Booking.com not as it seems.

Beware. Beware for ********. I booked 5 days at the Pearls in Umhlanga through booking.com as I was directed to them via Google. I was on the verge of paying then I double checked and was told to cancel my booking. This is after I got the confirmation number.

I called the hotel and the 'phone was answered by an Indian man who said it was not the hotel (Pearls) but private units he owned and they were full.

Had I gone to Durban on my reservation dates I would have been left to sleep on the beach. No accommodation was ever booked or reserved by anyone. The hotel Pearls was totally unaware.

Stay well away. It's a ****. Beware. These charlatans should be locked up.