Wildlife Reserves and Game Parks Suggestions

Approximately 1 hour from Port Elizabeth lies the acclaimed Addo Elephant National Park that is well worth a day trip and will afford you with awesome elephant sightings.  This huge park not only offers the Big Five but also the Big Seven and a boat charter into the seas will get you in close proximity to great white shark and the southern right whale.

While in the area you can’t go wrong with a stop at Cosmos Cuisine, only a short drive from Addo.  This award winning restaurant serves up breakfast, light lunches and dinner, taking advantage of the amazing citrus produced in the Sunday’s River Valley where the restaurant is found and paring it with local delicacies such as kudu, eland and gemsbok.

Slightly further afield is Shamwari, a highly popular Big Five Private Game Reserve, offering self-drive and guided safaris as well as Pumba Private Game Reserve, noted for its rare white lion breeding programme.

It takes a bit of time to get to the Mountain Zebra National Park but for nature lovers the trip will be well worth it as this park protects endangered Cape mountain zebra as well as threatened vegetation biomes and affords a serene and peaceful experience amidst untouched and pristine mountainous landscape.

Ornithologists won’t want to miss the almost 400 bird species that grace Sibuya Game Reserve, located on the banks of the Kariega River.  The reserve also supports one of the highest wildlife densities in South Africa and arrival is by boat after departing from Kenton-on-Sea.  Day trips include a three hour guided game drive, picnic lunch and boat transfers.