The evening sky is calm and clear. The crackling fire of the bush campsite brings home your oneness with nature. The air is still and the rustling of the bushes nearby is unnerving, yet exciting. Its intensity increases as you hear trumpeting herds of elephant and the distant roar of the king of the jungle - your bush experience has begun…  

Situated in Port Elizabeth, just one hour’s drive on the N2 highway towards Grahamstown, along the Sunday’s River, is the Addo National Elephant Park. This ecosystem and sanctuary houses 450 elephants, 400 Cape buffalo and 48 endangered species all living on 164 000 hectares of beautiful South African soil.

The park extends down to the coastline, which makes it the unique home of Africa’s BIG 7, namely the rhinoceros, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, whale and the great white shark. Its marine section is still being developed to cater for shark dives but the new construction and upgrade will mean a mega–park of 360 000 hectares. A visit during September will expose you to active whale pods, which makes for spectacular viewing.  Being close to the coastline and Darlington dam at the mouth of the Sunday’s River also means fishing and boat cruises are possible, if you’re in the mood.

But as the name suggests the main attraction is the elephants. Watching a mother elephant nurse her calf adds something to your soul and the best way to experience this is by horseback. The park offers numerous horse trails that cater for both the inexperienced and experienced rider. If you’re slightly apprehensive, the trails are guided and the horses are well–trained and familiar with the routes.

Watching the rhinoceros and buffalo in their habitat can be quite a challenge at times as they don’t always like intruders on their territory. For this, consider the 4 x 4 option. You could also opt for the unique Addo guided drive thanks to a community initiative known as Eyuthu hop – on. This is a guide-training programme run by the locals. You get to experience the park from the comfort of your car but with the benefit of having a trained guide explaining everything as you drive along.

Different trails venture to different sections of the park. If you are taking the trail to see the leopards blissfully watching their territory or the lions lazing around in the veld, be sensible and safe by using the Eyuthu hop – on professionals – the benefits are twofold.

If sleeping with nature is not your thing, even though the campsites are well equipped, you don’t have to have bulging bags underneath your eyes. Spend the night at the five-star Gorah Elephant Camp or even the River Bend Lodge; they’ll be able to cater to all your needs.

Up close and personal with nature is what the Addo Elephant Park is all about – so get moving and don’t forget to send us those pics.

Check out the Kicking it in Addo Gallery