Addo Elephant National Park: Introduction
Addo is unique as it is the only national park in the world that is home to the African Big Seven in their natural habitat. This is possible due to the park's expansion from the thicket inland area to include a marine reserve in Algoa Bay. Addo Elephant NP has recently been expanded and is now the third largest national park in the country. It is one of the best places in South Africa to see large herds of elephant. The elephants are incredibly relaxed, and the numerous waterholes offer very good opportunities to observe their social behavior.
Locate the Addo Elephant National Park
How to get there & Best time to visit
How to get there
Most visitors to Addo Elephant National Park fly into O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg or Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town. It is possible to start your tour at either city on an organized safari or on a self-drive package. The distance from Cape Town to Addo is almost 800km/500mi. Many people will drive from Cape Town to Addo via the Garden Route, over the course of a week or two.
Alternatively, after flying into one of the major airports, you can take a connecting flight to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ) and rent a car there. The distance to the park is just over 70km/43mi on a tar road and the drive takes about 1½ hours*.
Best time to visit
Wildlife viewing in Addo Elephant National Park is good throughout the year. Because it has an arid to semi-arid climate, animals are attracted to waterholes at any time, but more so during the driest winter months (June to September). The drawback to winter is that nights can become very cold and winter clothing is needed for early morning game drives, especially when using an open vehicle.
Addo Elephant National Park receives an average rainfall of less than 450mm/18in per year. Unlike the summer rainfall pattern across most of the country, rainfall is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. However, there are two peaks: in February–March and October–November. It can cool down to freezing in midwinter. The park covers a wide range of altitudes, but the main tourist area is under 250m/820ft.