Addo Elephant National Park

How to get there:

• The preferred and recommended entrance to Addo Elephant National Park is via the Matyholweni Gate (southern entrance) at Colchester.  Take the N2 from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) towards Mahkanda (Grahamstown) and take the first turn-off to the left after crossing the Sundays River Bridge (signposted to the AENP).
• The Addo Main Camp entrance, the original entrance to the park, can be accessed via the N2, past the Matyholweni Gate.  Continue on and take the N10 to Paterson (100km from Gqeberha), then turn left at the Paterson intersection and continue to the Main Gate.
• You may also access the Addo Main Camp by driving through the park from the Mathyolweni Gate (refer to park rules regarding caravans, trailers, buses and other large vehicles). https://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo-elephant
• Access to the Nyathi Section (North of Addo Main Camp) can be gained by staying over at the Nyathi Rest Camp or at River Bend Lodge.

IT IS HIGHLY ADVISED THAT YOU DO NOT TAKE THE R335 THROUGH MOTHERWELL!!!  THIS CAN BE A DANGEROUS ROUTE!!!

An entrance fee is levied at reception at the Addo Main Camp or at the Matyholweni Gate.  One can also gain access with a Wild Card.

The Park is a “Birders Paradise” boasting the elements of five biomes - Forest, Thicket, Grassland, Fynbos and Nama Karoo.  More than 417 bird species have been recorded throughout the entire 180 000 hectares of the park.  The popular areas of the park are those of the “central Big 5 areas” - Zuurberg, Nyathi, Main Camp and Colchester sections, yet even this area has had 332 bird species recorded here (see bird list).  Species seen in this area range from the waterbirds such as African Black Ducks and Malachite Kingfishers, to Brown Scrub Robin and Crowned Hornbill that are found in the thickets.  The biodiversity is just staggering, with eight species of Sunbirds, the Cape Sugarbird, 10 species belonging to the shrike family (including Southern Tchagra, Red-backed Shrike and Grey-headed Bush-Shrike), and a host of Flycatchers, which include African Dusky, Spotted, Fiscal, Southern Black, African Paradise and Blue-mantled Crested.  Addo’s open grassy plains is one of very few places in the World where you can see both Denham’s and Ludwig’s Bustards feeding side by side!  These and many other bird species make this a must-visit birding destination.

The nearest town to Addo Main Camp is the town of Addo which is location about 15 kms from the main camp entrance.

View the complete bird list here.