ZA · Eastern Cape · 33.45°S 25.75°E

addo elephant national park

Elephant herds at waterholes and an easy self-drive safari near Gqeberha.

Best time
May–September has cooler days and good game viewing. Wildlife is here all year; summer can be hot, and rain can come in any month.
How long
2 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop to Johannesburg, usually via Singapore, Dubai or Doha, about 14–18 hours all in, then about 1.5 hours on to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Addo's main camp is about an hour's drive from the airport.
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ZA · Eastern Capeaddo elephant national park33.45°S 25.75°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Elephant herds at waterholes and an easy self-drive safari near Gqeberha.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingAddo Elephant National ParkZA, Eastern Cape
KLaddo elephant national park
≈ 8,905 km from KL, as the crow flies
African elephant bull (Loxodonta africana)

Photo: Brian Snelson · CC BY 2.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Addo is a malaria-free park at the eastern end of a Cape coast road trip, set up to save the region's last few elephants and now home to hundreds. Patient driving also turns up buffalo, zebra, antelope and plenty of birds.

Makan

  1. BraaiA barbecue at your cottage, if you book self-catering.Map ↗
  2. Pap and chakalakaMaize porridge with a spicy bean and vegetable relish.Map ↗
  3. RoosterkoekBread rolls cooked on the braai grill, eaten hot.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Main game areaA network of safari roads through dense thicket, open patches and waterholes.Map ↗
  2. WaterholesElephant families crowd in to drink, splash and play, especially on hot afternoons.Map ↗
  3. Guided drivesRangers add tracking skills and smaller wildlife, and run sunrise and night drives.Map ↗
  4. Main camp hideAn underground hide at a floodlit waterhole beside the camp.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Give dung beetles right of way: Addo protects a rare flightless species, so drive round elephant dung, not over it.
  • Match the gate to where you're staying; entering at the wrong end can add hours of slow driving.
  • Buy halal groceries in Gqeberha before you arrive; the camp shop has little choice.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.