Visiting Addo Elephant National Park
Established in 1931 by South African naturalist Sydney Skaife, Addo Elephant National Park served as a sanctuary for just 11 elephants left in the region. Over the decades, the park expanded significantly and now hosts more than 450 elephants alongside a wide variety of other mammals. A notable section known as Bird Island is home to 120,000 Cape gannets, making it the largest reserve for this species. You can also view the second largest colony of African penguins within this 3,600 square kilometer park. The reserve is highly regarded for containing five of South Africa's seven major vegetation types and for being home to the Big 7. This includes the elephant, black rhinoceros, lion, buffalo, leopard, whale, and great white shark, all of which can be spotted in their natural habitat.
A Complete Change of Scenery
Now covering 180,000 hectares, compared to the original 2,500 hectares, Addo Elephant National Park sees about 120,000 visitors each year. More than half of these travelers arrive from abroad, particularly from countries like the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany. To accommodate guests, the park features a main camp that includes lodging, a swimming pool, a restaurant, and a waterhole where animals are frequently sighted. These facilities provide a base for various on-site activities. It is a rewarding experience to explore this vast landscape by hiking its trails, driving, taking a ferry, or even horseback riding.
Less famous than Kruger, Addo Elephant National Park really amazed me.
This reserve is easy to drive through in your own rental car.
The landscapes are varied, from the seaside to the grassy expanses of the interior. The wildlife is very rich and you will see, the elephants are gigantic!
They say they are even the largest in Africa...