The single most compelling reason to base yourself in Port Elizabeth is Addo Elephant National Park, an hour's drive north-east on good tarred roads. Addo holds more than 600 elephants in dense spekboom thicket — the highest density of elephants anywhere in South Africa — along with black rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard. Unusually, the offshore marine protected area also contains Southern right whales and great white sharks, which is why Addo claims the "Big Seven" rather than the standard Big Five. You can enter on a day ticket and self-drive the main loop roads; most visitors see elephants within the first twenty minutes.
Beyond Addo, the private reserves of Shamwari, Kariega, and Kwandwe lie within an hour to an hour and a half of PE. These offer all-inclusive Big Five safaris with guided game drives — they're significantly more expensive than self-driving Addo, but the guiding is outstanding and the accommodation is beautiful. A day visit with two game drives is the usual format for those not staying overnight.
For a coastal change of scene, Jeffreys Bay is about 75 km west — one of the world's top ten surfing destinations, famous for the Supertubes break that hosts the annual WSL Championship Tour event. Even if you don't surf, the town is laid-back and the beach is stunning.
