Cici Cao
- Mar 31
- 3 min read

One Day Guide in PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa! (Cruise Edition)

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

Geography: Port Elizabeth is a city on Algoa Bay in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province
Population: Approx. 1-1.5 million People (there's a lot of migration so it's difficult to calculate the exact numbers)
Currency: South African Rand (ZAR); Currency Converter
Cruise Port: Google Map Location
Tender Port: No
Best Time to Visit: December to February

We visited Port Elizabeth, Africa on our Norwegian Cruise Line (Dawn) on February 16, 2024. We had about 10 hours at this port. Majority of the population speaks Xhosa. Auto and tire are their main businesses here. This port also has great spots for whale/dolphin watching and diving (Have you heard of Sardine Run?). And if these events are not exciting enough to get your adrenaline pumping then you must be looking for Shark Cage Diving.

Port Elizabeth is a working port but you are able to walk out of the port area on your own. Our cruise also provided a shuttle service from the port to city center ($10 each way). Although we did see people walking on their own, it felt safer taking the shuttle.

Because we booked too late, we were unable to find a tour that we could book on our own. Instead we opted to take a 8 hour guided tour (arranged by our ship) to Kariega Game Reserve. If you end up at this port, we strongly suggest taking a tour to see Addo Elephant National Park. We heard great things about this tour from our fellow cruisers and this couple even went twice (although I felt like our excursion was equally amazing)!

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

The drive to Kariega Game Reserve was about 2 hours so technically we only have about 4 hours at the location. This reserve situates on 11,500 hectares and is malaria-free. If you have your own car and plan to do the Garden Route drive, you should definitely add this game reserve as a stop. When we arrived, we were greeted with welcome drinks (water & juice). One thing to note is that the lobby only has one bathroom for each gender. My advise would be to use the restroom first before doing anything else. There's also no restrooms during the 2 hour game drive (although our tour guide did find a "spot in the nature" for us that he said was "safe" to use).

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

Our bus had about 50 people and they had enough jeeps (around 10 ppl in a jeep) to separate us into smaller groups. The driver is also our tour guide. Once everyone got into a jeep, the drivers all went in different directions in order to spot more animals. The climate changes in the terrains here wasn't as bad as Botlierskop Private Game Reserve but if you need a blanket the tour guide will be able to provide one to you. Moreover, these jeeps don't have a top cover so you'll get sunburned very easily. Bring LOTS of sunblock and water to stay hydrated.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

We did find that it was much harder to find animals in this reserve as there were a lot of places they were able to hide. But when we stumbled on a tower of giraffes right in front of our eye, every bit of that sunburn was worth it! Our tour guide Nick was also amazing at spotting some other animals for us as well...

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

We ended the tour with a delicious buffet lunch that was included in the tour price. This is the first time I've tried ostrich meat. It's a bit mushy. I have to say, I think I still prefer chicken or beef. Overall, a once in a life time experience! if I had more time during my next visit in Port Elizabeth, I love to give the rest of these activities below a try!