Colchester, Greater Addo
Whether you’re looking for a luxury lodge or budget accommodation in Colchester, you will find a choice of options for anyone travelling in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Lying on the banks of the Sundays River, just 20 minutes’ drive from the coast of Port Elizabeth, lies Colchester in a part of the country that remains largely unspoilt, surrounded by sand dunes that date back about 100 000 years.
Colchester residents are proud of their history. The little town named after the oldest town in the United Kingdom, apparently rose to challenge Port Elizabeth as a port about a century ago. The driving force behind the challenge was the engineer who had come all the way from Westminster and who envisaged Colchester as the railway centre for the Eastern Cape Province.
Whilst the unique flow of the river made this area an obvious location, today both residents and visitors are only too happy to remain surrounded by natural habitat, largely undeveloped, save for the recent property boom. The dunes are estimated to be between 6000 and 10 000 years’ old and rest upon even older, compacted dunes that could date back as many as 100 000 years.
The dunes are teeming with wildlife - bushbuck, grysbok, bush pig and smaller animals like mice, meercats and mongooses, which make these beautiful hills made of sand, their home. Birders include Colchester in their itinerary and river cruises along the Sundays River reveal a wide variety of waders, heron, duck, colonies of Cape and masked weavers, and up to four different types of kingfisher. The Colchester salt pans are home to the greater and lesser flamingo, African pied avocet, the blue crane and a number of other waders. Swimming in the tidal pool is very popular, and the Addo Elephant Park is close by
Travellers' Reviews
1 Review from SA-Venues.com travellers. All reviews are verified.
Verified review
Colchester's attraction is the Sunday's River, which is really, really great. The kids swam and we fished. But, the town of COlchester is tiny and very quiet with few amenities other than the garage Spar, so come prepared.
Werner (Pretoria)
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options
Happy Jackal Guest House
On the banks of the Sundays River, only 2km from the Addo Elephant Park Southern entrance, the Happy Jackal offers a choice of 5 luxurious double...
Nukakamma Guest House
Welcome to Nukakamma Guest House where sustainability meets comfort. Situated in the small village of Colchester in the heart of the Sundays Rive...
River Cottage
The River Cottage is tastefully furnished and presents guests with a relaxing ambience that creates peace and tranquility. All the bedrooms are a...
Elephants Footprint Lodge
Come and enjoy your weekend and holidays close to Addo Park, the dune and Sundays River Mouth. This 4 star Lodge offers luxury thatched suites fa...
Indlovu @ Nukakamma
Indlovu is a self catering cottage offering accommodation in Colchester at the Nukakamma Guest House. Nukakamma Guest House shares a border with ...
Emerald Cottage
Emerald Cottage is a self catering accommodation facility. Conveniently situated in Cannonville, a safe and tranquil village on the banks of the ...
Addo Adventure Apartment
Addo Adventure Apartment is a lovely self-catering holiday apartment offering accommodation in Colchester for a couple or small family to enjoy q...
Hopewell Lodge
Hopewell Lodge is an exclusive luxury hideaway on a private African game reserve in South Africa's beautiful Eastern Cape. The luxurious lodge ne...
Addo Matyholweni Rest Camp
Addo Matyholweni Rest Camp is located near the coastal town of Colchester at the Sundays River Mouth. Matyholweni means "in the bush" in Xhosa, a...
10 Aquavista Villa
10 Aquavista Villa offers accommodation in Colchester just 45km from Port Elizabeth. The luxurious, self-catering villa is set along the banks of...
Nukakamma River Guesthouse
Nukakamma River Guesthouse offers bed & breakfast and self catering accommodation in Colchester. Found along the banks of the Sundays River, The ...
Addo Adventure House
Addo Adventure House is a lovely self-catering holiday home for families and friends to enjoy quality time close to the Sundays River and Addo El...
Little Sisters
Little Sisters is located in Colchester and offers accommodation in six cottages. Big Five game viewing is on our doorstep. The Addo Elephant Par...
57 On Wellington
80 On Wellington offers accommodation in the area of Colchester. There is swimming pool, 24 hour reception and secure parking on site. All rooms ...
Addo Park Palm Cottage
Addo Park Palm Cottage offers Colchester self catering and is the perfect accommodation for a weekend getaway for a small family or friends. Feat...
Sundaze Riverside House
Sundaze Riverside House offers accommodation situated on the outskirts of Colchester. The property boasts stunning views of the Sundays River and...
10 Aquavista Apartment
10 Aquavista Apartment offers accommodation in Colchester set along the banks of the Sundays River. From here you are only 45km from Port Elizabe...
10 Aquavista Cottage
10 Aquavista Cottage offers accommodation in Colchester set along the banks of the Sundays River. From here you are only 45km from Port Elizabeth...
