SANParks.org Forums

Hi everyone I am hoping to find some info here on the forum, before I start the long hard look for right phone # and email adds, we have 3 weeks to spend in the Kruger mid January, but we don't want to book we just want to arrive and stay at which ever camp we feel the need for for as long as we like and then move on to the next camp, because the school holidays will be over we are hoping to just do it, is this allowed or do we have to book for each camp we want to visit? we are going to be camping so no need to worry about chalets.

Hello there and Welcome to the forum.
Have a look at the availability under Tourism in the column on the left. and see which camps still have space.for January and that will give you some idea on how busy the Park will be at that time. You might be very lucky but its best to check first

You should be able to pull it of, especially since you have the camping equipment.

It is a risky strategy since KNP is extremely popular and there is high occupation throughout the year, and no longer only during school holidays ... especially in the chalets, etc.

I would however warn you that you may find that you cannot get the camp you want, when you want it. Also see to it that your conservation fees and exit permit is accurate, since you may find yourself in trouble if you loose some papers and want to leave eventually. They may keep you there forever!

ahhh thanks guys this is what happens when a blond is left to sort out the holiday it was much easier last December with all the bookings in place and everything paid for now it just does not feel so right but going to make the most of it
Keep me there forever think i can live with that lol

I use http://www.KrugerPark.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; also an online booking system. They are agents. You don't pay extra and you only need to pay 30 days before you go. I recently got a 5% discount from them for my next stay which will be Dec 16 - 26 Dec. Kruger won't give you that.

Personally I wouldn't risk going without pre-booking although IMO it does seem like a good way to do Kruger, I would rather book and make the most of what I get without the stress or possibility of dissapointment!

One could always book and then change your itinerary whilst in the park ...

yes, give yourself a safety net by pre-booking then change if possible once there if the need arises.

The present online booking system is great! It gives the visitor a good idea what accommodation is available, when and where. By paying immediately ensures that SANPARKS have an immediate souce of income and improves there cash flow.

When making a reservation, the visitor often books and pays for accommodation that not always suits his/her needs. The reason for this is that it is the only accommodation available. At a later date more suitable accommodation becomes available, is booked and paid for. There is no refund when the original booking is cancelled. This I find as unfair and immoral.

I do understand that there is cost involved in making the reservation and am therefore prepared to pay for it, but not the full amount.

PLEASE investigate this issue and give us a more acceptable solution.

The problem lies with the risk taken by SANParks in online bookings. People can easily book a large number of units, without any intent of using them or with the intent of canceling at a late stage. This would leave SANParks with a problem and other visitors without the opportunity of making a booking.

It is fair yes.

If you go to any shop and buy something which you do not want (say an iPhone), and you come back later to buy the laptop computer should the salesman take back the iPhone?
Not in my books.

Buy what you need, not something so you can exchange it later.
And that ties in completely with what Imberbe posted.

Also, you don't have to lose anything. You can make changes to your online booking and only pay the difference between old and new reservation. Only thing is request the changes by email/phone/fax - not online.

I agree with sharifa and duke, we have often booked what we could when it was available and then either added more nights or once even changed from camping to chalets and we only had to pay in the difference.

Not sure if i agree that SANParks has more risk with online bookings- when you book online you are forced to pay the full amount immediately before the booking is accepted. If you book by phoning reservations you can reserve any accommodation without paying anything. You do need to pay a 10% deposit within a certain time to secure this telephonic booking (100% if within 30 days). The main problem is the differing treatment offered on cancellation of these two bookings - in the event of an online booking you forfeit all your funds irrespective how long before the event - with a telephone booking you only lose for cancellations in the last 30 days and even then on a sliding scale.

I can not understand the logic of this difference in treatment or why online bookings with full upfront payment is seen as more risky than telephonic bookings.

This is because the folk who take the telephonic bookings are trained to be on the lookout for the type of booking as mentioned in Imberbe's post. One of the times computers are not as good as humans