Nanaga

Nanaga, Greater Addo

The somewhat obscure little village of Nanaga scores by dint of the fact that it is ideally placed on the South African map. Not only is it virtually just outside the Greater Addo Elephant Park, but it is also a short drive from the Sunshine Coast and other malaria-free safari game reserves.

Just where the name Nanaga comes from is not very well documented, but the Nanaga Parbat Mountain in Pakistan - the second highest peak in the country and 9th highest in the world - stands just as one crosses the Indus and drives between the Lower Himalyan Hills, and serves as a wall for monsoon winds. It means ‘naked mountain’, also known as killer mountain as it is difficult to climb. Whilst there are no obvious ties between the Greater Addo Nanaga and the mountain in Pakistan, the village does offer certain peacefulness, not least because of the country air and star-filled nights away from the mania of city life. This is the country of the dairy farmer and wildlife game farm. Rolling hills provide numerous hikes and the Alexandria forest trail is just outside the town.

The Alexandria Dune Fields, close to the nearby village of Colchester, stretch for 50 kilometres and provide one of the most beautiful and scenic, as well as the largest, coastal dunefields in the southern hemisphere. The Nukakamma Canoe trail - the two-day trail that starts and ends in Cannonville - ventures along the green and grassy banks of the Sundays River and allows one some fantastic sightings of wonderful birds, such as African fish eagles, as well as otters leguaans and buck..

Travellers' Reviews

3 Reviews from SA-Venues.com travellers. All reviews are verified.

Verified reviewexcellent

When driving eastwards from Port Elizabeth (maybe for visiting one of the great game reserves) you MUST make a break inmid of the N2-N10-R75 intersection! Have a look at the mom-and-pop grocery store - you will find a nice choice of homemade food products. Make yourself comfortable in the restaurant - inside or, weather permetting, outside. And ask for the key to the toilets: you will never forget the kind of key you get there.

Hans Rudolf (Baden (Switzerland) / Bluewater Bay)

Verified reviewexcellent

Nanaga is not a town. It is not even a hamlet. It is the body of the spider! The N10, N2 and the R72 intersect at Nanaga, approximately 48km north-east of Port Elizabeth. Nanaga is the name of a farm adjacent to this major intersection of national roads, part of the Greater Addo area and is the wildlife gateway of the Eastern Cape. One of the major reasons why so many travelers stop at Nanaga is because of the Nanaga Farm stall with its lovely homemade pies, roosterkoek and freshly squeezed juice. In addition to that, the central location to attractions in the area is a Bonus,(The Elephant Park, Schotia Safri's, Amakhala, Shamwari, Pumba ect) the unspoilt beauty of the surroundings and the safety of the area has resulted in Nanaga becoming a popular base for travellers to stay over while exploring. We've visited the area for 4 years in a row, and will keep coming back.

Jo Bamberger (Somerset West)

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