If you are planning on visiting the Kruger National Park this festive season you are urged to booking advance to avoid disappointments. Visitors are also advised to observe the rules of the park during their stay at the park. This is according to the South African National Parks whose aim is to ensure a safe and pleasant experience for visitors.
Day Visitors are reminded that daily quotas starting from Thursday, 15 December 2022 until Tuesday, 10 January 2023 will once again apply at the entrance gates and there are three time slots for pre-bookings.
Time slot 1 will range in three dimensions, the earliest being from 05:30 to 07:30, the second time slot will be between 07:30 to 09:30, while the last one is from 09:30 onwards.
Pre-booked day visitors will get preference over non-booked day visitors at the gate but must ensure that they arrive within their booked time slots. Arriving outside the booked time slot, will be regarded as non-booked and therefore will not receive preference and could be turned away. These bookings can be changed as well through SANParks Reservations offices if need be.
According to KNP’s spokesperson, Ike Phaahla,with busy periods such as the festive season, the national park aims to better manage the volumes that are expected to visit , as well as to support the expectations of visitors.
Phaahla said that the three different time slots are aimed at improving the spread of vehicles and to prevent unnecessary waiting periods at gates.
“The Day Visitor Quota for the Park is a management tool to prevent overcrowding the roads and facilities; it is applied throughout the year although we mostly reach carrying capacity during long weekends and school holidays resulting in us having to turn visitors away”, Phaahla said.
The Spokesman said that the park has plans to increase visibility of both traffic officials and visitor management personnel to watch speeding, after-hours travelling and general behaviour on the roads.
“Day Visitors are also reminded not to bring liquor with them as the alcohol ban on public areas in the park is a permanent rule which is always enforced. Management is urging visitors to cooperate with officials who will be on duty and to report unbecoming behaviour to the gate officials or call the emergency call centre number on the entry permits.” said Phaahla.
Visitors are also urged to help keep the Park clean by disposing of their litter at designated areas, not alighting from vehicles on undesignated areas, not speed, and adhere to all rules and regulations as stipulated on the gate permit.
Important to note, Phaahla said is that visitors will be able to book up to 80% of Day Visitor Quota per gate via SANParks Reservations offices on 012 428 9111 and online atwww.sanparks.org.
“Day Visitor pre- bookings are subject to a non-refundable booking fee of R50 per adult and R25 per child, which must be paid in advance and is meant to ensure their space because they would have been counted in the number that made the daily quota.”
Day Visitors who have pre-booked will still be required to pay Conservation Fees or use a valid Wild Card to enter the Park. The Conservation Fee for SA residents as well as Zimbabwe and Mocambique nationals (passport required to prove this) is R115 per adult and R57 per child (between ages 2 – 11). For nationals of Eswatini and other SADC countries the conservation fees are R230 per adult and R115 per child. For all other guests the standard conservation fees of R460 for adults and R230 for children applies.
“The number and profile of persons (adults and children) on the reservation and actual persons arriving should correspond. All guests including drivers and passengers will be required to identify themselves upon admission (by producing a South African driver’s license, identity document or passport); please ensure you are in possession of one of these documents and have them ready. Phaahla said.
Gate Quotas will be strictly applied and guests without pre-bookings could be denied entry if quotas are full. Guests planning to use Wild Cards are requested to ensure membership is valid before arrival and this can best be done online atwww.sanparks.org/wild.
