Addo Elephant Safari Lodge

Addo Elephant Safari Lodge

Description

A friendly and warm South African greeting to you from all at Addo Elephant Back Safaris and Lodges. Our associated companies have a combined history going back more that twenty five years in the tourism industry and we are proud to introduce to you our latest holiday and leisure product.

Bordering the Greater Addo Elephant National Park, just a short distance from the Nelson Mandela Metropole, our fully-fenced game conservancy is both malaria-free and tourist friendly.

If it is property and real estate that interests you, visit our Addo Elephant Lodge page for Fractional Ownership information.

 ELEPHANT SAFARI LODGE

The Forest Lodges are perfectly designed to blend discreetly into their surrounding valley bushveld environment. The private and exclusive suites, some nestled in the Yellowwood forest and others set on the hillside offering extraordinary views, are housed on elevated wooden decks. All meals can be enjoyed at our open-sided dining area which incorporates a bar area, overlooking the elephants’ much used waterhole.

Accommodation

Our environmentally friendly lodges are constructed of part canvas, part recycled Brazilian pine and luxuriously decorated to evoke Hemingway’s Africa of yesteryear. We invite you to relax in our remarkably spacious, sophisticated suites set against the tranquil backdrop of the African bush.

• En suite bathroom
• Both indoor and outdoor showers
• King- or twin-bedded option
• Energy efficient wood burning fireplace
• Solar powered hot water geyser
• Well stocked mini bar
• Tea and coffee making facility
• Hairdryers
• Large glass sliding doors opening onto the deck (No nasty zips)
• Generously sized, wooden deck with private spa bath
• Private viewing deck  
• 220V electricity
• In-room safes 
• Overhead fans
• Folding camp beds for children available on request

HISTORY

Addo Elephant Back Safaris and Lodges is situated within the Greater Addo Elephant National Park, an area which has a bittersweet history for the elephants. In 1919 Major P.J. Pretorius, the last of the great legendary hunters, managed to kill 120 elephants before the survivors - only 11 elephants - were given refuge in the Park which was proclaimed in 1931. This remnant elephant population has thankfully since grown from the original 11 to in excess of 450.

The Park itself has also grown to encompass 5 of the 7 biomes in South Africa and, through the addition of a marine protected area with its abundant marine life, is the only reserve to host the Big 7. The intention is to expand the 164 000 hectare Addo National Elephant Park into a 360 000 hectare mega-park. In addition 120 000 hectare (296 500 acre) marine reserve that includes islands which are home to the world's largest breeding populations of Cape gannets as well as the second largest breeding population of African penguins, has been proclaimed.

With one of the highest densities of African elephant in the world, Addo Elephant National Park has gained worldwide recognition for its conservation success. Originally incepted to protect the African elephant, the focus of the Park has shifted to the preservation of more species, with the re-introduction of animals that once roamed the area - lions, black rhino and Cape buffalo to name a few. The Park is also home to the endemic flightless dung beetle, this hardworking little creature is acknowledged through having been awarded right of way on the Park’s roads.

The history of our elephants is surprisingly similar to the original elephants of Addo as our bulls came from a culled herd in the Kruger National Park. Spared from the culling program they were to be sent to private game reserves for hunting purposes. Learning of the elephants’ plight Knysna Elephant Park intervened and brought the three bulls to their Knysna sanctuary, an elephant haven well-respected as a leading facility in the keeping and handling of rescued elephants.

Here our elephants had their faith in man restored through endless and ongoing care and training before they finally arrived at their new bush home in December 2003 to walk in the footsteps of the great herds which originally roamed this area!

AREA INFORMATION

This area is situated in the pristine valleys of the Zuurberg Mountains bordering the Greater Addo Elephant National Park, is regarded as Africa’s most biologically diverse, supporting 5 of the 7 biomes, or eco-regions, in Southern Africa.

This valley bushveld region encompasses habitats ranging from semi-arid Karoo areas, across fynbos-covered slopes which merge with impenetrable thickets and montane forests, extending into rolling grasslands which stretch all the way to the Sunshine Coast of the Eastern Cape.

Blessed with this natural bio diversity the conservancy is able to sustain a wide range and number of animals. The indigenous and plentiful Spekboom (Pork bush) is well adapted to the pressure of sustaining elephant herds who are renowned for their destructive browsing habits. The Spekboom is highly nutritious, has the ability to store much needed water in its succulent leaves, and recovers from elephant abuse astonishingly quickly.

ELEPHANT FACTS

Elephants are highly sociable animals, and the remarkable way they look after their own kind has always evoked a sense of wonder.

The tip of an elephant’s trunk is an extremely sensitive organ. The trunk, an extension of the nose and upper lip, is manipulated by about 50 000 muscles and is the elephant's most important single organ for the purpose of day to day survival. With its trunk it feeds and drinks (daily intake is up to 200kg of vegetation and 200 liters of water), dusts itself, trumpets, touches and smells things - and uses it as a shower. The water holding capacity of the trunk is 17 liters.

