About Addo Elephant Park

Woodall Addo Addo Accomodation

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The more than 450 elephants in the park are the main attraction, but you will also encounter buffalo, black rhino, warthog, eland, kudu and a variety of buck species. The park lies 75 km to the north of Port Elizabeth and is open throughout the year.

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.

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. Facilities The following facilities are available at the main rest camp: - A fuel station selling petrol and diesel is available between 07:00 and 17:00. - A shop selling curios, snacks and basic supplies is open between 08:00 and 18:00 (Please note: times vary according to season, please check with park staff). - An al-la-carte restaurant is available in the main camp and is open for all meals from 07:00 to 22:00. - A swimming pool is available for overnight visitors. - A picnic and braai area is available for day visitors. - The SASOL Red Bishop Bird Hide - The PPC Discovery Trail is accessible to all, including the visually and mobility-impaired. - There is a public telephone and a post box near the reception. Post is collected for delivery every week day morning at 09:00. A post office is situated in the town of Addo, approximately 15 km from the park. - A First National Bank with ATM is situated in the town of Addo, 15 km from the park. Other banking facilities are located in the town of Kirkwood, 35 km from the park and Port Elizabeth, 75 km from the park. - A la Carte restaurant and curio shop available. - Underground wildlife viewing hide How to get there See Map 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 travelling 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, please contact reception to inform staff. 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.