Maggie May House Boat
The Maggie May is a beautiful rustic house boat located on the Sunday's River. The boat is over 10 meters long and five meters wide. The crew can...
Addo Park River House
Addo Park River House offers great getaway accommodation in Colchester, perfect for couples, solo adventurers, as well as business travelers. We ...
Kingfisher At Addo Riverbank
Kingfisher At Addo Riverbank on Sundays is a haven where you can relax while taking in the breathtakingly beautiful views over the Sundays River....
9 Aquavista Villa
9 Aquavista Villa offers accommodation in Colchester just 45km from Port Elizabeth. The luxurious, self-catering villa is set along the banks of ...
Dungbeetle River Lodge
Uniquely situated on the banks of the beautiful Sundays River close to the new entrance of the Addo Elephant Park and only 40 kms from Port Eliza...
Addo Spekboom Tented Camp
Addo Spekboom Tented Camp offers tented accommodation where you can spend a night in the middle of the bush, listening to the sounds of the wild ...
Davenport House
Davenport House is a thatched double storey holiday home located on the premises of the Happy Jackal Guest House. Davenport House has its own ent...
Sundays River Mouth Guesthouse
Sundays River Mouth Guesthouse consists of a two bedroom upper-deck structure with a large wooden deck that has a view of the Sundays River. Sund...
Fish Eagle At Addo Riverbank
Fish Eagle At Addo Riverbank on Sundays is a haven where you can relax while taking in the breathtakingly beautiful views over the Sundays River....
Happy Jackal Cottage
Happy Jackal Cottage is located on the premises of the Happy Jackal Guest House in Colchester. Port Elizabeth and its airport is only half an hou...
Sundowner Guest House
Sundowner Guest House offers self catering units with en-suite bathrooms. Each unit has a kitchen, its own entrance and a TV and Wi-Fi. There are...
90 on Wellington
Located on the doorstep of the well known Addo Elephant National Park, 90 on Wellington is a double storey holiday home offering self catering ac...
Sundune Guest House
Sundune Guest House offers accommodation alongside the Sundays River. The beautifully maintained, expansive lawns run down to the river's edge pr...
Settle Inn
Settle Inn is nestled in the beautiful Sundays River Village of Colchester, 40km east of the city of Port Elizabeth and situated on the banks of ...
Things to do in the area
Canoeing on the Sundays River
Paddle a canoe on the beautiful Sundays River. The Sundays River in Greater Addo is an excellent location for canoeing. Contact Bob to arrange a ...
Sundays River Ferry River Cruises
Experience a unique river cruising or river safari on The Sundays River Ferry cruiser boat and enjoy the exceptional natural scenery and beauty o...
Sundays River Mouth Quad Biking
Situated in the sleepy holiday village of Colchester on the banks of the Sundays River Mouth on the East Coast of South Africa only 38 km from Po...
Nanaga Farm Stall
The Nanaga Farm Stall is one of the most famous and recognized land marks in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. There are very few people from this ...
Sundays River Mouth and Beach
Sundays River Mouth and the beach that accompanies it are awesome reflections of the beauty of the Eastern Cape. The river itself is spectacular,...
Noteworthy attractions
Addo Elephant Park
Situated in a malaria free area the magnificently diverse Addo Elephant Park offers a wide variety of game viewing, outdoor adventure, accommodat...
Bushman Sands Game Reserve
Bushman Sands Game Reserve is situated on nearly 4000 hectares of former farmland. Bushman Sands game reserve offers malaria free sightings of wi...
Groendal Wilderness Area
The 30 000 hectare Groendal Wilderness Area protects the water catchment area of the Swartkops River (KwaZungha River), with the Groendal Dam in ...
Kariega Game Reserve
The private Kariega Game Reserve is situated in the malaria-free, upper reaches of the Kariega River Valley, 14 km from Kenton On Sea on the R343...
Shamwari Game Reserve
Shamwari Game Reserve is the southernmost, Big Game, private reserve in Africa - Malaraia Free. This ultimate African adventure stretches along t...
Bosberg Nature Reserve
Set on the southern slopes of the Bosberg Mountains, the Bosberg Nature Reserve is a thickly wooded nature reserve that looms over the town of So...
Pumba Game Reserve
Lying in a particularly breathtaking setting that includes five of the world’s seven biomes, Pumba Private Game Reserve has a couple of major adv...
Kamala Game Reserve
Kamala Game Reserve is a private reserve lying between the Bruinjieshoogte and Boschberg mountain ranges that each rise to about 6 000 feet, clos...
Cookhouse Wind Farm
The largest wind farm in the country, if not the continent, the Cookhouse wind farm has a 138.6 MW capacity, only just pipping JBay's wind farm a...
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