Famous for elephant herds and Big Seven
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Addo began in 1931 as a refuge for the last eleven elephants of the Eastern Cape, and today more than 600 move through its Albany thicket, the dense, spekboom-rich scrub that recovers land faster than almost any other vegetation on earth. The park has grown to take in the Zuurberg mountains and a marine section off Algoa Bay, which is why it markets a Big Seven: the Big Five plus the southern right whale and the great white shark. It is malaria-free, a comfortable drive from Gqeberha, and the main camp's floodlit waterhole is one of the easiest places in Africa to watch elephants from a chair. Self-drive works well on the tarred and gravel loops; the Colchester and Nyathi sections are quieter than the main gate.
The species most recorded in Eastern Cape, drawn from citizen-science observations. Tap any to find stays where it has been recorded. These are records of past sightings, so nothing here is a guarantee you will see it.
Ranked by how often they are recorded in the province, from iNaturalist observations. Tap one to find stays where it lives.
Species birders log most in this province. Numbers are records, not guarantees.
Occurrence data from iNaturalist, aggregated by province. It reflects where a species is seen across Eastern Cape, not confirmed sightings inside this reserve.
Year-round (best Mar-May, Sep-Nov)
Why book here
Wild places survive when the communities around them earn more from protecting wildlife than from anything that would replace it. Every stay you book through Spekboom carries a conservation contribution built into the price, never added on top, so choosing where you sleep becomes a way to fund the people and projects keeping this landscape intact.
Request inside-park camps here. Spekboom confirms with SANParks, then you pay on Spekboom. Mix in a gateway stay from the same list if you want nights outside the fence.
Inside parkMatyholweni, meaning "in the bush" in isiXhosa, is a small rest camp at the southern end of the Addo Elephant National Park, set near the coastal town of Colchester at the mouth of the Sundays River. Lying just off the N2 and a short drive from the town's shops and restaurants, it makes a convenient first or last stop on a journey through the park, with an internal road of around 39km linking it to the main camp. The camp sits in Albany thicket, with patches of grassland marking old cleared pastures now returned to the park. The surrounding area is home to kudu, bushbuck, caracal, bushpig and warthog, along with smaller mammals and a good variety of birds, and larger species such as zebra, red hartebeest and buffalo have since been introduced. Accommodation is self-catering, with each unit having its own braai stand. Quieter and more low-key than the main camp, Matyholweni suits travellers wanting a restful base close to the coast.
Inside parkNyathi is the most secluded and exclusive rest camp in Addo Elephant National Park, set at the foot of the Zuurberg mountains in the Eastern Cape, around 12km from the main camp. Built on the banks of a floodplain, its units are raised on stilts with wide glass panels that frame the surrounding hills and bush from the bedrooms, lounges and even some of the bathrooms. The camp has just eleven units, their domed, thatched architecture and spekboom-inspired interiors echoing the landscape and culture of the region. A small waterhole within the fenced camp can be reached on foot and draws a steady stream of game and birds, ideal for relaxed viewing without leaving your base. Nyathi falls within Addo's Big Five country, so drives through the section may turn up elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and the park's famous flightless dung beetle, which has right of way on the roads. Kudu, warthog and baboon are common along the seasonal river below the camp.
Addo Elephant National Park is in Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Yes. Addo Elephant National Park is in an area recorded as malaria-free, which is why it is a common choice for families with young children and for a first safari. Malaria risk can shift with the season and the year, so confirm current advice with a travel clinic before you go.
Yes. Addo Elephant National Park is a Big Five area, home to lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.
In Eastern Cape, commonly recorded species include mammals such as Meerkat, Black Wildebeest, Blesbok, Common Bottlenose Dolphin and birds including Red-necked Spurfowl, Cape Parrot, African Rock Pipit, based on iNaturalist occurrence data. These reflect the wider province, not confirmed sightings inside the reserve.
Request inside-park rest camps on Spekboom. We confirm the dates with SANParks, then you pay on Spekboom. SANParks assigns the unit after confirmation. Gateway lodges and guesthouses listed here book the same way, so you can mix nights inside the park with a stay outside.
SANParks opens rest-camp bookings about a year in advance, and popular camps sell out within days for school holidays, long weekends and peak season. Request as early as you can on Spekboom for those dates. Stays just outside the park usually have availability much closer to the time, and you can book those here too.
Yes. SANParks charges a daily conservation fee per person on top of accommodation, with lower rates for South African residents and SADC nationals. Wild Card members do not pay the daily fee. Tariffs are revised each year, so check current rates when you book.
The best time to visit Addo Elephant National Park is Year-round (best Mar-May, Sep-Nov).
Popular activities at Addo Elephant National Park include game drives, hiking, camping, bird watching, photography.
6 places are listed in and near Addo Elephant National Park on Spekboom, from inside-park rest camps to nearby lodges. Request them here; Spekboom handles the SANParks confirmation. Every booking funds conservation.
Other parks and reserves that share something with Addo Elephant National Park.
Park rules, maps and daily conservation fees. Book rest camps and nearby stays on Spekboom, not on the SANParks website.