Category Archives: Addo

Addo African Home

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

Addo African Home is a 10 minute drive from the malaria-free Addo Elephant National Park, and offers comfortable accommodation on a renovated farm from the beginning of the 20th Century. The farm has kept all its charm, and is surrounded by the fresh fragrance of citrus from the fields.

This 2-hectare estate is divided into different sections and accommodation, comprising the lodge, 5 rondavels, the house, and the rest of the camp. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms with showers, and are equipped with mosquito nets, ceiling fans, tea- and coffee-making facilities, hairdryers, and Wi-Fi. Bedrooms at the lodge are equipped with mini bar fridges, bathrobes and slippers, organic toiletries, and magnifying mirrors. The lodge perfectly illustrates the junction between Khoisan and Colonial style magnified by an elegant French touch from the owner’s; the lodge boasts a wine bar, a natural swimming pool, and a shop. Relax and enjoy your stay in this peaceful setting while tasting your welcome bottle of selected wine.

The lodge provides guests with a laundry service, an airport shuttle service and transfers, a fully equipped kitchen with an oven and microwave, a lovely cosy living room with selected DStv channels and books, a garden, a kids zone with a jungle gym, a petanque strip, and an outside covered terrace with braai facilities. Enjoy an authentic traditional evening near the boma, and relax after a braai under the South African sky.

River Front Estate

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

River Front Estate offers self-catering units and is situated on a privately owned farm, on the banks of the Sundays River in Addo. Ideal for guests looking for a tranquil breakaway, away from city life.

Accommodation at River Front Estate comprises 3 units, which are unique and tastefully decorated. Each of these units consists of open-plan living, with a bedroom area equipped with a queen-size bed, 1 bathroom, a living area and a well-equipped kitchenette with basic appliances to prepare and cook meals. These units also offer lovely views of the river and distant mountain.

There is a beautiful restaurant, as well as a laundry, on site for guests convenience.

Free Wi-Fi internet is also provided on the property, and guests are welcome to make use of the communal braai areas as well. River Front Estate is located 13 km from the Addo Elephant National Park, and within close proximity to restaurants, and all activities and game parks the area has to offer.

SANParks Addo Matyholweni Rest Camp

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

SANParks Addo Matyholweni Rest Camp is located near the coastal town of Colchester at the Sundays River Mouth. Matyholweni means “in the bush” in Xhosa, and being just 3 km off the N2 highway, Matyholweni is easily accessible and provides a second gateway into the Addo Elephant National Park.

Accommodation is offered in thatched open-plan self-catering cottages, each with their own equipped kitchen, private bathroom, and a TV with limited DStv channels.

The Matyholweni area of the Park is home to wildlife such as kudu, bushbuck, caracal, bushpig and warthog as well as smaller mammal species and birds. During 2009, the introduction of larger wildlife species such as Burchell’s zebra, red hartebeest and buffalo commenced. Elephant, lion and ostrich will be introduced in the future and eventually, the area will be joined with the main game area to allow natural movement of wildlife.

Visitors have access to the main wildlife viewing area of the Park via the southern access road which links to Addo Main Camp. The distance from Camp Matyholweni to Addo Main Camp through the Park is 39 km, however this route is not accessible to buses or caravans.

Amenities such as shops, restaurants, ATM’s and a fuel station are available in the nearby town of Colchester or Cannonville, approximately 3 km away.

SANParks Addo Rest Camp

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

The SANParks Addo Rest Camp is the popular main rest camp of the park, and offers a wide variety of accommodation units to suit all tastes and plenty of activities to keep visitors busy.

Accommodation units are situated within easy walking distance of each other, and of the camp facilities such as the swimming pool, an a-la-carte restaurant and a shop selling curios, snacks and basic supplies. A picnic and braai area is available for day visitors.

A unique feature is the waterhole lookout point, floodlit at night, within the camp as well as the underground hide, allowing close encounters with wildlife at the waterhole. The evenings are punctuated with the calls of lion, spotted hyena and jackal, while francolin and bokmakierie herald each dawn.

The main game area of the park is home to the Big 5 as well as antelope such as red hartebeest, eland, kudu, common duiker and grysbok. Spotted hyena and Burchell’s zebra occur as well as warthog, vervet monkey, bush pig and small mammals. About 250 bird species occur in this area of the park.

Addo Self Catering

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

Spacious and comfortable house right in the middle of the town of Addo, and located only 10-minutes drive from the main gate of the Addo Elephant National Park. Ideal to use as a base for day trips into the reserve and surroundings.

The house consists of 4 independent and private self-catering units, ideal for couples or small groups. Each units has a bathroom, and some feature an equipped kitchenette as well.

