Hello everyone.

I would value your input.

What are the most important elements / facilities that make a Caravan Park a pleasure to stay in? 

We are developing from scratch in a Karoo Town and would like to get it right!

Much appreciated.

Hi Neville. Welcome on the forum.

You wil get a variety of answers as the requirements for individuals is different but here goes.

When I visit a resort to see if I will camp there these are my priority requirements

1. Most important is SECURITY. Proper security fence around the camp area.  The only barrier between a canper and a perpatraitor is the thickness of the tent he sleeps in. We heavily rely on the security a resort can supply.
2. The condition of the ablution facilities. Is there enough hot water. Gas geysers normally work best but they do not work properly with a MIXER TAP. (When using it keep to seperate hot and cold water taps)
3. Is there proper electricity per stand. Power does not trip unnessesary.
4. Level, properly marked, big enough stands. It would be great if each stand has its own water point.
5. If its possible keep the recreational area apart from the camping area.  This allows for peace and tranquility in the camp area and the kids can ENJOY themself to the fullest where ever the pools and slides are.

The following would be a plus:

1. Pools 
2. Slides
3. Hikking trails
4. Shaded campsites
5. Shop with the bare nessesities

Hi and welcome Neville.

Further to Leon's points, I agree with all of them.

Trees, very welcome, should have branches trimmed high enough for standard caravans to pass under or plenty of space to pass by.

Power and water at each site.

Porta Potti disposal point.

New for South Africa? Grey water disposal points per site.

Shower cubicles large enough to swing a cat. Mats/drainage system in cubicle to keep the dry section dry.

Plenty of hooks / towel rails within cubicle and at basin area. (I judge quality of cubicles by the number of hooks)

Subtle lighting so that ablutions can be visited without the need for a torch.

Laundry area with multiple economical washers and dryers.

Separate area for groups to camp.

Thank you so much for your input!

We are very excited to getting started with this project in January 2026

Welcome Neville.

Agree with above recommendations.

Do you know the Gouws’s and Shroeders in Cradock?….close family of ours.

Hi Paul - I know Ludi Schroeder very well, he's a good friend!

Agree with everything said above.

To keep the woman happy, they want their own bathroom and place to do the dishes, if not your own then a big and neat bathrooms with huge 'NO SMOKING' signs.

We enjoy a large campsite away from the noicy crowd. This said we love the 'No Music' campsites. With this goes your camp rule you stick with, no exceptions. Rather up your price, but give me quality and keep out the low grade rubish.

My few sents. 

To add to the above excellent requirements, the following;

1] a shower with a door, not a plastic type curtain

2] dressing cubicle also large enough, with a feature to sit on and to place items on. 

3] lay out of stands with respect to trees, taps, power points as to make it easy to reverse/position caravan with ease, without movers. 

4] site profiled to drain/run off rain water without forming a dam on your site. Paving will be a bonus.

The big factor to consider is, do you want to provide a facility as a stop over and move on, OR a full scale holiday resort.??? 

Another mattef is enforcing rules. If you are allocated a stand and then find an unauthorised van is camped there it is frustrating. If people make a hell of a lot of noise at night or overload a stand while the rules do not allow that, good campers will not give the camp a second visit. A good example is Montagu varavan park. The owners are very strict and will ask people not adhering to the rules to keave. The good campers, that is the vast majority just love this camp and its strictly enforced rules.

Do not pamper bad campers, you will soon regret it.

I have forgot to mention proper rules in the resort.

There are many resorts out there that has rules but management fails to enforce them.  It is just a resort that will never see me again.

We go camping to get away from the hussle and bussle noise and even musik.  So thats why I said ........ have the pools and super tubes................. but split the camping are from the recreational area when possible.

Indien diere toegelaat word, moet hondestront inspeksies daagliks uitgevoer word

Noudiedag by kampplek met bolle by die ablusieblok rondle^, vir dae..

Jy moet behoorlik rondspring om nie in te trap nie

Dan , 'n opsigtelike skropborsel by ELKE toilet met volledige instruksies hoe om te gebruik, agter op toilet deur.

Geplaveide staanplekke Wat mooi gelyk is, is nogal 'n pluspunt, al betaal jy 'n bietjie meer.

Terwyl jy ontwikkel, daar is baie waens met storte, maar gryswater hantering bly' n teer puntjie. As jy 'n opvang punt op die Groot stands kan plaas sal stort manne jou planne nog meer geniet. 

Geplavyde staanplekke is 'n kontensiële aspek.  Dit het beslis voordele maar ook nadele.  Laasgenoemde is die plasing van tnetpenne veral as dit 'n sementblad is.  Ook die met stene is 'n probleem want as jy nie 'n boor het nie, is dit maar 'n gesukkel om penne in te slaan.  Miskien moet betonvervaardigers spesiale stene vir die doel maak met afgeronde punte sodat penne maklik ingeslaan kan word.  Persoonlik as ek 'n keuse het, sal ek moontlik eerder die grondstaanplek neem mits dit gelyk en sonder klippe is.  Maar hoe ookal, ek sal nie baklei as ek net 'n geplavyde staanplek kry nie.  Dit is immers netjieser en praktiser.

Fred, ek stem saam met jou klagte oor plaveisel staanplekke. mens moet jou wa so mooi staanmaak om tentpenne langsaan die die stene in te slaan. Dan sukkel mens eers om die kantseile se penne in te kry.

Van Zylsrus is so ingestel op diens, hulle verskaf selfs die hameraksie boor om penne se gate te boor. ek ry maar my eie saam, want Manyane se grond staanplekke is altyd vreeslik hard.

'n Oplossing vir die penne op plaveisel in te kap is om die spasies tussen die paving stene ongeveer 10mm te maak.  Vir die mense wat al by Edenpark in Naboomspruit gekamp het sal weet waarvan ek praat.

Die paving daar by elke staanplek is van rooi stene met duidelike spasie tussen die stene.  Dit lyk netjies, alles is mooi gelyk en jy het geen probleem om die reguit tent penne tussen die stene in te kap nie.  Die paving is groot genoeg dat beide die wa en die tent op die paving kan staan.  By die oord is daar 'n privaat ablusie by elke staanplek en selfs die paadjie van die staanplek tot by die klein ablusie is netjies gepave.

Mens kan daar lekker gaan kers opsteek.

Wys jou, net n bietjie dink voor jy n prijek aanpak dan werk dit beter uit. So n blad kan net n plesier wees.

Ek gaan met klippe seker gegooi word maar min of geen dag besoekers peek tyd. Ek persoonlik hou nie van honde by n oord nie maar as honde toegelaat word goeie beheer van honde. Goeie security 24 uur sal ook plus punt wwes en dan al die bogenoemde komentaar