PAFURI BORDER CAMP : very disappointing

PAFURI BORDER CAMP : My husband and I and our adult daughter visited Kruger National Park from 25/10/2022 to 02/11/2022. We are avid birders and therefore decided to visit Shingwedzi and Pafuri for a special birding experience.

The Kruger National Park has such a special place in our hearts and we were very happy to see vegetation in such excellent condition, even though in some places it's still a little dry. We found Mockford Cottage in Pafuri Border Camp in a disappointing state of disrepair:

1. Even though the SANPARKS website states that "The Mockford Cottage has two bedrooms with en-suite shower and bath facilities" we found that the 2nd bedroom was nothing more than 2 beds on a stoep enclosed only with Chicken wire mesh. 10 of the Mosquito screens were so torn that it provided no protection whatsoever. We consider this to be a shocking disregard for the safety of your visitors. We experienced severe winds on two nights during our stay, and it was impossible to sleep on these daybeds on the Eastern side of the cottage because of the noise and dust. The screens cannot be fastened properly and this adds to the noise and discomfort;

2. The fan on the stoep is at the point of collapse. A little gust of wind causes the blades to slam into the roof rafters.

2. The toilet in the second bathroom does not work. After one flush the water keeps running and the cistern does not fill up properly;

3. The hot water in the 2nd bathroom does not work properly;

4. The tiles in the showers in both bathrooms are disgustingly dirty, not to mention all the carpets and the couch on the stoep;

5. The ho*****er geyser in the kitchen has been missing – according to the visitors book – for a very long time. This means that one has to carry warm water from the bathroom in an ice bucket to wash dishes.

6. The pool water was GREEN, with algae on the sides and bottom when we arrived. In fact the water was so devoid of chemicals that the local frog population that occupied the pool all night. The staff explained that they could not obtain chemicals from Pund Maria. After we phoned to complain some chemicals were sent and we could swim on day 4 of our visit. How can the park rely on income from local and international visitors if accommodation is in such a state - I certainly would not recommend for anyone to stay there. In fact an international visitor who arrived just after we did (he was booked in Mockford House) was so disgusted with the so-called “luxury accommodation” that he got straight back in his car and drove back to Punda Maria. We believe that, even though the pricing is very high, that the border camp could be a jewel in the Kruger crown, but only if proper care is taken of the facilities there. The staff were very helpful but they must be taught to pre-empt problems.