehicle. For those who want a little more luxury there are a number of excellent lodges and guesthouse both within the Park or just outside the Park. They range from 3 – 5 star and can include meals, game drives with rangers in open vehicles, guided walks etc. I have stayed at both the Park accommodation and also at The River Bend Lodge which is situated within the 17 000 hectare Nyati Private Concession of the Addo. I thoroughly enjoyed both and have plans to return to the Addo in April as have not visited for a couple of years.
View of River Bend Lodge
INTERESTING FACTS
- The Park has no less than five of South Africa’s seven biomes
- It has one of the densest African elephant populations on earth
- It is home to the unique flightless dung beetle
- Addo incorporates the largest coastal dune field in the southern hemisphere
- The Park boasts the Big Seven (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, southern right whales and great white sharks)
- It protects the world’s largest Cape gannet breeding population on Bird Island
And, if you are interested in reading some wonderfully interesting information not only on travel but just daily life in different countries, click onto the Global A – Z logo below, sit back and enjoy.
Click here to find the A – Z challenge around the world