Mikaela Oosthuizen visits Addo to #ShareTheBay

As a proud Port Elizabethan there are very few elements of this great city that I do not know about and love. There has however always been one activity that has remained unticked -- a visit to arguably the greatest gem in Nelson Mandela Bay. I therefore set off on an excursion to correct this wrong and what an amazing experience! 

What stood out for me was how effortless the experience was. The most "challenging" element was the drive there and there are more than enough clear guidelines to help even a blonde like me find it without hassle (yes I do succumb to the stereotype now and again). Even the cost of entrance was only R58! Most of my friends I spoke to assumed that entrance fee per person was around R150. This low cost was also evident in the souvenirs ship and restaurant found at the end of the Addo Trail. I had expected these to be exuberantly expensive, simply because of the amount of tourists that frequent it.

Although I had viewed the beauty of elephants from the comfort of my couch, nothing can replace the sensation of experiencing an elephant elegantly strolling past your car. This close encounter happened again and again and again, in fact I am sure that I personally met every elephant at the park! The safe and accessible lookout points made closeup interaction with the creatures even easier and a few zebra and buck findings helped colour an already eventful day.

Thank you Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism for ensuring that both foreigners and the locals become tourists, and enjoy these wonderful experiences around the Bay. Grab a few friend or family members, pack some padkos, have a mini-roadtrip and #ShareTheBay. 

This experience reinforced my desire to become the first #MissSA2016 to come from PE. Follow my #RoadToMissSA on Twitter: @smilemikaela and Instagram: @mikaelaoosthuizen using the #MissSA2016 #MissSAMikaela #nevertooyoung hashtags!