See
the Big Five Fish
in the Sundays River Visit
a Game Lodge See
the herds of Elephants Go
birdwatching Ride
a horse trail Go
on a game drive Buy
juicy oranges Soak
up the sunshine Pamper
yourself at a health spar
Located less than an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth,
in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, the Greater
Addo Route is a place of great natural beauty and fascinating history,
and a prime destination for viewing the Big Five.
Set against the backdrop of the rugged Zuurberg Mountains,
where General Smuts' Boer Commando fought bloody battles against
the British, the fertile Sundays River Valley is
now a thriving, peaceful community of small villages, citrus
farms and
game lodges - a place where the relaxed atmosphere
and rhythm of nature welcomes visitors all year round.
The charming settlement of Kirkwood is the gateway into the
Addo Elephant National Park - one of South Africa's premier
wildlife viewing destinations. The park is malaria-free
area and situated in a tract of luxuriously dense valley bushveld
which is home to over 450 elephants. The abundance of water
and increased conservation awareness has allowed these elephants
to thrive, and their numbers have increased significantly over
the past few years.
The park offers a wide variety of other game including Cape
Buffalo, black rhinoceros, bush pig, red hartebeest, kudu,
grey Duiker, Cape Grysbok, Ant-bear and the caracaland black-backed
jackal who's nocturnal howls echo across the valleys after
sunset.
A myriad of smaller mammals have also made this area their
home. Small carnivores like black-footed cats,
genets and mongooses hunt
stealthily for prey in the dense bush, while the tenacious
vervet monkey survives mainly on a diet of
wild fruit.
Addo's bird life features over 150 species
who thrive in the dense thickets of Spekboom, and the grassy
hills
and
wooded
kloofs
of the
Zuurberg
region. Look out for the olive woodpecker, black headed oriole
and also several species of raptors who cruise on the warm
thermals in search of small mammals.
There is ample accommodation in and around the Addo
Elephant National Park - including the Addo
Main Camp close to the entrance
gate and Camp Matyholweni located near the town of Colchester on the N2 highway. Private
lodges include the Gorah Elephant Camp with five-star
luxury tented accommodation, and the Darlington
Lake Lodge featuring luxury rooms, furnished tents and
conference facilities.
Visitors can choose from a wide range of activities. Guided
day or night game drives will bring you up close to the wonderful
wildlife of the area. For the more energetic, horse
and hiking trails are available from the main camp and at Zuurberg.
If you're coming for relaxation, pamper yourself at
one of the award-winning health spas in the area, or simply
relax in the sun, soak up the tranquil atmosphere,
enjoy the sounds on a warm African evening and open your senses
to the magic of the Addo Route - heartland of the Eastern Cape.
See
the Big Five
Freestate 
