Ecosystems within the Kruger Park are
highly varied. Six rivers feed the park - an area that
encompasses an astonishing 16 vegetation zones including
1980 plant species and 300 tree species.
The best time to see game is during the winter months (April
- September), as water is restricted to rivers and
waterholes, where the wildlife congregates. Visibility is
also good as the vegetation is less dense. Summer (October
to March) is lovely due to the rains - everything is lush
and green, and the birding is excellent. November and
December are the calving months.
Birds
You should see: vultures, owls, bee-eaters, rollers, eagles,
bustards, hornbills, starlings, shrikes.
Addo Elephant Park
Situated in a malaria free area just one hour's drive from
Port Elizabeth, this finely tuned ecosystem is sanctuary to
over 450 elephants, Cape buffalo, a variety of antelope
species, as well as the unique flightless dung beetle, found
almost exclusively in Addo.
Some of its unique features include:
* Unrivalled natural diversity, with five of South Africa's
seven major vegetation zones (biomes).
* The Big 7 (Elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, whales
and great white sharks) in their natural habitat.
* Rich heritage of archaeological and historical sites.
This park offers some of the most spectacular elephant
viewing in the world. Antelope species abundant in the main
game area of the park include red hartebeest, eland, kudu
and bushbuck whilst Gemsbok, black wildebeest, springbok,
buffalo and black rhino are found in the arid nama-karoo
area.
The Burchell’s zebra, Cape mountain zebra, spotted hyenas,
mountain reedbuck, baboons, blue duiker, aardwolf and red
rock rabbit are some of the other game species found in the
Park.
Accommodation
Restcamps managed by the Park
Two restcamps are located within the Park:
* Addo Main Camp is situated near Addo and close to the
entrance gate, offering 61 accommodation units of various
types, a variety of activities including day and night game
drives, a pool, restaurant and a shop.
* Camp Matyholweni is a second rest camp located near the
town of Colchester on the N2 highway. The camp is accessible
by car and is located approximately 45 minutes drive from
the main camp.
Private Lodges
The following private Lodges are located in the Park:
* Gorah Elephant Camp – situated in the main Addo section of
the park – a
five-star operation with luxury tented camps.
* River Bend Lodge – situated in the Nyathi area of the park
– luxury five-star accommodation, eight rooms with
conference facilities and wellness centre available.
* Darlington Lake Lodge – situated in the Darlington Dam
area of the park – five luxury rooms and 7 furnished tents
with conference facilities available.
Surrounding Area
A variety of accommodation options are available in
surrounding towns like Kirkwood and Colchester as well as on
guest farms.
Activities
* Guided Game Drives
There are a number of game drive options of approximately 2
hours in duration, available. Drives are conducted by
knowledgeable, qualified guides on open-top landrovers or
trucks. Bookings are essential.
- Sunrise drive - 06:00 (summer) or 07:00 (winter)
- Day drives - 09:00, 12:00 and 15:00
- Sunset drives - 16:00 (winter) or 18:00 (summer)
- Night drives - 18:00 (winter) or 20:00 (summer)
* Eyethu Hop-on
Guides can be hired at affordable rates to get on your
vehicle and guide you through the game area. These are local
community members who have been trained as guides and now
run their own small business.
* Addo Horse Trails
The morning ride (08:00) is for less experienced riders and
is two hours long. The afternoon ride (14:00) is for
experienced riders and is three hours long. Book and pay for
horse trails at the Game Drive Office.
All horse trails are conducted by experienced guides on
sure-footed, well-trained horses.Riding hats are available
for visitors’ use. No children younger than 16 years may
ride on the Addo Trail. Addo horse trails depart from main
camp to the Nyati area which is home to elephants, buffalo,
black rhino, zebra and antelope.
* Zuurberg Horse Trails
Zuurberg horse trails are suitable for riders of all
competencies and wind through fynbos and forest. One-,
three- and five-hour trails are available. No children
younger than 10 years may ride on the Zuurberg horse trails.
* Hiking Trails
Various hiking options range from a one-hour trail – suited
for those who want a sedate walk – to the 4-hour Doringnek
Trail.
* Bird watching
The SASOL Red Bishop Bird Hide is located opposite the
waterhole in the main rest camp, offering watchers a view of
red bishops, weavers, herons, coots and terrapins. The main
game area boasts a list of 170 bird species, while the
expanded park may contain as many as 450 species in a
diversity of habitats.
* PPC Discovery Trail
The PPC Discovery Trail is a short walk through the valley
thicket where you can learn more about the plants and
animals of this region. The first loop is suitable for
visually-impaired and wheelchair-bound visitors.
A picnic and braai area is situated near the waterhole in
the main camp. The waterhole is floodlit at night.
* 4x4 Trail
Ride the Bedrogfontein 4 x 4 trail between Kabouga and
Darlington and immerse yourself in breathtaking views and
early 20th century history. This route was the scene of
fierce battles between the British and Afrikaner troops
during the Anglo-Boer war.
Conservation Fees
Please Note rates do not include daily conservation levies.
Please see details of Conservation Fees
How to get there
Directions from Port Elizabeth to Addo Main Camp
There are 3 alternatives:
1) Take the N2 highway towards Grahamstown. Take the turnoff
to the left signposted “Motherwell” and “Addo Elephant
National Park”. Turn left at the top of the off-ramp and
proceed through Motherwell. Follow this road until you see
the entrance to the park on the right. Distance: about 72 km
or one hour travelling time.
2) Take the N2 highway towards Grahamstown and carry
straight on until the N2 splits off to the left from the
N10. Carry straight on, following the N10 towards
Cradock/Cookhouse. Take the R342 to the left when you get to
the intersection with Paterson on your right. This will be
sign posted “Addo Elephant National Park”. Follow this road,
looking out for the entrance to the park on your left.
Distance: about 120 km or one hour, 15 minutes traveling
time.
3) Take the N2 highway towards Grahamstown, pass Coega
harbour on your right. Cross the Sundays River bridge. Turn
off to your left at the sign that says “Camp Matyholweni”.
Follow this road for about 3 km until you enter Matyholweni
Gate at Camp Matyholweni. Follow the southern access road
inside the Park until you get to Addo Main Camp. You will
cross over a gravel public road. Distance: about 40 km from
PE to Matyholweni and then 36 km through the Park (which
takes about one and a half hours at the 40km/h speed limit).
NB: this route is not accessible to caravans and buses.
Gate opening and closing times
The entrance gate is open from 07:00 to 19:00 but is staffed
by a security guard between 19:00 and 07:00.
Should visitors need to enter or leave before 07:00 or after
19:00,
The wildlife viewing area is open between 06:00 – 18:00 in
summer and 07:00 – 17:30 in winter. Times vary according to
season - please check with Reception.
Health & Climate
The climate is temperate to hot and temperatures in summer
(November to February) may reach over 40 degrees Celsius.
Winter days are mild but cold at night with frost occurring
at times.
The average annual rainfall is 450 millimetres and is spread
throughout the year, although peaks do often occur in
March/April and September/October.
