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AttractionsElephant House Safari Co. Addo Elephant Drives There are various game viewing options available in Addo and the surrounding area as well as some exceptional cultural encounters:
1. Elephant House Safari Co. Addo Elephant drives Our in-house field guide, an elephant expert with many years experience with the elephants of Addo conducts 2 game drives through the National Park in our open land cruiser daily, both departing and ending at The Elephant House. Drinks and snacks are provided on the game drive. 2. Elephant House Safari Co. Valley Tour This tour (nicknamed the “wine route tour”) is a must! Clive takes one from The Elephant House to the historic Addo Polo Club then through the famous citrus groves of the Sundays River Valley to a beautiful look out point where pioneer Sir Percy Fitzpatrick is buried. We then move on to have sundowners and snacks overlooking a dam on a private plantation. The trip ends with a visit to an amazing garden and tavern in the Nomatamsanqa Township. Departs 4pm and returns in time for a pre-dinner drink. R450pp (includes all drinks and snacks) 3. Schotia “Tooth and Claw” Safari Schotia Private Game Reserve lies adjacent to Addo’s eastern boundary. This reserve has numerous antelope species as well as lions (the lion sightings here are renowned). The “Tooth and Claw” safari runs from 3pm to 7pm followed by a barbeque in their boma Schotia is a half an hour’s drive from The Elephant House. Self-drive to Schotia. Transfers can be arranged. R600pp (including barbeque and drinks) – children all ages welcome 4. “Big 5” Private Game Reserves There are several other “big 5” private game reserves within a 45 minute drive of Elephant House – all of these offer excellent half day safaris (including a meal), which we can book for you. They are: 5. Addo Elephant Back Safaris and Walks Addo Elephant Back Safaris have a base camp in a remote valley in the Zuurberg Mountains. They offer a unique experience “Walk with the Elephants” – where one walks through the bush with the elephants and their very knowledgeable and experienced minders. The walk is not strenuous and at an enjoyable pace. This is a wonderful way in which to learn more about these giant pachyderms as they go about their business of walking, feeding and watering in their natural environment. Departure times 08:00, 11:00 and 15:30. The drive to the Zuurberg is about an hour and a half on a gravel road; however we highly recommend that you take advantage of the transfer so that you may enjoy the spectacular scenery en route. 6. South African National Parks Addo Drives The park guides offer superb morning, afternoon, sunset and night drives of 2hrs each in open vehicles through the Addo National Park. On the night drives, apart from the nocturnal species, one often encounters black rhino and buffalo. 7. Addo Elephant National Park Horse Trails The Addo National Park offers morning and afternoon safaris on horseback through the reserve accompanied by a ranger, one often has the opportunity of viewing game close up on the trail through the elephant area. Beginner rides at 8am-10am at R170per person and Advanced Rides from 2-5pm – cost R220pp. They also offer horse trails in the Zuurberg Mountains. Please enquire at reception for times & rates. NOTE: No children under 10 years allowed. 8. Helicopter trip to beach We are able to arrange a helicopter trip to a beautiful unspoiled beach on the Indian Ocean for a beach picnic and swim. You are picked up and brought back to the front lawn of Elephant House by helicopter. Your flight to the beach lasts about 15 – 20 minutes and you will see the Addo Elephant Park (although one is not allowed to fly directly over it) from the air. 9. "Spirits of the past" Tour This is a story that must be heard of frontier wars, pioneering spirits and heroic people bound together by indomitable determination and gritty humour. Recapture the Spirits of the Past renowned historian and raconteur Alan Weyer whose captivating narrative of this region’s proud history of spectacular battles and courageous people will add a new dimension to a visit to the Eastern Cape Half Day Frontier Country Tour On the hills surrounding the City of Grahamstown we examine the many peoples and cultures that have influenced the region and the effect that they have had on South African History. This tour is ideal for the traveller