Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape is not as well-known or as large as the Kruger National Park, but it does offer a fantastic option for those far from the Kruger (Addo is approximately an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth), or those who prefer less crowded game-viewing. An added benefit is that Addo is malaria-free.
The park was proclaimed in 1931 to protect the remaining 16 elephant in the area. Today, the park’s 180 000 hectares are sanctuary to about 500 elephants. There are also lions, leopards, buffalo, rhino, spotted hyena, warthogs, black-backed jackal and a variety of antelope and zebra species. Addo is of course also home to the unique Addo flightless dung beetle, which has right of way on all roads.
Elephants, however, take centre stage. Elephant sightings are plentiful, and very rewarding. It is not uncommon to sit and watch a herd of around 50 elephants at a waterhole. If you visit the park outside of school holidays, you are also likely to enjoy relatively small numbers of other people watching the same elephants.
But the park has more to offer than elephants. The park stretches from the semi-arid karoo in the north, over the Zuurberg Mountains, through the Sundays River valley and right down to the coast, and therefore offers a wide diversity of biodiversity, landscapes, fauna and flora. Take your time in this lovely national park and explore it all.
The park offers a range of accommodation types, from basic to luxury, at related prices. The main camp is very popular, and rightfully so. The accommodation is lovely, and the game-viewing seems to be good in the area surrounding the main camp.
Next time you’re heading to a national park, consider the Addo. You’ll be glad you did.
Posted on 24 November 2012