Addo Elephant National Park: home of the Big 7 and the gentlest giants

Did you say Elephants? We are listening 👂😋Addo Elephant National Park is the third largest National Park in South Africa, famous for the largest elephant herds that enjoy its vegetation and build their families there.

A small fact that is not well known though is that Addo is also home to the Big 7; the traditional Big 5* and the Southern right whales and Great white sharks in its marine environment. The zebras, lions, elephants, and buffalos are all there to show off their might 💪🏼 Check it out here!

Addo Elephant National Park

The animals can be seen through guided game drives, self-drive game watching with your car, short walks and long overnight hikes.

All options are available to visitors and guests who choose to stay in the lodging area (more about this soon).

We picked the 2-hour guided game drive and recommend it to anyone visiting the park for the first time.

Seated on a 12-seater bakkie, your drive/guide will take you through the park to view the gentle giants in their herds with facts about them and the other animals that share the large reserve with them.

The national park area is a massive space and the drive clearly shows that.

Summer days and times are the best for game viewing as the animals often go into hiding during the rains.
The game drive costs R476 pp (adults) during the day, with a higher cost for the sunset drive (R655 pp) and for the night drive (R507 pp).

Daily conservation fees need to be paid separately and cost R99 for South Africans, R199 for SADC Nationals and R397 for internationals.

The latest rates change every year and can be found on their website: https://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo-elephant/rates-entry-fees. Accommodation options are available at Addo in their different camps. The best part is that you get to live amidst all the animals around you. Imagine walking outside your balcony and seeing an elephant, wow!

Different rates apply depending on the camp chosen, and all rate options are available on their website.

For both the accommodation and the drive, we suggest booking well in advance by calling the park or emailing them. We did have some trouble with this (or lots to be honest) but came right eventually

Because of the high demand, they get booked up quite quickly, especially during high season summer months.

Bookmark this for your the next time you’re looking for something fun to do! Want more travel recommendations, both in and outside South Africa? Follow us @afor_adventures or subscribe to our food & travel blog – always honest, always helpful.