The southern South African city of Port Elizabeth (PE) is ideally situated close to the Garden Route’s eastern terminus and a number of wildlife reserves free of malaria, including the well-known Addo Elephant National Park. Between Addo and Grahamstown, the N2 highway and other routes are bordered by private game reserves. These provide a variety of animal viewing opportunities, picturesque settings, opulent lodges, and conservation initiatives.

More can be found inland of Kenton-on-Sea along the Kariega and Bushman’s Rivers, where outdoor pursuits include canoeing and river cruises. The Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo—are present in the majority of the wildlife reserves near Port Elizabeth, while Addo adds two ocean giants to make the Big Seven.

1. Amakhala GR

The 75km²/29mi² of bushveld and savannah that make up Amakhala Game Reserve, named after the Xhosa word aloes, is home to elusive creatures like bat-eared foxes and hyenas as well as the Big Five. With a conservation aim to return animals to the area where they formerly roamed freely, Amakhala was founded by a group of sheep and cattle farmers whose families had been farming here since the early 1800s.

You can visit the craft center, which is one of the projects started by the Amakhala Foundation. Volunteer opportunities and ranger training are also offered. There are several lodges that provide overnight stays, two- to three-hour horseback rides (R850 per person), and day safaris (from R1,200 per person).

Directions: Take the N2 northeast for 75 km/46 mi from PE.

2. Addo Elephant National Park

Addo Elephant National Park is a special treat for wildlife lovers on the southern Sunshine Coast, as the majority of South Africa’s major national parks are located in the country’s northern bush. At about 2,000 km²/772 mi², Addo is the third-largest park in the nation and is home to the Big Five as well as the Big Seven (great white sharks and southern right whales are added).

The most notable are the more than 600 elephants, which are the remains of herds that formerly roamed the province of the Eastern Cape. By 1931, when the park was created, hunting and farming had reduced the herds to 11 individuals.

One of the biggest herds of disease-free Cape buffaloes in South Africa, there are more than 400 of them. Park road signs allow this nutrient recycler to pass by, along with spotted hyenas, pale-rumped Burchell’s zebras, an abundance of warthogs, and the uncommon flightless dung beetle. According to some estimates, Addo is the most diversified game park in the world and boasts good dirt roads.

It includes the largest and best-preserved coastal dune field in the southern hemisphere, the world’s largest African penguin and Cape gannet nesting grounds, the Algoa Bay islands, and five biomes (particular environments): Karoo, grassland, fynbos, thicket, and woodland. Indeed, elephantine.

Directions: Take the R335 and R342 north of PE for 70 km/43 mi to reach the Addo main gate.

3. Private GR Shamwari

With the Big Five and, like Addo, five of South Africa’s eight biomes, Shamwari Private Game Reserve is a 70km²/27mi² conservation project that is arguably the most well-known of the private game reserves close to Port Elizabeth.

(Fynbos, Forest, Thicket, Savanna, Grassland, Desert, Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo) Visitors can select from six opulent lodges and the Explorer Camp, as well as the Born Free Big Cat Sanctuaries and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. The Explorer Camp, located on a plateau surrounded by granite and basalt extrusions, consists of three tents, an outdoor bathroom, and a plunge pool instead of four wheels for a walking safari.

Directions: Take the N2 northeast for 80 km/50 mi from PE.

4. Private Schotia GR

With more than 40 mammal species among its 2,000 animals, Schotia Private Game Reserve is the oldest private game reserve in the Eastern Cape and one of the most densely stocked in Africa. It is another treasure among the safari parks close to Port Elizabeth.

Schotia was the first reserve in the region to allow lions to wander freely, echoing the African jungle before humans destroyed it all, as you will discover on the Tooth & Claw Safari. Even the number of big cats has had to be decreased. It has lodging options ranging from lodges to a tented camp, as well as amazing day tours from PE that combine a visit to Schotia with a tour of nearby Addo or an Algoa Bay sea safari.

Directions: Take the N2 and N10 north-east of PE for 60 km/37 mi.

5. Private GR Pumba

Pumba Private Game Reserve, one of the most prestigious game reserves close to Port Elizabeth, is home to the Big Five, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, giraffes, more than 300 different kinds of birds, and a well-known population of rare split-gene lions that are white and tawny in color.

Pumba’s commitment to social responsibility and environmental conservation has produced these lions, one of the only free-ranging, self-sufficient prides in Southern Africa. The leopard population has also increased as a result, and sightings have become more common. Activities range from day safaris and forest walking paths to night drives and spa treatments, and there are two opulent resorts, one of which is on Lake Cariega.

Directions: Take the N2 110 km/68 mi northeast of PE.

6. Sibuya GR

The process of checking into Sibuya Game Reserve is a little unusual. The reserve is accessible by boat up the Kariega River in 45 minutes from the coastal community of Kenton-on-Sea, where reception is located. In addition to a more opulent resort, there are two solar-powered eco-camps with tent accommodations, one nestled into a riverine forest and the other featuring winding paths through native vegetation.

In addition to the Big Five, Sibuya’s exceptionally navigable river allows visitors to see water-loving animals like otters and elephants, as well as an unrivaled 400 bird species. The best ways to enjoy the Kariega are by canoeing, fishing, and taking day trips to Sibuya.

Directions: Using the N2 and R72, Kenton-on-Sea is located 130 km (81 mi) northeast of PE.

7. GR Lalibela

Among the safari parks in Port Elizabeth, Lalibela Game Reserve boasts one of the greatest numbers of free-roaming lions because of its expansive 105km²/41mi² of savannah grassland, which allows the big cats to hunt large herds of plains species.

Zebras, impalas, blesboks, eland, wildebeest, and red hartebeest all twitch their tails anxiously as they keep an eye out for lynxes, jackals, hyenas, cheetahs, and leopards. Lalibela’s five lodges offer amenities like Kichaka’s hippo-frequented waterhole and island dining area because they understand that three things combine to create unforgettable safari experiences: wildlife viewing, lodging, and food.

Directions: Take the N2, 90 km/56 mi northeast of PE.

8. Kariega GR

With five different biomes including the Kariega and Bushman’s Rivers, this 100km²/39mi² Kariega Game Reserve in the Kenton-on-Sea hinterland offers a decent possibility of seeing an African fish eagle or a hippo on the riverbanks. Activities such as river cruises, canoeing, fishing, bush walks, animal drives, and safari lodges are available in five gorgeous settings, ranging from a lonely valley to the Bushman’s River. The Kariega Foundation, a rhino adoption program, and volunteer opportunities are examples of conservation initiatives.

Directions: N2; R72; R343; 145 km/90 mi northeast of PE.

9. Private GR Kwantu

Originally farmed by the 1820 Settlers from the UK, Kwantu Private Game Reserve encompasses 60km²/23mi² of the Sidbury Plains in the center of Frontier Country. Yes, there is a real village here, complete with tennis courts, an Anglican church, and a cricket field (the local cricket club was founded in the 1890s).

It is also possible to see the Big Five, either during an overnight stay or a day trip (from R1295 per person), with morning and afternoon drives beginning at 9 AM and 2 PM, respectively. The cuisine varies from traditional South African to Afro-Asian fusion, and the four lodging options include Kwantu Lodge, which has a view of a hippo dam.

Directions: Take the N2 northeast 95 km/59 mi from PE.