Addo Elephant National Park
Eastern Cape · Year-round
5 places
Wildlife
Water Monitor
Varanus niloticus
The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a large member of the monitor lizard family (Varanidae) found throughout much of Africa, but is absent from the west, where it is replaced by Varanus stellatus.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records2,240 records
Curve from 2,240 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Mpumalanga and beyond
Provinces where Water Monitor is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
2,242 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Water Monitor
Stays that give back
Across the Eastern Cape
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,093a night
Water Monitor recorded here
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 1,490a night
Water Monitor recorded here
Nyathi Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,901a night
Water Monitor recorded here
Matyholweni Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,426a night
Water Monitor recorded here
Addo Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 461a night
Water Monitor recorded here
More stays nearby
Cycads On Sea
St Francis Bay
From R 2,460a night
Karoo Cottage - Sneeuberg Nature Reserve
Sneeuberg Nature Reserve, Nieu Bethesda
From R 3,100a night
Hlosi Game Lodge
Amakhala Game Reserve
From R 4,000a night
Lupus Den Country House
Sundays River Valley, Addo
From R 2,600a night
Forest Hall Guest House
Walmer, Port Elizabeth
From R 1,050a night
Kwandwe Melton Manor
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
GweGwe Beach Lodge
Mkambati Nature Reserve
From R 12,950a night
Quatermain's Camp
Paterson
From R 11,592a night
Kwandwe Great Fish River Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Hitgeheim Country Lodge Addo
Sundays River Valley, Addo
From R 2,000a night
Karoo Secret Farm Stay
Aberdeen
From R 1,200a night
Kwandwe Uplands Homestead
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Aasvogelkrans Farm Cottages & Camping
Nieu Bethesda
From R 1,760a night
Pabala Private Nature Reserve
Hankey
From R 485a night
Kwandwe Fort House
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Walkerbouts Inn - Rhodes
Rhodes
From R 600a night
Storms River Mouth Rest Camp (Tsitsikamma)
Garden Route National Park
From R 457a night
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Price on request
Mountain Zebra National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
From R 449a night
The Garden Route
Next stop
Forests, lagoons, and Knysna's sheltered bay
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Water Monitor
Hosts have recorded the Water Monitor at stays in or beside Addo Elephant National Park.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addo Elephant | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- The warm hours of the day. The Water Monitor needs the sun's warmth before it moves.
- Cold mornings and nights. Tucked away until the day warms up.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Species
Varanus niloticus
Records
2,242
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Water Monitor on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Water Monitor in Eastern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Water Monitor at stays in or beside Addo Elephant National Park. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Water Monitor in South Africa?
The Water Monitor is most recorded in Mpumalanga (35% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (26% of records), Limpopo (19% of records), based on 2,242 iNaturalist observations. 5 places to stay on Spekboom in Eastern Cape have recorded the Water Monitor on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Water Monitor?
The Water Monitor is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Water Monitor?
The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a large member of the monitor lizard family (Varanidae) found throughout much of Africa, but is absent from the west, where it is replaced by Varanus stellatus.