Port Elizabeth:2-Day Schotia Safaris & Addo Wildlife Reserve

The real draw here is simple: you get two very different safari settings in just two days. Addo brings you close to elephants and Eastern Cape wildlife, while Schotia Safaris adds the excitement of a private reserve, a sunset drive, and the chance to look for the Big Five.

I like the open-sided 4×4 vehicles, which give you a clear view and a better chance to hear the bush around you. I also like the small group limit of 10, plus the fact that your $716 covers accommodation, meals, park entries, transfers, and two game drives. The main caution is organization: confirm your port pickup details carefully, since transfers can be confusing.

Key points to know before booking

• Two safari areas in two days: Visit Addo Wildlife Private Reserve and Schotia Safaris Private Game Reserve.
• Sunset wildlife drive: The first safari begins around 4:30 p.m., followed by a bush dinner when available.
• Guides can make the difference: Richard and Rawson are named as guides connected with highly praised safari experiences.
• Lodge stay included: Accommodation at Africanos Country Estate or the arranged Addo-area property is part of the package.
• Small-group format: The tour is limited to 10 people and operates in open-sided 4×4 vehicles.
• Best for active visitors: Comfortable shoes and clothing are needed, and the experience is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments.

Two safari reserves, one compact Eastern Cape trip

This tour works well if you have limited time in Port Elizabeth but want more than a quick game drive. Instead of spending one day in a single park, you move through the Addo area and then spend a full safari day at Schotia.

That variety matters. Addo is particularly associated with elephants, while Schotia offers a private-reserve setting and a strong focus on finding a broad range of animals. You are not promised a checklist of sightings, but the schedule gives you several opportunities to see mammals, birds, and plants in different conditions.

The trip costs $716 per person, which is a serious price. The value depends on how much planning you want handled for you. It includes your Port Elizabeth pickup and return, one night of luxury accommodation, dinner, breakfast, lunch, reserve admission, and two game drives. If you want a ready-made safari with transport and meals bundled together, the package is practical. If you already have a rental car and lodging, the price may feel harder to justify.

The group limit of 10 helps. You get a more personal setting than a large coach tour, though the exact vehicle arrangement still depends on the day’s group and operating plans.

Noon pickup from Port Elizabeth

The tour begins with pickup in Port Elizabeth, either at the airport or the cruise ship terminal. The stated pickup time is 12 noon, so this experience fits best with an early arrival or a cruise day arranged around that schedule.

Cruise passengers should pay close attention here. Pickup is included, but the port handoff deserves a little planning. Confirm where you will meet the driver, how the driver will identify your party, and whether you need to walk to a specific point outside the terminal. Clear communication can prevent a long wait at the port entrance.

The transfer to the Addo area takes you away from the city and toward the reserves. A listed bus or coach segment is about 70 minutes, although total travel time can vary with pickup arrangements and stops. Pack water and keep essential items with you rather than placing everything in luggage that may be stored below.

Africanos Country Estate and the first afternoon

Accommodation check-in is scheduled for 2 p.m. The property is described as luxury accommodation in the Addo area, and the chalet-style lodging has received especially strong praise. This is not just a bed for the night. You have time to settle in, change clothes, and prepare for the evening drive.

Bring comfortable clothing, sunscreen, a hat, and a change of clothes. You may also want a light layer for the evening, but the supplied information does not specify temperatures or provide a packing list for cold conditions. A camera is obvious, though a phone is useful too.

The accommodation is one of the stronger parts of the package because the timing gives you a real overnight stay rather than a rushed late arrival and early departure. Still, the listed itinerary includes a long hotel or resort activity block, so you should think of the lodge as a base for the safari rather than as a separate resort holiday with a full program of amenities.

A 4:30 p.m. sunset safari

The first game drive begins at about 4:30 p.m. in Addo Wildlife Private Reserve. This is a good time to be outside. The light changes quickly, and the bush often feels different as daytime activity gives way to evening.

The open-sided 4×4 is important here. You have a clear view from the vehicle, which makes it easier to watch animals and take photographs without looking through a window. Keep your camera ready, but do not spend the whole drive staring at a screen. The guide’s information about Eastern Cape plants, animals, and birdlife is part of the experience.

