BIG 7 Safari - Full House. 4 Day Safari (Code B7OV3)

Addo Elephant National Park, Algoa Bay to 4 x 4 Kabouga Wilderness and Woody Cape

The BIG 7 Full House Tour is a 3 Nights, 4 Days expedition - from the enthralling marine boat trip to an extensive safari in the Addo Elephant National Park main section where the land-based BIG 5 roam - then an off-road experience in the Park's greater sections of Kabouga , Zuurberg Mountains, Darlington Dam and ending with the Woody Cape Forest and Dune Fields. Overnight in the Park's main camp and a Kabouga Cottage.

BIG 7 Safari - Full House

Day 1, Night 1

Port Elizabeth, Algoa Bay and Addo Elephant National Park

07h30 pick up from place of residence in Port Elizabeth. We start the morning on the protected waters of Port Elizabeths Algoa Bay searching for Dolphins, Seals, Sharks and the seasonal Humpback and Southern Right Whales.

Under expert guidance we circumnavigate St Croix Island for close up view of the largest breeding colony of African Penguins.

Further in Algoa Bay on the Bird Island group (not included) the largest breeding colony of over 160 000 Gannets occur. These striking birds can be seen performing aerial feats, diving deep into the water to harvest Sardines in bait balls.

We return to the Harbour for a satisfying light lunch at the Yacht Club or nearby restaurant, where the setting is wonderful and the food great.

Big 7 Tour sighting of South Africa's Elephant in the Addo Elephant National Park. After lunch, we board the tour vehicle and depart for the Addo Elephant National Park for exciting game drives, scanning the thickets for the more traditional members of the BIG 5. The Reserve is famous for its population of over 600 African Elephants, herds of Buffalo, Lions and Leopard amongst the many species of antelope, Zebra and Warthog as well as the rich and diverse bird and reptile life that inhabit this expanded National Park, one of the most popular in South Africa.

After entering, we check in and immediately start our game viewing experience searching for the many and diverse creatures in the thickets and on the open plains while learning about the habitat in which they live.

Arriving at the main camp, we check into our accommodation. After relaxing we again prepare for an exciting game drive before dinner at the restaurant and a well-deserved rest accompanied by the sounds of the African night.

Day 2, Night 2

Greater Addo Elephant National Park, Kabouga 4x4 Section

Wake up and take breakfast at the Park's restaurant and depart for the Kabouga 4 x 4 section of this magnificent National Park. We travel via the picturesque town of Kirkwood before entering the rugged northern area of the Greater Addo Elephant National Park. This is a unique experience through this remote area and one will meet with few, if any, other tourists.

After checking in, we travel through increasingly rough terrain, keeping an eye out for species such as, Warthog and Eland, Red Hartebeest, Klipspringer and Zebra as well as the stately Kudu, the males with their huge horns blending into the background.

We spend the day exploring the area before heading for our accommodation in the remote Kabouga cottage for the night and a traditional braai under the African starlit sky.

Day 3, Night 3

Greater Addo 4x4 Kabouga Section

Stunning views while on a Big 7 Safari After a hearty breakfast, we board the tour vehicle and continue heading north through changing scenery. We stop at scenic viewpoints, between challenging slopes through which we need to negotiate the Landcruiser. We summit at the top of the Zuurberg Mountains offering huge vistas both to the south towards the coast and north into the Little Karoo, Lake Darlington and beyond.

From the summit we start descending into the Little Karoo, where we keep a watch for Ostrich, Zebra and the possibility of sighting a rare Black Rhino before reaching Lake Darlington. Here we unpack our picnic hampers on the lakeshore for a well-deserved late lunch before making our way back to the main rest camp in the Addo Elephant National Park.

We return via the old wagon pass and Ann's Villa and Cartwright's Workshop on the northern slope of the Zuurberg Pass. During the diamond rush in the 1870s Ann's Villa was perfectly based for the blacksmith, wheelwright, bakery and shop. We visit the Blacksmith Museum with its original equipment and the shop from 1864 before travel up the historical Zuurberg Pass, a road built in the mid 1800's to connect Port Elizabeth at the coast with the far off Diamond fields in Kimberley and the Johannesburg goldfields.

We head back to Addo Elephant National Park for dinner at the restaurant and a well-deserved nights rest.

Day 4

Addo Elephant National Park and Woody Cape Dune Fields

Early morning wake up for coffee, tea and rusks and depart for a game drive, viewing a wide variety of African big game in these vast thickets and plains. This is the best time to catch the predators wandering the thickets before they lay up for the day. The awesome Lion live side by side with Warthog, Zebra, Kudu, Eland and Red Hartebeest in this 48 thousand hectare section of the National Park.

Returning to the rest camp, we take breakfast at the Park's restaurant before checking out. After packing up, we leave on a game drive, making our way out of the Park to continue to the lovely remote Woody Cape dune fields on the north eastern shore of Algoa Bay. Woody Cape is the Eastern most point of Algoa Bay, one of the largest inlet Bays on the Continent and once home to the first Nation, the Khoikhoi people when they inhabited this area thousands of years ago.

We start with a walk in the expansive dune fields with uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean and Bird Island, explore Khoikhoi middens: ancient heaps of millions of discarded seashells on this remote but awe-inspiring shoreline.

We wander through the shaded dune forest accompanied by the song of the rich forest birdlife while Vervet monkeys climb overhead.

As evening approaches we prepare to depart for Port Elizabeth and the end of a memorable tour.

Tour includes: