Addo Elephant Park, Port Elizabeth © SATOUR
Addo Elephant Park
The most popular game reserve in the Port Elizabeth area is the
Addo Elephant Park, just a 45-minute drive from the city. There are
currently more than 300 elephants in residence in the park, which
was recently enlarged. Addo was proclaimed in 1931 in an effort to
save the remaining 11 elephants indigenous to the area. The
elephants are drawn to watering holes at certain times and
sightings are virtually guaranteed all year round. There are other
animals in the park too, including black rhino, buffalo, zebra,
warthog and several types of buck. Guided game drives are available
or visitors can do a self-drive tour using the map issued
at the entrance. Serviced accommodation is available and there
is a restaurant and picnic site at the Park.
Telephone: 042 233 0556;
Website: www.sanparks.org/parks/addo;
Opening time: Daily 6am to 5.30pm;
Admission: R100 (foreign adult), R50 (foreign child); South African residents pay R25 per day
Blue Wildebeest © SATOUR
Shamwari Game Reserve
The multi-award winning private game reserve of Shamwari lies
less than an hour's drive from Port Elizabeth and has been
responsible for re-introducing numerous species into the Eastern
Cape plains, including all of the Big Five - lion, elephant, rhino,
leopard and buffalo. The reserve offers luxury accommodation, but
also hosts visitors on day trips from the city. Day tours include a
visit to an African art and culture village to sample Xhosa culture
and traditionally brewed beer, and a visit to the Born Free centre
for abused animals.
Telephone: 041 407 1000;
Website: www.shamwari.com
Grahamstown © SATOUR
Grahamstown
The historic settler town of Grahamstown, 78 miles (125km)
northeast of Port Elizabeth, is presided over, from the top of
Gunfire Hill, by the 1820 Settler's National Monument, an arts and
theatre complex which forms the focus of the town's annual
internationally recognised Arts Festival held in July. Grahamstown
was founded in 1815 as a garrison to drive the Xhosa eastwards
across the Fish River frontier, giving rise to a century of
frontier war. The town has an English colonial flavour, and is home
to the renowned Rhodes University and some top private boarding
schools. There are several museums, including the JLB Smith
Institute of Ichthyology where two stuffed specimens of the
coelacanth are on display. The town also boasts the only Victorian
camera obscura in the southern hemisphere.
Website: www.grahamstown.co.za
Jeffrey’s Bay
A short drive to the west of Port Elizabeth is the surfing Mecca
of Jeffrey's Bay (known colloquially as 'J-Bay'). The seaside town
plays host to the world Billabong Professional surfing contest
every July, and is famed for its 'supertubes', South Africa's
perfect wave. The town is bustling, with several stores selling
branded surfing gear, and several flashy cafes and restaurants. The
long stretches of sandy beach around the town are also renowned for
their shells.
Website: www.jeffreysbaytourism.com