The first day is a useful introduction because it gives you time to learn how your guide searches for animals. You may see elephants and other game, but sightings are never guaranteed. Wildlife is not a stage show, and the value of the drive comes partly from learning how the guide reads the area.

Richard is specifically associated with the safari guiding on this trip. He is described as sharing a great deal of information and leading both the Addo and bush-dinner portions of the experience. That is worth noting if you care about interpretation, not just ticking animals off a list.

Bush dinner under the stars

After the sunset drive, the plan is for a bush dinner under the stars, subject to availability and capacity. The meal is included, and the setting is meant to let you hear the sounds of the African night rather than eat in an ordinary restaurant.

This is likely to be one of the most memorable parts of the two days, but keep the wording in mind: availability and capacity are not guaranteed. Treat it as a strong possibility, not an absolute promise.

Dinner also makes the timing more comfortable. You are not rushed back to Port Elizabeth after the sunset drive. Instead, you spend the night near Addo and are positioned for the next day’s longer safari.

The Addo to Schotia route

The second day is the main wildlife day. After breakfast, the route takes you through the Addo area toward Schotia Safaris Private Game Reserve. The program includes a guided visit and a game drive lasting about six hours.

This longer block gives the guide time to search rather than race from one sighting to the next. You may see elephants, buffalo, rhinoceros, lions, leopards, and other wildlife, but the Big Five are an objective, not a guarantee. Leopard sightings in particular are never something a responsible safari should promise.

The stated plan also includes a visit to Addo Elephant National Park along the way. That adds useful context because Addo is one of the signature wildlife areas near Port Elizabeth. The private reserve and national park portions are not identical experiences, and seeing both gives you a broader sense of the region.

At Schotia, the guide may focus on animal behavior, plant life, and the practical signs that help locate wildlife. The tour is conducted in an open-sided 4×4, so you remain close to the sights and sounds around you. Keep your arms inside the vehicle and follow the guide’s instructions, especially near large animals.

A six-hour Schotia safari and lunch

Six hours in a reserve can feel long in the best way. You have time for patient viewing, photography, and breaks rather than a quick circuit. The schedule also includes lunch at Schotia, described as a safari lunch and separately listed as a barbecue-style meal.

Lunch is included, which makes the $716 price easier to assess. You are paying not only for transport and entry fees, but also for the food needed across the two-day program. Dinner, breakfast, and lunch are all covered, so you do not need to budget for the main meals during the tour.

The safari guides at Schotia are described as providing animal and plant information and working to find as many species as possible. That matters because a private-reserve drive is most rewarding when the guide explains what you are seeing, not just where to point the camera.

You should still expect some time in the vehicle. This is not a walking safari, although the schedule lists a guided walk at Bellevue Forest Reserve. Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes, and do not bring luggage that is difficult to manage in a safari vehicle.

The Bellevue Forest Reserve visit

Bellevue Forest Reserve appears in the schedule as a three-hour visit with a guided tour and walk. The supplied details do not spell out the exact route, terrain, or wildlife focus, so you should regard this as a guided outdoor component rather than assume a specific activity.

The walk adds a useful change of pace after time in the 4×4. It may help you notice smaller details such as plants, tracks, or birds that are easy to miss from a moving vehicle. Because the tour is not suitable for people with mobility impairments, you should be comfortable walking on the reserve’s outdoor surfaces.

If the walk is important to you, ask the operator about its length and terrain before booking. The published schedule confirms the activity, but not its difficulty or exact conditions.

What the guides add

A safari guide is more than a driver. The guide chooses where to stop, explains animal behavior, points out less obvious wildlife, and helps you understand how the Eastern Cape differs from the better-known safari regions farther north.

Richard is named in connection with the Addo Wildlife Park drive and bush dinner. Rawson, or Rowson in one account, is also named as a guide associated with the trip. Both are singled out for strong guiding, and the program promises explanations of local fauna and flora.

You should ask questions. Guides can often make the same animal sighting feel very different by explaining why an elephant is standing in a certain place, how a group of animals is interacting, or what plant life supports the reserve.

