Add in a 120 000 hectare protected Marine Park, with the world’s largest breeding populations of Cape gannets, the second largest breeding population of African penguins, and the Big Seven (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo, southern right whale and the great white shark) and you have a truly unique Africa experience.
In addition, unique creatures such as the flightless dung beetle which is endemic to the park, and a host of cultural and historical sites within the park add to the parks attractiveness as a site for the whole family to visit.
Activities in Addo Elephant National Park
Self drive excursions are possible within the Park, where visitors can explore most of the park at their own pace. The majority of roads are suitable for sedans, with any 4×4 routes clearly marked as such.
A variety of guided game drives are available, from sunrise drives, night drives, sundowner drives, and almost every time in between.
Guided horse trails, for both novices and experienced riders, is available in the Addo and Zuurberg sections of the Park.
The Alexandria Hiking trail is a two day hike through coastal forests and the largest dune fields in the Southern hemisphere. Up to 12 people can hike the trail a day.
In addition, shorter hikes in the Zuurberg section of the Park, and the Tree Dassie trail in the Alexandria section are available to day visitors. The Main Camp in the Ado section has an informative PPC Discovery trail, which is wheel chair friendly, and accessible to the visually.
Accommodation facilities at Addo Elephant National Park
A variety of camps and accommodation type are available at Addo. The Main Camp, in the Addo section of the Park, is the largest camp in the park, where accommodation ranges from camp sites, to safari tents, to upmarket cottages and guest houses. Booking is essential, and can be done online. Various amenities, such as a small shop with curios, a restaurant and fuel is available here. The Matyholweni Camp, in the southern section of the Park, is just three kilometres from the town of Colchester which offers amenities like restaurants and a fuel station. Cottages and chalets are available at this camp.
