Addo Things to Do

A 45-minute drive from Port Elizabeth, the Addo provides an excellent opportunity to view elephants in their natural habitat. Proclaimed a park in 1931, when only 11 elephants remained in the area, Addo is now home to over 300, and the reserve encompasses some 90,000 hectares (222,300 acres). Although elephants are in evidence year-round, the most attractive time of the year to visit is in spring, when the harsh Eastern Cape bushveld is softened with flowers, and the gray behemoths can be seen standing in carpets of yellow daisies. Other animals to look for are black rhino, buffalo, zebra, red hartebeest, eland, kudu, bushbuck, warthog, and a few endemic species such as the flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo. To ensure best sightings, head for the watering holes (pick up a map at the entrance). Alternatively, take a guided game drive in an open-topped Land Rover: The resident Bukani Travel & Tours (tel. 042/233-0091; R140-R220/$18-$28) conduct morning, afternoon, sundown, and night drives -- the only way to view the nocturnal activities of such carnivores as the black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox. If you do the latter, look into overnighting.

Addo Elephant National Park

No Oranges, Please . . .--Be aware that no citrus fruit can be taken into the park. Addo elephants regard them as a delicacy, and when they pick up the scent they can become quite aggressive.