who has limited time but would like to get a comprehensive and informative overview of the region. Refreshments are included on the tour. (*THIS TOUR IS HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED BY ELEPHANT HOUSE) Full Day Frontier Country Tour The morning is spent on the hills surrounding the City of Grahamstown. We examine the many peoples and cultures that have influenced the region and the effect that they have had on South African History. With this background we head out into Frontier Country and the historic Hamlets of Salem and Bathurst, visiting forts, St John's Church (refuge during Frontier Wars), the Toposcope and places of interest. Refreshments and lunch at a local Bathurst pub are included. 10. Crisscross Mountain Tour Guests are collected at Elephant House by local adventure guides Gary Fitzpatrick & Christopher Pickles and taken into a remote, pristine section of the nearby Zuurberg Mountains (the drive takes one through a section in the Greater Addo Elephant Park where one may encounter the endangered Black Rhino) to "Otto's Pool" - where one can enjoy a leisurely stroll along a bubbling mountain stream that bypasses caves, waterfalls, rock pools and a natural fountain. (The more energetic are able to hike through the indigenous forest up to open grasslands). A delicious lunchtime braai (BBQ) is served beside a clear deep mountain pool where one can have a relaxing dip into the water or float on a tube. Bird watching here is phenomenal! Duration: 9am - 4pm 11. Crisscross River Tour Guest are collected at Elephant House by Gary & Chris and are taken for a very scenic paddle down the Sunday's River. Explore a different world down on the river - view game and birds along the riverbanks (great birding here too - especially look out for the riverine species including various King Fisher species as well as Goliath Herons and African Fish Eagles - while your guides paddle you down some of the most scenic parts of the valley. 12. Quad Bike Tours (for the more adventurous….) Various Quad Bike tours – experience something different! Guests ride through the orchards of a working citrus farm and even pick your own bag of oranges in season! For the more adventurous, take a splash through the river on a quad. Helmets & Goggles provided. 13. Hike in the Zuurberg Mountains In the beautiful Zuurberg section of the Addo Elephant National Park there is a scenic hiking trail through the valleys and onto the fynbos ridges of the mountains. Normal park entry fees apply. 14. Bushman Sands Golf Course Bushman Sands is an exciting partnership between Shamwari and the Government in which they have revived and created wonderful employment opportunities in the dormant old railway town of Alicedale – 40min drive from Elephant House. A magnificent 18-hole (“Bushveld links”) Gary Player design golf course is a feature of the hotel. Please enquire at reception for golf bookings. Bushman Sands Hotel also has a day spa. 15. Port Elizabeth City Tour The Indian Ocean Rim city of Port Elizabeth has a fascinating history being the landing point of the 1820 British Settlers and latterly a very significant centre in the anti apartheid movement. A tour to Port Elizabeth where you will visit central Port Elizabeth’s historical and natural attractions, combined with a visit to the townships (which will take you to some famous sites in the struggle against apartheid) is indeed extremely fascinating. Optional visits to the Dolphinarium, Intsimbe Beads, Ron Belling Art Gallery, The Horse Memorial, No. 7 Castle Hill (a restored Settler Cottage) and St Georges Park – the famous cricket ground (where the first cricket and rugby test matches in South Africa were played) can also be included on your tour. 16. Other activities and bespoke packages We will try to tailor your stay to suit your needs as much as possible in order for you to get the best chance to experience all the area has to offer, for example, in season, we are able to arrange a visit to a citrus farm to watch the picking, a chukka of polo at the Addo Polo Club, a round of golf at Kirkwood Golf Club or if you are suffering from “safari fatigue” even a visit to the famous Volkswagen factory in Uitenhage! Please feel free to discuss any special activities that will enhance your stay with us. Of course, you may simply want to DNA (do nothing at all!) NOTES: All rates include VAT and are subject to change without notice.
