Addo Elephant Park & Big Five Reserve Combo Safari

Addo Elephant National Park

Addo Elephant National Park was created in 1931 to protect the last small herd of elephants surviving in the Eastern Cape, which had been hunted almost to extinction. Careful protection allowed the herd to grow into one of the densest elephant populations in Africa, and the park has since expanded from the original thicket to mountains, grasslands and even a marine area. Thanks to its marine section it is often described as the home of the 'Big Seven': the Big Five plus the southern right whale and the great white shark.

A morning in the main game-viewing area takes you along gravel loops between dense spekboom thicket and open plains, stopping at waterholes where families of elephants come to drink and play. Buffalo, zebra, red hartebeest, kudu and warthog are common, and lions and black rhino roam the park, though they are harder to find. Look out also for the rare flightless dung beetle, which has right of way on Addo's roads.

A private Big Five reserve

After lunch the safari continues on a private Big Five reserve a short drive from Addo. Here you switch to an open 4x4 safari vehicle, which gives an all-round view and the feeling of being right in the bush. The reserve is smaller and more intimate than the national park, so your guide can often track animals closely and spend time watching them without the traffic of the main roads.

Depending on the day you may see lion, white rhino, buffalo, giraffe, hippo in the dams and many species of antelope, along with birds of prey and colourful bee-eaters. As with all wild animals, sightings are never guaranteed, but combining the two reserves greatly increases the variety you are likely to see. Warm ponchos are provided for the open vehicle, which can feel cool late in the afternoon.

Sundays River Valley

Between Port Elizabeth and the parks the road crosses the fertile Sundays River Valley, one of South Africa's most important citrus-growing areas. Depending on the season you drive past orchards heavy with oranges and lemons, packing sheds and roadside farm stalls, with the bush-covered hills of Addo rising beyond the river.

The valley is also home to the small town of Addo, where many safari lodges and guest houses are found, and where the morning safari's lunch stop is usually arranged at a local restaurant. Guests staying in the Addo area outside the pickup zone meet the guide at the South Gate of the national park. The drive from Port Elizabeth to Addo takes about 45 minutes to an hour.

Planning your Addo safari

An Addo Elephant Park day trip from Port Elizabeth is the easiest way to enjoy a Big Five safari without flying to the north of the country, and the whole Eastern Cape is malaria-free. Park gates open early and close around sunset; this tour starts at 08:00 and returns in the late afternoon, about nine and a half hours later.

What is the best time to visit Addo? Wildlife is good all year. In the dry winter months from May to September the vegetation is thinner and animals gather at waterholes, which makes viewing easier, while summer brings green landscapes, baby animals and warm days. Bring layers in every season, because mornings and late afternoons in an open vehicle can be chilly.