The experience uses English, so you should be comfortable receiving the guiding in English. The small group size should make it easier to hear and ask questions than on a large vehicle.

How the logistics affect your experience

The main weakness is not the wildlife program. It is the possibility of confusion around transfers and timing.

The port pickup is included, but a clear meeting plan is important. If you are arriving on a cruise ship, do not assume the driver will find you automatically inside the terminal. Send your arrival details and confirm the meeting point before the day of pickup.

There has also been confusion around an optional or planned giraffe walk the morning after arrival. One pickup arrangement gave an incorrect departure time, causing the walk to be missed. This detail suggests you should confirm every morning activity directly with the operator, especially if a walk is important to you.

The stated core schedule is clearer: noon pickup, 2 p.m. check-in, 4:30 p.m. sunset safari, then the next day’s Schotia safari. Keep those times handy and ask what time you need to be ready for breakfast and departure.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those terms are useful if your cruise or flight schedule is still moving, but check the final booking conditions when you reserve.

What to pack for two days

The suggested packing list is sensible:

• Comfortable shoes for the reserve walk
• Comfortable clothes
• A hat
• Sunscreen
• Water
• Camera
• A change of clothes
• Beachwear

Beachwear is included in the recommended list, though no beach activity is specified in the schedule. Pack it only if it suits your wider Port Elizabeth plans.

Keep your camera accessible during both game drives. A change of clothes is useful after a dusty drive or warm afternoon, and water matters because safari vehicles may spend long periods away from the lodge.

The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments. That restriction applies to the vehicle-based safari and the walking component, so ask specific questions before booking if you have any mobility concern.

Who will get the most from this safari

I would choose this tour if you want a short, all-in-one safari from Port Elizabeth and do not want to arrange separate transport, accommodation, meals, and park admissions.

It suits cruise passengers who can meet the noon pickup and return schedule, couples looking for a comfortable overnight stay, and first-time safari visitors who want a guide to handle the details. The small group and English guiding also make it a good fit if you prefer a personal outing over a large bus tour.

It is less suitable if you want a slow, independent trip with control over every departure time. It is also not the right choice if you need step-free access or cannot manage a walking activity.

Is $716 a fair price?

At $716 per person, this is not a budget excursion. The price makes more sense when you count the full package: one night of luxury accommodation, dinner, breakfast, lunch, reserve admission, transfers from Port Elizabeth, two game drives, and guiding across two days.

The package also saves you from arranging a rental car and judging how much time to allow between the airport, accommodation, Addo, and Schotia. That convenience has real value, particularly on a cruise schedule.

The price is harder to defend if you mainly want a single short game drive or already have lodging and transport in the Addo area. In that case, a shorter local safari could fit your plans better, though this particular tour gives you the added range of two reserve settings and an overnight stay.

Should you book it?

Book this safari if you want two full days of organized wildlife viewing, comfortable lodging, included meals, and a guide-led introduction to Addo and Schotia. The strongest parts are the sunset drive, the open 4×4 vehicles, the bush dinner when available, and the chance to spend a long second day searching for wildlife.

Before paying, confirm the port meeting point, the driver’s contact details, and the exact morning departure time. If those logistics are clear, this is a strong choice for a compact Eastern Cape safari, especially for cruise passengers and first-time safari visitors. If you need complete schedule control or accessible transport, choose a different arrangement.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin and end?

Pickup is available in Port Elizabeth, including Port Elizabeth Airport or the cruise ship terminal. The tour returns to Port Elizabeth at the end, with transfer service back to the airport or cruise ship terminal.

How long does the experience last?

The safari lasts two days and includes one overnight stay in the Addo area.

What time is pickup?

The stated pickup time is 12 p.m. Accommodation check-in is at 2 p.m., and the sunset safari begins at about 4:30 p.m.

Are meals included?

Yes. The package includes dinner on the first day, breakfast, and lunch on the second day. A bush dinner is planned when availability and capacity allow.

How many people are in the group?

The tour is offered as a small-group experience limited to 10 participants.

Is the tour suitable for wheelchair users?

No. The experience is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments.