World Cup 2010 Host City: Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth will be one of the host cities during the World Cup.

Port Elizabeth is a relatively small city on the east coast of South Africa. Although the city itself has a limited number of attractions, the beaches and surrounding areas more than make up for it. In June and July, the World Cup months, Port Elizabeth gets a fair amount of rain and can get cold so don't expect to spend your days on the beach. Instead, there are fantastic self-drive or guided tours (anything from a half day to a few days) within easy reach of the city. Addo Elephant Park and a number of private game reserves are only one hour's drive from the city. These game reserves are going to be extremely popular as it is in a malaria free area and close to the Garden Route.

In addition to the game reserves, the Karoo, The Garden Route and the rugged East Coast can all be explored while visiting Port Elizabeth.

Safaris from Port Elizabeth

Addo Elephant Park and the adjoining Shamwari Game Reserve are approximately 1 hour's drive from Port Elizabeth.

Other South African National Parks are accessible through scheduled flights (some via Johannesburg). Alternatively, Botswana or Namibia are fantastic safari destinations from Port Elizabeth. Botswana and Namibia have ideal temperatures and are dry from May and October. World Cup travellers that are based in Port Elizabeth may prefer these destinations for their safari as Addo Elephant Park will be rainy and wet.

Port Elizabeth self-drive during the FIFA World Cup

South Africa has a very good road infrastructure which makes self-drive travel very easy. The most popular self-drive route from Port Elizabeth is to travel along the coast down the Garden Route visiting Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, and ending in Cape Town.

Alternatively, the Karoo has interesting landscape and small towns. Heading north from Port Elizabeth will take you up the rugged east coast, with beautiful beaches and coastal towns.

Recommended Safari Destinations: Port Elizabeth

Eastern Cape:

Addo Elephant Park

Botswana:

Okavango Delta

Savuti Channel & Marsh

Linyanti Channel & Swamp

Chobe Game Reserve

Moremi Game Reserve

Makgadikgadi Pans

The best way to get to the Botswana safari destinations from Port Elizabeth is via scheduled flights to Maun. From Maun, Sun Safaris can arrange for transfers to the various game lodges. Self-drive from Port Elizabeth to Botswana is time-consuming as there is no direct road route into Botswana and requires travelling via Gauteng. Travelling in a 4x4 allows a few more options - contact us for further details.

Quick links

World Cup 2010 links

World Cup 2010 News | Official FIFA Website

Safari Links

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