Nukakamma Guest House — Hotel in Eastern Cape

The website describes this guesthouse as for those "getting closer to nature, or just looking for someplace that is tranquil and quiet" but that was not our experience at all. ||||We arrived early and sat on the terrace outside our room, Inyathi, (which had an entrance from the communal kitchen / dining / living room, not a private entrance as described) and waited for an hour for the manager during which we listened to the constant road noise from the nearby N2 motorway. Our terrace did have a view of Addo, but without the wide angle lens used on the website it was very much a view of the back of an embankment at the edge of the park. I'm sure with luck you might see elephants, but it felt rather enclosed to us. Having come in search of the tranquility promised on the website, the road noise was too much like being near a major arterial route and we decided not to stay. ||||We spoke to the manager who was very understanding about the noise and location not being what we expected, and we offered to pay a standard cancellation of the first night, and found a private chalet nearby which looked quieter. He said he would forward our message to the owners. A week later having heard nothing I emailed and some days later received a reply that essentially said my experience was not correct, insisting that the road noise is 'quiet for colchester' (!) and we would be charged our whole (non) stay. Had we booked through booking.com rather than direct (we thought we were being kind to a small business by booking direct), this would be different, so if you are staying, and not sure if you will like the location, be sure to book via a method that will protect you. ||||In the end, after moving accommodation, we had such a wonderful and genuinely tranquil stay at elsewhere (for 300 rand less over two nights), that forfeiting the rather pricey 2,800 rand Nukakamma charged us, was a good sacrifice. We had saved for a year to have the trip of a lifetime, and didn't want to spend our last two days listening to traffic on the N2.||||If you're looking for a base near the N2, perhaps if you are driving the garden route and just want a place to crash and won't be there trying to relax during the day, then Nukakamma may suit you. For a quiet, relaxing (and more competitively priced) place to spend the day between game drives or other visits, I would suggest looking elsewhere. As mentioned, for 300 rand less, for two nights, we found a private chalet nearby, with a pool, extraordinary views that genuinely overlooked Addo (rather than being of the back end of Addo), spa, access to a ranger and game drives, and easy access to Addo. ||||We remain disappointed that the owners would not accept a reasonable offer of a first night paid in full as cancellation, as hotels and guesthouses around the world do, but we didn't let it ruin our trip. The owner did offer a night in another property instead, but as we are now back in the UK, that was obviously an offer that would never come to anything. ||||I'm sure that the staff, food, etc are nice, and the room seemed clean, if slightly dark and low-ceilinged with very creaky floorfoards, but do be aware that the peacefulness of the location is not quite as described. I'm sure it's a very nice place to stay if relaxation is not your priority. ||||In the end, even though we got nothing for our 2,800 rand, we have no regrets about moving accommodation and not staying. Finding somewhere truly tranquil and relaxing was the right...

This guesthouse is a nice place if you want to visit Addo NP as you are just 5min away from the South Gate. The rooms are well decorated and very clean. The owner is a very nice guy with whom we had some nice talks during breakfast. He also prepares a very good handmade breakfast (although some regular items were missing and we were offered eggs just one of the two mornings). Additionally, the rooms in the main building are very clairaudient if someone is talking in the living room/kitchen next to it. This leads to a lack of privacy/relaxation in the evening/morning. Nothing dramatically, but something we did not expect for a guesthouse in this price range. Furthermore there are just two dinner restaurants nearby. We went to one of them and it was really far from good. I recommend to buy food in the nearby supermarket (e.g. some good steak and wine and prepare your own dinner). All in all, it's an average place to stay, but with bad price for value (compared to all other guesthouse we have been before on the...

Our host stayed up and waited for us, even though we arrived quite late after the Night Game Drive at Addo. ||The bedrooms are very spacious and well maintained. (The floor of the bedroom upstairs is quite creaky, so don't let the early birds sleep up there ;)) The upstairs bedroom does have a great terrace looking right at Addo!||Our breakfast was at 8am but our host was up at about at 6am to bake fresh croissants, danish and rolls. #sosweet||During breakfast he shared many nice anecdotes and gave us great tips on what and where to eat and visit.||So, should you stay here? Yes. Not just because it's (literally) right next to Addo Elephant Park but because it's great value for money and the host makes you feel very much at home. ||Oh, and do eat outside in the backyard if...