Schotia: Open Safari Jeep – Full Day Safari with Lunch

The quietest sightings can be the best. This full-day Schotia safari combines open-air wildlife viewing with a proper South African braai, making it more than a simple game drive. I especially like the chance to see animals not found in Addo Elephant National Park, including giraffe, hippo, crocodile, and white rhino. I also like the quieter viewing conditions, since self-drives are not allowed in the reserve. The main thing to consider is the long day: you leave around 8:00am and return close to 5:00pm, with much of it spent outdoors.

The food adds real character. You see lunch being prepared, can help with the cooking, and get a cold local beverage from the bar while your guide works the grill. Guide Joel Manjoko receives especially strong praise for his careful driving, explanations, and ability to keep looking for animals even when rain rolls in. Bring sunscreen and a warm top, since Eastern Cape weather can change quickly.

Key points at a glance

• A full day in an open safari vehicle: You get clear views from a customized OSV, with no roof or closed windows blocking the action.
• A useful companion to Addo: Schotia offers animals that are not available in Addo Elephant National Park, including giraffe, hippo, crocodile, wildebeest, sable, and white rhino.
• Less traffic at sightings: Public self-drives are not allowed in the reserve, so animal encounters can feel calmer and less crowded.
• A traditional braai at midday: Your nature guide also prepares a South African barbecue using fresh ingredients from local farmers.
• Strong guide service: Joel Manjoko is praised for attentive guiding, clear explanations, safe driving, and staying positive in wet weather.
• Easy transport from Port Elizabeth: Pickup and drop-off are included from Port Elizabeth and areas along the route to Schotia.

Why Schotia makes sense beside Addo

Addo Elephant National Park is the famous name in this part of the Eastern Cape, but Schotia gives you a different kind of safari day. The private reserve sits next to Addo and covers animals and viewing conditions that can fill gaps in a standard Addo visit.

The most useful difference is animal variety. Schotia is known for species listed here that you will not find in Addo, including giraffe, hippopotamus, crocodile, wildebeest, sable antelope, and white rhinoceros. You also search for the other members of the Big Five, with the tour specifically highlighting a better chance of seeing lions within the Addo area.

That does not mean a lion sighting is guaranteed. Wildlife remains wildlife, and the guide still has to find animals across a large reserve. The value is that the day is built around searching, rather than rushing from one famous animal to the next.

I also like the reserve’s traffic rules. Public visitors are not allowed to conduct self-drives, which can reduce the line of cars that often gathers around a leopard, lion, elephant, or rhino sighting. A smaller number of vehicles can make a real difference: you can watch the animal instead of watching bumpers and trying to hear your guide over engines.

Starting at 8:00am from Port Elizabeth

If you stay in Port Elizabeth, or along the route to Schotia, pickup is included at about 8:00am. That saves you from arranging a separate taxi or rental car and makes the experience easier to fit into a wider Eastern Cape itinerary.

If you are staying elsewhere, meet at Schotia Safaris Reception at 9:00am. The reception is next to the N10 motorway, close to Nanaga Farm Stall. You handle the administration, use the restrooms, and then board the open safari vehicle.

The meeting arrangement matters because this is not aimed at cruise ship visitors. The timing does not work well for a port call, and the experience ends back at Schotia around 5:00pm. You need a full day available.

The vehicle is an open safari vehicle, or OSV, designed for wildlife viewing. The open sides give you broad sightlines and make it easier to take photographs. They also mean you are exposed to sun, wind, and rain, so sunscreen and a warm top belong in your day bag. Warm waterproof ponchos are supplied if the weather turns wet.

Safari Chapter One: Early animal viewing and a 10:00am tea stop

The first part of the drive takes you through Schotia in search of free-roaming animals. Your English-speaking nature guide leads the drive and provides the explanations, while binoculars are available for shared use.

This is when the cooler morning conditions and reduced vehicle traffic may work in your favor. One review describes the early hours as the best part of the day, especially because there may be fewer vehicles in the reserve. That is useful advice, even though conditions change from day to day.

