Wildlife & landscape
Elephants, buffalo, black rhino, lions, antelope, the endemic flightless dung beetle, and varied birdlife occupy a mosaic of subtropical thicket, grassland, and waterholes.
Safari Place
Addo Elephant National Park
Addo's main game area is the wildlife anchor of this Eastern Cape circuit, reached through Main Gate or Matyholweni.
Wildlife highlights
Elephant
Signature
Buffalo
Common
Lion
Common
Zebra
Common
Hyena
Common
Rhino
Possible
Leopard
Possible
Addo Elephant National Park and nearby Safari geography
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Road / trackSafari PlaceGateway Home Base
Why safari here?
It combines elephant conservation history, a malaria-free setting, and wildlife viewing in a thicket landscape unlike the Lowveld or Elephant Coast.
When to go
Rain can fall in any month, with local peaks in late summer and spring. Summer days can be hot, while winter mornings and nights are much cooler.
Gateway & getting there
Use Main Gate from the Paterson side or Matyholweni near Colchester. The roughly 39-kilometer visitor road between the two is driven at park speeds and takes considerably longer than the distance suggests.
Typical visit
Allow a full day or several nights. The wider national park also protects mountains, dunes, coast, islands, and offshore waters, but those sections have separate access and are not part of an ordinary main-game-area drive.
Nearby Safari geography
Explore the gateway town and related Safari Places around this destination.
Related Safari Circuits
Follow Safari Circuits that visit this destination or use it as a gateway.