Eastern Cape incentive highlights

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Canopy Tours in Tsitsikamma

© South African Tourism

The Addo Elephant National Park, situated in a malaria-free area, just an hour's drive from the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, is one of many Eastern Cape incentive highlights in the province.

Addo's elephant population has swelled to 450 compared with just 11 in 1931. This fascinating park is also home to the Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope species. The unique flightless dung beetle is found almost exclusively in Addo.

The Eastern Cape incorporates all 7 ecological zones that occur in South Africa and features all 3 of the country's biodiversity regions.

The luxury Shamwari Private Game Reserve is the southern-most ‘Big Game' private reserve in Africa. This premier, award-winning game reserve, forms a natural extension to the famous Garden Route and is steeped in British settler history.

There are 7 luxury lodges to choose from at Shamwari. World-class service and exquisite cuisine are part of the package. Shamwari is also leader in conservation and responsible tourism and offers fatastic team building experiences that can be included in any Eastern Cape incentive tour package.

Guests can work together to track wild animals, help vets with darting pogrammes and assist with the release of animals into the wild. Four-by-four driving lessons and wine tasting are also on offer. Shamwari can also cater for small conference of up to 35 delegates.

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival is South Africa's largest and most colourful cultural event that offers the very best of local talent. Every year for 11 days during July Grahamstown's population almost doubles as over 50 000 people flock to this student town to enjoy a feast of the best of South Africa's theatre, music, arts, crafts and entertainment.

The Wild Coast remains one of the country's best-kept secrets and is a top Eastern Cape incentive highlight. This virtually untouched part of the world comes with white sand beaches, spectacular rock formations, romantic shipwrecks, dolphins flashing in the waves, and a few charming family hotels. Adventure tourism is big in this part of the world and guided hikes and horse riding safaris on the beach are popular.

The Eastern Cape is known for its beautiful beaches and surfing spots. Several Eastern Cape beaches have earned Blue Flag status. The Sunshine Coast, stretching from St Francis Bay to East London, is very popular with holidaymakers in search of a carefree bucket-and spade experience.

Also along the Garden Route, just beyond the Eastern Cape's borders you can enjoy ocean encounters and ecological adventures at Plettenberg Bay with miles of sparkling beaches set next to the green swathes of polo fields.

Here you can encounter bottlenose and the rare Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins as well as some shark species.