The main house has a fully equipped communal kitchen, dinning room, lounge, indoor braai area and splash pool with ample parking. Addo Self Catering is within walking distance from shopping and banking facilities.

SANParks Addo Nyathi Rest Camp

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

Imagine sipping on a refreshing drink as the elephants and buffaloes of Addo Elephant National Park peacefully drink from a waterhole mere metres below you while the sun sets behind one of the country’s majestic mountain ranges. This is a possibility at the SANParks Addo Nyathi Rest Camp.

SANParks Addo Nyathi Rest Camp is nestled at the foot of the majestic Zuurberg Mountain range surrounded by hills, and offers exclusive self-catering accommodation. The name of the camp means ‘buffalo’, which is something you are sure to see. A slow and steady drive through the Big 5 Nyathi section of Addo will have you hoping for a glimpse of the king of the jungle or the elusive lazy leopard. Only 12 km from main camp, Nyathi offers guests the seclusion and isolation that only nature can bring.

The rest camp offers accommodation in 11 self-catering units: 8 2-sleeper units, and 1 4-sleeper unit as well as 2 family units which sleep 6 each. Set on the banks of a floodplain, each unit has been built on stilts and provides a spectacular view from the bedrooms, lounges and even some bathrooms thanks to wide open glass panels. Each unit is inspired by the African culture with the architecture reflecting the dome styled and thatch homes of old. The décor inside the units takes its cue from the round leaves of the spekboom, which is abundant throughout the park. The copper pipes and taps also give the units a more authentic feel and make you feel right at home.

The seasonal river flowing just beneath the camp brings relief to many animals that are found in this section, be on the lookout for baboons, kudu, warthog and the main star, elephants.

For a more relaxed viewing experience, guests can visit a waterhole which is accessible on foot inside the small camp. A variety of game and birds frequent this area so if you who want to enjoy all that Addo has to offer, from a more secluded section of the park, Nyathi Rest Camp is ideal for you.

SANParks Addo Spekboom Tented Camp

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

At the SANParks Addo Spekboom Tented Camp you can spend a night in the middle of the bush, listening to the sounds of the wild around you.

This self-catering camp offers 5 canvas tents, each containing 2 single beds with mattresses, a solar-powered light, and a small patio deck with 2 camp chairs and a table, as well as a braai facility. Bedding and towels are provided.

A utility box is provided at each tent. Each utility box contains a cooking set of 2 pots and 1 pan, a kettle to use on the fire, braai tongs, a corkscrew, 2 metal wine glasses, 2 metal long glasses, 2 plate, 2 breakfast bowls, 2 forks, 2 steak knives, and dishwashing liquid and a drying up cloth.

The tents have shared use of 2 communal hot showers, 2 toilets, and a washing-up sink just a short walk away from the tents.

The Spekboom Tents are located in the fenced area of Spekboom Hide in the Park’s main game area. You may catch a glimpse of nocturnal animals drinking at the waterhole, gaze at the starry skies and enjoy being away from it all.

SANParks Addo Narina Bush Camp

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

SANParks Addo Narina Bush Camp offers a rustic and secluded experience in a magical forest. The Narina Bush Camp is located at the foot of the Zuurberg Mountains and on the banks of the Wit River.

The camp is approximately 25 km from the Addo Rest Camp, and is not situated in the Big 5 area, so no large wildlife species occur here. Narina offers a tranquil getaway in a forest rich with birdlife. Smaller species such as duiker, bushbuck and bushpig do occur in the area.

Accommodation is offered in 4 canvas tents that each contain 2 single beds. There is no electricity, and lights in the camp are solar-powered. The tents have shared use of a paraffin-powered shower and separate toilet. There is central thatched camp kitchen with a gas-powered fridge and gas stove, and cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils are provided. The camp also has a lapa with a firepit braai area.

The road to Narina is a gravel road of approximately 25 km and even though it is not necessary to have a 4×4 to access it, a high ground clearance vehicle is needed to travel this road.

Olifantskop Lodge

Addo Elephant Park Self Catering Accommodation

Olifantskop Lodge is situated among the foothills of the Zuurberg mountain range 11 km north of Paterson in the Eastern Cape.

Accommodation comprises 3 self-catering units and can accommodate 8 guests. Each unit is equipped with an en-suite bathroom fitted with a shower, toilet and a basin and features tea- and coffee-making facilities, an overhead fan, a radio, heater, safe and toiletries.

Guests have access to braai facilities whilst enjoying the beautiful valley below. An English breakfast is served in the morning on request and guests have access to undercover parking.

Olifantskop Lodge is an excellent base from which to explore Addo Elephant National Park, Amakhala Game Reserve, Schotia Safaris and Bushman Sands Game Reserve. The lodge offers the peace and tranquillity of a beautiful African rural setting in a comfortable lodge with modern amenities.