 |
Home>SA>What to see | 
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
| South Africa: What to see | |||
| Addo Elephant Park | |||
>see photographs Best known for Addo is the home of the last remaining great herds of Eastern Cape Elephants. It was proclaimed in 1931 to protect the remnant herd of 11 Eastern Cape Elephants, as well as free roaming buffalo, and the number of elephants has grown from 11 to over 300. Location 72km north East of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Size It now covers over 80,000 hectares and there are plans to expand it to 398,000 hectares. Environment and vegetation Addo contains unusual bush and vegetation - such as the spekboom, sneezewood and guarri scrub - as well as hectares of grassland. Karoo scrub and coastal scrub, fynbos, make up a small part of the terrain. Some of the land is protected from the elephant so that typical vegetation types are not damaged. It is due to the nutritional richness of the spekboom shrub that the elephant population is sustained. Wildlife As it name suggests, elephants are the main feature of Addo but there are some 50 mammal species, including large herds of buffalo. There are also black rhino, Mountain zebra, jackals and hares to be found, as well as 185 bird species including ostrich. Dolphins and whales are found on the coast near Addo, in the Woody Cape Nature Reserve. Climate Addo is based in the Eastern Cape with fierce summers and cold winters. There is often heavy rainfall and roads can be bad at certain times of the year after heavy rain. When to go Addo is open from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm daily - times may vary from winter to summer. Activities Day and night vehicle based game-viewing, walking trails, horse riding, fishing, sailing, bird watching and swimming. Accommodation Recommended is Woodall Country House, just 5 km out of Addo. 30 km away from Addo in the Shamwari Game Reserve, are two other notable establishments; Lobengula Lodge and Long Lee Manor Lodge. Accommodation in Addo ranges from camping facilities, family cottages, rondavels and huts to cottages - all with a communal kitchen, restaurant and swimming pool. How to get there Take the N2 from Port Elizabeth and turn right onto the R335 leading to Addo. |
|||
| TOP | |||
|
||||||
|
||||||
 |
||||||
|
||||||