Elephant Safaris Rathambore for tigers, The Virungas for mountain gorillas and ADDO FOR ELEPHANTS! Elephant House is situated 8 km from the main gate to Addo Elephant National Park our guests have great opportunities to view these magnificent animals, for instance, The Elephant House Safari Co has an excellent daily guided game drive into Addo – in addition to this, the more adventurous can go on a horseback safari through Addo NP. Addo Elephant NP is busy building a state of the art info centre (completion March 2009) where one can learn more about these gentle giants. In addition to this one can also get up close and personal with an elephant if you join an elephant back safari. Addo Elephant Park Addo Elephant National Park is one of the world’s great conservation success stories and embraces one of the highest concentrations of big game in Africa and thus offers some wonderful game viewing opportunities. In addition to the famous elephants of Addo there are also lion, buffalo, black rhino, hyena, jackal and a variety of antelope species. Of the smaller animals the surricates and the flightless dung beetle are of great interest. Over 150 species of birds have been recorded in the area. The vegetation that one encounters in the area is known as “Valley Bushveld” – this is a biome unique to the river valleys of the Eastern Cape. The plants are tough and drought resistant (Addo’s average annual rainfall is 385mm) with a high proportion of succulents much loved by elephants, black rhino and kudu. Per cubic meter, Valley Bushveld is able to support more animals, birds and insects than any other biome on earth, in addition, one of the dominant plant species here, the “Spekboom” is one of the worlds best carbon converters! Areas Of Interest Addo is situated in the beautiful Sundays River Valley, only 40 min from Port Elizabeth airport. The accessibility of this area coupled with its close proximity to the Garden Route and Cape Town makes the Addo Elephant Park and its surrounding areas an extremely desirable destination that is already very popular with international visitors. The Addo Elephant National Park was proclaimed in 1931 and today this finely tuned ecosystem is home to over 400 elephants. This makes the Addo Park the most concentrated elephant reserve in Africa thus giving one a good chance of experiencing some of the best elephant viewing in the world. Apart from elephants there are also lion, hyena, black rhino, buffalo and various antelope species. After widespread hunting in the 1800's and an extermination program in the 1920's the Addo National Elephant Park was proclaimed in 1931 as a sanctuary for the remaining 11 elephants. This herd has build up to over 400 making it one of the densest populations of the giant herbivores in the world. The reserve is also home to a wide range of other species including lion, buffalo, black rhinoceros, eland, kudu, red hartebeest, zebra, other smaller antelope species, more than 165 bird species as well as being the last refuge of the flightless dung beetle. Addo is one of the world's greatest conservation success stories as the South African National Parks have successfully formed long term partnerships with donor organisations one being the International Fund for Animal Welfare. With these funds they are busy buying additional land and recreating key migratory corridors and expanding the Park to a proposed area of approximately 400 000 hectares including a 60 000 hectare marine reserve - this will make it the most biologically diverse park in Africa conserving 6 of this country's 7 biomes, a total of 12 vegetation types and South Africa's second largest elephant and black rhino populations. The Sundays River Valley is world famous for its citrus fruit production - the Sundays River Citrus Co-op alone exports an excess of 12 million cartons of fruit to Northern Hemisphere Countries every year. The valley is reputed to produce some of the finest quality lemons in the world. Two kilometres away from the Elephant House is the Addo Polo Club where Polo is played in the cooler winter months and cricket in summer. Kirkwood, which has a beautiful golf course, is a 30km drive through the valley. Relax And Be Pampered After a safari, retreat back to the colonial luxury of The Elephant House – order an ice cold cocktail (we recommend a Bombay Sapphire G&T with Angostura bitters or another house specialty in Pimms No1!) and take a dip in one of the two swimming pools alternatively you may simply want to find a quiet corner in the gardens or one of the courtyards to put your feet up and relax with a good book. (After all, you are on holiday!) The kitchen prepares lovely light lunches on the terrace or beside one of the pools, and in the evenings, after a sundowner, sit down to a delicious three course dinner prepared by our chefs using the very best of local produce. Golf Safaris The Elephant House is a 45 min drive from some great golfing experiences: KIRKWOOD: ALICEDALE: PORT ELIZABETH:The coastal city of Port Elizabeth (45 min drive from EH) has several golf courses the two best being:
DirectionsFrom Port Elizabeth: * Take N2 (Direction Grahamsown) * Left onto R335 (Sign posted Motherwell / Addo) * Continue from +/- 43 km to Addo Village * Straight through Addo Village in Direction of Elephant Park, Elephant House is 5km from Addo on the left hand side
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The Elephant House
042 233 2462
042 233 0393
+27 (0)83 799 5671