The next destination is Port Elizabeth
– South Africa’s third largest city, also
known as “The Friendly City”. A popular
destination for water sports, this city
offers spectacular beaches, historical
attractions, wildlife sanctuaries as well as
the oldest bowling green in South Africa!
Optional tours here include a visit to
the Addo Elephant Park, a seventy-five
minute drive away from the pier. Once
here, we’ll board 4x4 safari vehicles
to observe the bountiful wildlife that
roams freely in this enormous national
park. This park stands as living proof
of South Africa’s conservation efforts;
when the park opened there were just 11
elephants living in the area – today there
are over 450.
The Addo elephants are a somewhat
smaller species than the traditional
African elephant, and are reddish rather
than grey in colour. They are highly
intelligent creatures that communicate
through vocalization, touching with their
trunks, and different body postures.
If you prefer, you can discover the
local townships on a tour that visits
undeveloped Missionvale and middleclass Kwadwesi. Your guide will point out
a number of landmarks along the way,
including the Native Strangers Location,
Livingstone Hospital, and Lithuli Square,
which is named for the political activist
who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960
for his non-violent opposition to apartheid.
Back on board Nautica you have time to
reflect on all you have seen, as the ship
cruises the Cape of Good Hope, before
arriving at Walvis Bay in Namibia.
You have two full days here to explore
and discover this city on the edge of
the desert. Although rimmed by the
inhospitable Namib Desert, Walvis
Bay boasts a huge natural lagoon
that attracts hundreds of thousands
of birds, including flaming