The morning route focuses on areas around the reserve’s wildlife habitat. You might search for lions and other predators, then pause for animals such as rhino, giraffe, wildebeest, or unusual antelope species. The supplied information specifically names sable, a rare antelope, among the animals you may see.

At around 10:00am, the vehicle stops at a large open-air lapa for tea or coffee. Cappuccino is also included, along with a traditional rusk. A rusk is a hard, homemade biscuit, often eaten with a hot drink. It is the sort of simple local detail that makes the break feel connected to South African food rather than like a standard tourist snack.

The lapa is described as one of the largest in South Africa, giving you a sheltered place to stretch your legs without leaving the safari setting. Still, remember that this is a full-day outing. The stop is a welcome pause, but it is not the main event. The wildlife search continues afterward.

The midday braai: lunch becomes part of the experience

After the tea break, the safari continues through more of Schotia until roughly noon. Then your guide changes roles and prepares lunch at another lapa.

The meal is a traditional South African braai, or barbecue, with three kinds of grilled meat. Ingredients are sourced from local farmers, and the cooking takes place in front of you. If you enjoy food as a way to understand a place, this is one of the tour’s strongest features.

You can help with the preparation, take photographs, and watch the cook show while enjoying a cold beverage from the bar. Bottled still water, 100% fruit juice, and cold drinks are included. This is a more social and hands-on lunch than eating from a packed box beside the vehicle.

Vegetarian and vegan visitors are catered for with plant-based grilled alternatives. You need to give advance notice of food allergies or specific dietary needs. That point is worth taking seriously, since the lunch is a central part of the day and not an optional extra.

The food receives some of the warmest praise in the feedback. One person describes it as amazing, another calls the lunch delicious, and a further comment pairs the small group and nice lunch with a great guide. The repeated approval suggests that the meal is not filler between game drives. It is a major reason to choose this particular safari.

There is one practical trade-off. A long lunch and cooking demonstration reduce the time spent driving. I see that as a benefit for most visitors, but dedicated wildlife photographers may prefer a shorter meal and more time searching. This tour is designed for both animals and food, not for nonstop game viewing.

Safari Chapter Three: Afternoon predators and the ride home

After lunch, the vehicle heads into parts of the reserve not covered during the earlier drive. The afternoon chapter is aimed more closely at predators and scavengers, with the cooler part of the day leading toward a sunset return.

The timing gives you a second chance at animals that were hidden or inactive in the morning. It also spreads the drive across different parts of the reserve instead of repeating the same route. The guide’s role becomes especially important here, since finding predators often depends on patience and careful searching.

You return to the starting point around 5:00pm. That makes this a true full-day outing, not a short morning activity with a quick lunch. If you have evening plans in Port Elizabeth, leave room for the drive back from Schotia.

A review of a rainy safari is useful here. Joel Manjoko continued looking for animals despite the weather, and the visitor praised his attention, safety, and positive approach. The supplied comments also describe him as attentive and willing to fulfill requests. You should not expect perfect sun all day, but the tour provides warm waterproof ponchos for sudden rain.

How the guide shapes the day

A wildlife guide does more than point at animals. The guide controls the pace, explains what you are seeing, drives safely, and decides when it is worth waiting or moving on.

Joel Manjoko is the guide named most often in the feedback. He is praised for clear explanations, attentiveness, safe driving, and a warm manner. Several comments describe him as the best part of the day, alongside the food and animal sightings.

That praise is important because the experience relies on one guide for several jobs. Joel is both the nature guide and the chef, so he has to handle the safari, explain the reserve, and prepare a meal. The comments suggest he manages those roles well.

You should also keep expectations sensible. No guide can promise the Big Five, and no reserve can control animal movement. A good guide improves your chances and helps you understand what you see. That is the fair way to judge this safari.

The $196 price: what you are paying for

At $196 per person, this is not the cheapest way to spend a day near Addo. The price makes more sense when you count what is included: pickup and drop-off from Port Elizabeth and along the route, entrance fees, a professional English-speaking guide, the open vehicle, binoculars, ponchos, water, hot drinks, rusks, a full braai, fruit juice, and a cold beverage bar.

