There are several National Parks and Safari Parks in South Africa, the most famous being the Kruger National Park and the most luxurious being Sabi Sand, but if your favourite animal is the magnificent African Elephant, then Addo National Park is the perfect choice for your South African Safari Holiday.

Photo courtesy of Camp Fig Tree Colonial African Lodge

At 180,000 hectares, (that’s 444,700 acres in old money!), Addo Elephant National Park is the third largest national park in South Africa, and thanks to its prime position in the Eastern Cape (just 78km from Port Elizabeth Airport), it is easily accessible from both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

A finely tuned ecosystem and a diverse wildlife conservation that stretches from the semi-arid Karoo area in the north, over the Zuurberg Mountains and down to the coast between Sundays River and Bushman’s River mouth, Addo Elephant National Park is a paradise for wildlife lovers, and it currently homes no less than 600 African Elephants along with South Africa’s Big 7.

If you are wondering what South Africa’s Big 7 is, that would be the Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Great White Shark and Southern Whale. You can see them all at Addo, along with a variety of antelope, Cape Gannet birds, zebra, spotted hyenas, baboons, red rock rabbits, and the unique flightless Dung Beetle that you will struggle to find anywhere else in the world.

The beauty of Addo Elephant National Park is that it is a Malaria Free Zone, so you don’t have to worry about medications and potentially dangerous mosquito bites, and as there are a variety of different accommodations both in and around the national park, there is something to suit every budget.

If you would like to combine a trip to Cape Town with the world-famous Garden Route and a South African Safari experience, Addo is the perfect choice, and as you can self-drive or take an escorted tour, this national park really does cater for everyone.