So many activities to do around Addo

When you mention Addo, most people think elephants.  They wouldn't be wrong though BUT, these days Addo is so much more than just elephants.  Crisscross Adventures is a tour and adventure activity company based in the Sundays River Valley and they offer a wide range of activities from tours to the Addo Elephant National Park to quad biking, canoe safaris on the Sundays River and sand boarding.  Check out their new promotional video and tell me you don't want to go and explore and experience the valley after seeing it. 

Discover the Sundays River Valley and Greater Addo route

The brand new destination promotion video for the Sundays River Valley and Greater Addo area have recently been released by Addo Tourism and ECTOUR showing how stunning this area right on Port Elizabeth's doorstep is.  It also illustrates what I'vebeen saying for a while now, that Addo is a fully fledged destination now and so much more than just elephants.  Please share it around on social media if you enjoy it.

Ziplining in Addo with Chasing the Rainbow

Follow the guys of Chasing the Raibow as they go zipling along the longest duel zipline in Africa. Right here in the Sundays River Valley at Sunland near Addo.

Pork passanger

We've all seen pictures (or in real life) of Red Bill Oxpeckers sitting on rhino, buffalo, giraffe or some of the other bigger animals.  Taking a drive through Addo the other day I got to see a similar scene but it didn't include a Red Bill Oxpecker nor a big animal.  This time it was a Southern Boubou riding on a warthog's back.  Pumba has a new friend.

Buffalo portrait

I know I posted a picture of a couple of Addo buffs earlier on in the week, but I wanted to share this one with you as well.  It's nice when they look straight at you.  Makes for great pics.  Or I hope he was looking at me...

Pale Chanting Goshawk

One of my favorite birds to see in the Addo Elephant National Park is the Pale Chanting Goshawk.  You normally find them perched on a bush like this scanning the surrounding area for prey.

Striped donkey portrait

This male zebra seemed to have had a run-in with something and was standing in the road in Addo's southern section.  He was probably feeling sorry for himself and nursed his wounds and standing in the middle of the road meant he could see any approaching predator coming a long way away.  It also meant though that I got to stop right next to him and get a closeup portrait shot.

Addo Buffs

My quick trip through Addo last week didn't produce a big amount of elephants as usual.  I did get three separate Cape Buffalo sightings.  When I started working as a tourist guide 18 years ago the Cape Buffalo sightings were very few and far apart.  The Addo buffalo was basically nocturnal due to the hunting of big game that took place a hundred years earlier which lead to the buffalo starting to hide during the day and only coming out at night.  This all changed when Addo introduced lions into the park and the buffalo's' behavior literally took a 180 degree turnabout.  What makes the Cape Buffalo in Addo so unique is the fact that they are disease free.  The majority of buffalo throughout South Africa suffer from bovine tuberculosis (BTB) so buffalo from a place like Addo is regarded as Black Gold and is very sought after at game auctions.

Big boy drinking

There is nothing wrong with drinking alone.  Pity about the paparazzi audience...

Addo landscape

I was invited to the launch of the SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees at the Addo Elephant National Park main camp yesterday and decided to take the scenic route through the park from Colchester.  Back when I was a tourist guide I used to visit the park as often as 5 or 6 times a week at one stage.  These days I don't get to visit nearly enough and is probably lucky if I get the time to visit once or twice a year.  An absolute crying shame if you ask me.  Even though I only had about 2 hours in the park it was enough to wet my whistle for another longer visit soon.  Just got to find the time though.

The Jazzy, Boozy, Cheezy Affaire is coming

This morning I got to attend the media launch of the upcoming Jazzy, Boozy, Cheezy Affaire that will be taking place on 26 and 27 September at Africanos Country Estate in Addo.  Anybody who is into wine, cheese, food, jazz, chocolates, flowers or perfume would really enjoy the event as all of that and more will be represented over the weekend.

A “sensory spring sensation” will provide a fine feast for all five senses of lovers of laid-back jazz, full-bodied wine and craft beer, excellent cheese and scrumptious snacks this spring at the first Jazzy, Boozy, Cheezy (JBC) Affaire.  It will be hosted at the up-market Africanos Country Estate outside Addo in the picturesque Sundays River Valley over the weekend of September 26 and 27.  

Among the highlights will be cooking demonstrations by celebrity chef Reuben Riffel on the Saturday, and local chef Grace Duckworth on the Sunday.  The demonstrations will pair food with scents and flower art that will provide a sensory sensation built around the neroli scent – which is produced from the bitter orange.  “With the citrus trees in full bloom, we believe it is the perfect venue to host an event that will delight all five senses,” says organiser Jenni Honsbein.  Greeting guests long before they arrive will be the heady scent of orange blossoms, which envelopes the Sundays River Valley over September and October.  “It really is one of the best times of the year to get out into the beautiful countryside which is so near to Port Elizabeth.  “Orange blossoms are also traditionally associated with good fortune, which is why they are so popular in bridal bouquets and head wreaths for weddings. So there is no better harbinger of the spring promise of new beginnings,” says Honsbein. 

“Delighting the ear will be live jazz which will be played throughout the weekend by an eclectic mix of some of the province’s top jazz musicians.  Taste buds will be titivated by fine wines, full-bodied craft beers, aromatic coffee, local hand-crafted cheeses, artisan chocolates, oysters, sushi and more. 