The low ratio between an elephant's body surface area and body mass means that it has no difficulty in keeping warm - but, by the same token, it may have trouble keeping cool. Where water is available, they wallow, bathe and spray themselves.

An elephant's great ears are not only acute sensory organs; they also act as fans. As the temperature increases, the ears are flapped more frequently. This directs air currents over the body and also exposes the inner side of the ear, where large veins pass close to the surface which keeps the body temperature down. Our elephants have developed strong bonds with their handlers. During the walks the handlers act as informative guides providing facts about the elephants and information on this unique area. 

ADDO ELEPHANT LODGE FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP

Fractional Ownership allows investors to become part-owners of a holiday home at a fraction of the cost of full ownership - a flexible, cost-effective and stress-free way of investing in a leisure home.

At Addo Elephant Lodge our aim is to provide you with a holiday home that will not only deliver unforgettable holidays in the years to come, but one that will also continue to strengthen in monetary worth.

Nestled in the Zuurberg Mountains in the malaria-free Greater Addo area Addo Elephant Luxury Lodge offers you the opportunity to invest in a piece of African paradise where giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and eland graze at your doorstep with the knowledge of having invested in an exclusive conservation area. Our conservancy is professionally managed according to sound ecological principles in order to ensure ongoing conservation of the region and its wildlife and provide a stress-free lifestyle.

A mere 20 minutes’ flying time from Port Elizabeth and only 1 hour from Plettenberg Bay, Addo Elephant Luxury Lodge is positioned as the perfect break-away destination for anyone wishing to own a part of the Eastern Cape’s untamed African Bush, affording busy executives the opportunity to get away from their frenetic business schedules. Our 1 200 metre airstrip makes it possible for you to fly in with your family or guests directly to Addo Elephant Luxury Lodge, landing only a few minutes’ drive from your front door.

Created from a pleasing combination of natural stone, timber, infinite expanses of glass and thatch-roofs, the property comprises 10 spacious, fully serviced, secluded luxury units built below the tree line against the hillside, presenting incomparable views of the entire valley below.

Each of the units boasts a large living area flanked by en suite bedrooms each with its own private viewing deck, while outside an outdoor shower area, expansive timber deck with your own private rimflow plunge pool with loungers and parasols, as well as a comfortable seating area beckons.

The lodge’s vast common area offers an indoor and outdoor lounge, separate bar, dining areas and public cloakrooms. The sizeable viewing deck leads to a rimflow pool complemented with inviting parasols and loungers, a sunken outdoor dining area and a shaded, stand-alone gazebo redolent of solitude and reflection.

Owners of Addo Elephant Luxury Lodge will experience a superior, private leisure home set against a naturally serene backdrop of staggering beauty, an unqualified African bush experience offering complete peace of mind and hassle free living.

ELEPHANT SAFARIS

Walk with them through the diverse valley bushveld, ravine and forest habitat unique to this part of the Eastern Cape. The informative walk-and-talk takes a very leisurely pace set by the elephants themselves and is in no way strenuous. The walk allows you to interact with, feed and observe the elephants in their natural habitat while our trained and qualified handlers share their specialized knowledge and insight into both the elephants and this unique eco-system.

After the walk, we offer you the exhilarating experience of riding these magnificent animals - revel in the natural beauty of the environs and its wildlife from your lofty seat as these gentle giants amble through the African bush. At the conclusion of the ride enjoy a close-up view of the elephants swimming and frolicking in their favoured waterhole from the viewing deck at the boma - no guarantee that you won’t get sprayed with a trunkful of water !

A once in a lifetime safari adventure - at one with nature,
following in the footsteps of the ancients...

Bookings are essential.

Contact Details Addo Elephant Safari Lodge +27 (0) 42 235 1400 +27 (0) 86 619 5742 +27 (0) 83 375 6514 Enquire now View Rates View Directions

Attractions

Addo Elephant Back Safaris offers a variety of activities to be enjoyed. Amongst other game, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and eland can be spotted up close on game drives and nature walks – while the area’s numerous bird species will excite the most accomplished birding enthusiast.

Experience a scenic flight over the impressive Zuurberg Mountains and the famed Sunshine Coast, enjoy arguably the best elephant viewing in the world  in the Addo Elephant National Park, a leisurely game of golf at Bushman Sands, a historical Settler or Anglo-Boer War tour, or a day trip to the awe-inspiring Karoo.

Off-site activities include the following, feel free to enquire about additional options:

• Game drive within Addo Elephant National Park
• Big 5 game drive
• Golf at Bushman Sands
• Deep sea fishing
• Karoo kaleidoscope

We recommend that you note the following in order to maximise your comfort during your stay

• Sunglasses
• Sun hat
• Long trousers / slacks
• Good walking shoes (running / tennis shoes are suitable)
• Warm jacket for the winter months (May to September)
• Light rain gear for summer months (October to April)
• Cameras
• BINOCULARS - ESSENTIAL
• Suntan lotion & sun block

Directions