The food alone makes the cost different from a basic drive. You are paying for a prepared lunch, local ingredients, and the chance to watch the meal being cooked. Transport also matters. If you do not have a car, included pickup removes one of the main practical problems of reaching a private reserve.

The value is strongest for someone who wants a full, organized day with wildlife and local food in equal measure. It is less compelling for someone who already has a rental car, wants the lowest possible price, or plans to spend every minute behind binoculars.

Guide tips are not included, so budget separately for that if you feel the service deserves it. Booking can be made with payment later, and cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. Those terms help if your Eastern Cape plans are still shifting.

Who will enjoy this safari most

I would recommend this day to you if you want:

• A guided safari with no driving duties
• An open vehicle and wide views for wildlife photography
• A better chance of seeing species not found in Addo
• A calmer setting without public self-drive traffic
• A real South African braai rather than a basic packed lunch
• Pickup from Port Elizabeth
• A small-group feel, when the day’s departure allows it

The experience is also a good fit for food-minded visitors. The lunch preparation gives you something to do and watch while the grill heats, and the traditional rusk at the morning break adds another local touch.

It may not suit you if you dislike long outdoor days, need wheelchair access, or are traveling with a child under three. The activity is not suitable for wheelchair users or children younger than three. Cruise ship visitors should choose another option because the schedule is not designed around ship port times.

Practical advice before you go

Wear clothes that can handle dust, sun, wind, and a possible shower. Sunscreen is specifically recommended, and a warm top is wise because weather can change quickly.

Keep your camera and phone ready, but do not bring a drone. Drones are not allowed. Binoculars are provided, though you may still want to bring your own if you prefer a particular model.

Tell the operator about allergies and dietary needs before the day begins. Vegetarian and vegan meals are available, but advance notice is needed.

If you are staying in Port Elizabeth, confirm the pickup details and be ready around 8:00am. If you are driving yourself, plan to reach the Schotia reception near the N10 by 9:00am. The safari ends at the same meeting point around 5:00pm.

Should you book the Schotia open safari?

I would book this safari if you want a relaxed full day that balances animals, scenery, and food. The strongest reasons are the quieter vehicle conditions, the chance to see species not found in Addo, and the excellent feedback about Joel Manjoko and the braai.

I would choose something else if your only goal is the longest possible game-drive time or if you need a wheelchair-accessible activity. For most independent land visitors based in Port Elizabeth, though, the included transport and full lunch make the $196 price easier to justify. Bring a warm layer, keep your schedule open, and treat the Big Five as a possibility rather than a promise.

FAQ

Where does the Schotia safari start?

It starts at Schotia Safaris Reception next to the N10 motorway, close to Nanaga Farm Stall.

Is pickup from Port Elizabeth included?

Yes. Complimentary pickup and drop-off are included for land visitors staying in Port Elizabeth and areas along the way to Schotia Game Reserve Reception.

What time is pickup in Port Elizabeth?

Pickup from Port Elizabeth is at approximately 8:00am.

What time should I arrive if I am not staying in Port Elizabeth?

You can meet the operator at Schotia Game Reserve Reception at 9:00am.

What time does the safari end?

The safari returns to the starting point at about 5:00pm.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch is a traditional South African braai prepared at a lapa, with three grilled meats and included drinks.

Are vegetarian and vegan meals available?

Yes. Vegetarian and vegan plant-based grilled alternatives are available, but you need to share your dietary needs in advance.

Are drinks included?

Yes. Bottled still water, tea, coffee, cappuccino, 100% fruit juice, and a cold beverages bar are included.

Is this activity suitable for young children?

It is not suitable for children under three years old.

Can wheelchair users join the safari?

No. The activity is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Are cruise ship visitors able to take this tour?

No. The tour is not suitable for cruise ship visitors.

What should I bring?

Bring sunscreen and a warm top. Warm waterproof ponchos are provided, and drones are not allowed.