We are bringing the Cape Winelands to the Sundays River Valley. Some of the top estates in the country will be represented at the JBC,” she says.  Beer lovers will be able to savour some of the country’s finest craft brews, some of which are new to the Sundays River Valley.  “Eyes will feast on a special floral display by German-trained designer Fayette Scherwinski.

“It will all come together as a feast for the senses at the JBC Affaire which, judging by the enthusiastic response to the concept, will become an annual event,” she says. 

Special accommodation packages will be available from Africanos and other guest houses and boutique hotels in the Sundays River Valley. 

Contact Africanos at 042 233 0030 for more information or to book your tickets.

Escaping big cats

The big cats from the Eastern Cape and surrounding areas just don't want to be contained.  First a couple of cheetahs suddenly appeared in Addo from who knows where, Then a lion escaped from the Karoo National Park and roamed the surrounding countryside for a couple of weeks before being captured.  Well, things happen in threes.  Nomad, one of the Addo males, has answered the call from a female lion in neighboring Schotia Safaris Private Game Reserve and decided to go and check her out.  He was darted by Schotia and escape the holding area before being darted again and being returned to Addo.  Watch this SABC news bulletin about the escapee's big adventure.

Addo Elephant National Park - well worth the visit

Addo Elelphant National Park is on Port Elizabeth's doorstep.  Literally.  Matyholweni, or the south gate as most just refer to it, is located at Colchester on the Sundays River, just outside the boundary of Nelson Mandela Bay.  Up to just over a decade or so ago Addo was mostly all about elephants.  Today it is so much more than that.  The Greater Addo Park stretches from the southern Karoo around the Darlington Dam, across the Zuurberg Mountains through the main game area and down to the coast.  The park also includes the Alexandria Dunefields and a marine reserve surrounding the islands in Algoa Bay.  Thanks to this Addo is the only reserve in the world that can boast to be home of the Big 7 being the Big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard) along with the Southern Right Whale and Great White Shark.  Watch this excellent promotional video for Addo.

A braai on the banks of the Sundays River

After a hectic last two weeks I long back to the weekend we spent at Sitrusoewer on the banks of the Sundays River outside Kirkwood recently.  I know its not quite Port Elizabeth and its immediate surrounds, but it's close enough.  Aahhhh, the fire crackling and not a breeze while the sun goes down. *sigh*

Camping at Sitrusoewer

A couple of weekends ago we spent a long weekend camping on the banks of the Sundays River at Sitrusoewer just outside Kirkwood.  It must be one of my favorite campsites I've ever been to.  The water was literally 2 meters from the front door of our tent and we spent the whole weekend either in or on the water.  A long weekend to remember and one we would have over again and again. 

Cruising with Raggy Charters

Raggy Charters made Port Elizabeth proud during 2014 by being announced the national winner in the Marine Adventure Category of the Lilizela Tourism Awards.  I found this video posted on YouTube two years or so ago by a visitor who went on one of their cruises to St Croix Island just to give you a bit of a taste on what to expect if you go out with Lloyd and his team.

Kuzuko view

The Addo Elephant National Park is literally on Port Elizabeth's doorstep and is South Africa's third largest national park.  Strange how some people still think its just about elephants.  These days the park stretch all the way from the coast through the main game viewing area and over the Zuurberg into the Karoo.  One of the private concession lodges in the park is Kuzuko Lodge.  Kuzuko is situated just over the mountain and has a very different fauna and flora environment than the main section of the park.  The lodge is situated on a hill with stunning views and is one of my favorite lodges.  I just love sitting on the stoep in front of the room and enjoy the view.  Even better at night with not a light in sight and millions of stars overhead. 

Addo roadblock

 

Nobody likes a road block, sitting bumper to bumper behind a slow moving object or having to waste time in a stop go situation.  That is unless you get all of these because of elephants in the Addo Elephant National Park.  I had a meeting in Addo and decided to leave two hours early and swing through the park to visit my favorite trunked pachyderms.  Entering the South Gate at Colchester, I decided to do one of the loops in the south section and encountered a whole herd ambling along in the road in front of me.  Best of all, the guy in the car in front of me wasn't one of those sighting hoggers that one often get and we took turns to be in front and take pictures, pulling over every few minutes to let the other one go in front again.  An elephant road block is the best road block. 

Double ziplining in the Addo area - video

Not having a GoPro means that travel videos have never been part of my arsenal as a blogger, but I recently realized that even though the quality may not be perfect, there is no reason not to take videos with my little ol' superzoom digital camera.  So I tried it out last week while experiencing the stunning new Adrenalin Addo double zipline experience, downloaded a video editor program and played around with it.  Its my first attempt and even though it wouldn't be winning any trave movie awards I'm quite proud of it.  Here it is, ziplining at Adrenalin Addo in the Sundays River Valley.  A 500 meter zipline, 60 meters up with stunning views over the valley.  Enjoy.  

Zuurkop viewsite in Addo

One of the best view sites in the Addo Elephant National Park is from the top of Zuurkop.  Its one of the spots in the park where one is allowed to get out of your car although you still need to be vigilant as its no a fenced area.