Addo Elephant National Park, Port Elizabeth: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Addo Elephant National Park lies 72 kilometers northeast of Port Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape, established in 1931 when only 11 elephants remained in the region. The park now shelters over 600 elephants along with Cape buffalo, black rhino, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, and the flightless dung beetle found almost nowhere else. The 1,640-square-kilometer reserve has expanded to include a marine section with breeding colonies of Cape gannets and African penguins on Bird and St. Croix islands. The main camp's floodlit waterhole draws elephants and other animals within meters of the viewing platform after dark. If you're making a trip of it, consider other main attractions in Port Elizabeth, like Donkin Reserve and Kragga Kamma Game Park.