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Hi everyone...

What are your thoughts on the H9 road (ie. the road from Phalaborwa gate to Letaba).

I drove it in late winter recently and found it quite fruitful, including elephant, giraffe and a HUGE herd of buffalo kicking up the dust alongside one of the bridges.

However I note that Cameron Ewart-Smith is dismissive of the road.

The reason I ask is that we have the option to enter via Phalaborwa or Orpen gate to get to our first night in Olifants. It will be my brother's first visit to the Park since he was a toddler and my parents' first visit in about 25 years. So I want their first impressions of the Park to be wonderful.

I do really like the H7 (Orpen to Satara), but we will be in Tamboti for 3 nights after the first two nights at Olifants so will have plenty of time to drive the H7.

If you wanted to impress first time visitors, and keeping in mind the above, which gate would you enter to head to Olifants for the first night?

PS. Time is not an issue. We'll leave Klaserie at dawn and its about 45 minutes to Orpen or 85 minutes to Phalaborwa.

Hi jeffgordon,
I drove from Phala to Letaba and then three weeks later from Letaba to Phala and I must admit I was quite deluded by the drives. Maybe depended on the month, August, as it was very dry.

Thanks Andy, yes that is what I was worried about.

It was dry when I went too, but I quite like that, I must admit.

The other downside to that road is that it is the road that the taxis crossing into Mozambique use, so people tend to speed along it.

Hmmmm... I wonder what others think

It depends on who! the Phala lot will always say the road is the best in Kruger and they get angry if someone doesn't agree them them!!

Generally in Kruger there is more game as you go further south and this is valid also for the entry gates! always a personal opinion!

Not sure which is nearer to your overnight spot but I would go in at Phalaborwa.

Reasons?
1. There's a great community-run curio shop at the gate, much better (and cheaper) than any of the Parks Shops.
2. Call in at Sable hide to see what's hanging around.
3. Stop at Masorini for a history lesson.
4. The Elephant Hall in Letaba is awsome.
5. The view from the restaurant is incredibly relaxing.
6. You can pop up to the high level bridge over the Letaba river and do some of the loops down to the river.
7. As you say, staying at Tamboti you'll do the H7 enough.

Granted the drive from Letaba to Olifants isn't great but look out for klipspingers on the koppies and your brother will be impressed with your spotting skills. Or go via the Olifants lookout to see where the 2 rivers meet.

I do believe this road is great, but in the holiday season the Moz. campers speed to Giriyondo, If you do have a high-rise vehicle, you could take the small roads, but the road from Letaba to Olifants have few compared IMHO.

But then, from Orpen the chance of encountering Wild Dog, Cheetah and lion on more occasions are good. Nice choice, and anjoy it.

Done it a few times but except for some ellies never really rewarding
But can say the same for H7

Hi Jeff, Saraf has some good points in terms of the benefits. I had a great Leopard sighting at Sable hide when I was there a week ago. Normaly it is not my favourite road as it can be unproductive for the uninnitiated, but as Saraf pointed out, if you take in the unusual things it has to offer it is well worth doing.

November is a good month for baby births, many of the birds have also returned, so I would give it a go. I also think the Tzaneen area is one of the most scenic routes to the Park.

I am not sure if you are towing a trailer, but if not, the S46/S44 can be very scenic.

Hi there.
I did the H9 in 2009. Decided to take the Sable Loop. Stopped at Sable Hide and watched Elephants bathing, and 2 Fish Eagles making a whole load of noise.

Then about a Kilometer from Sable Hide, we came across 2 big male lions laying on each side of the road. Well, one on each side. The one was maybe 2 meters off the road, and the other maybe about 3. We sat with them for about 30 minutes watching them do things cats do, until another car came.

A little later we came across a batchler herd of Massive Elephants. They were Huge.

All in all, a great start to our Kruger visit that year.

My view on this road is that it is the same as any other road in the park, it's all a matter of timing. I have been rewarded with the big 5 (black rhino have also been spotted here but not by me) and wild dog on this road but in the same breath some days you see nothing. There are lots of "smaller" sightings to be seen, such as platted lizard, dassies, klipspringer and kori bustard to name a few. At the Nhlanganini dam you will see hippo. Okay, so I suppose this doesn't help much, but the choice is now yours.

I have had decent sightings on the H9 numerous times, I recall seeing a leopard lying on a termite mound, and as other have said its all about timing. With regards to the trip from Letaba to Olifants I would take the river road and not the tar road

Although If you were looking to impress your fellow travellers I would enter at orpen as there is always a great variety of game around satara.

I like this road, for the reasons Saraf has mentioned, and the fact that you can do the S69 and S70 while still travelling to Letaba. Those are two little pearls which should be on your to do list.

Sightingswise it wasn't one of my best roads ever so far.

If you enjoy termite mounds, its your road!
I find it a bit tedious but general visibility is pretty good. Have seen elephant and buffalo in the past. Reasonable waders and water birds at Sable Dam. Reasonable birding at Phala gate too (though I haven't been to Orpen in at least 20 years so can't compare).

That road can be like a lucky packet - some days you see great stuff and other days you can see nothing. Timing is key - as is with all other roads and places in Kruger. We were in Talamati in April this year, we were told there were a pride of lions that same week roaming the area around the camp - while we were there not a trace of a lion (but we saw a leopard!!)

I love November in the KNP...all the small things revealed like termite eruptions and all those that feed on them. So I think this road could offer a lot of the small stuff, for me the ideal way to start off in the park and as mentioned Sable Dam is worth a visit. Also saw a youtube video (or similar) of lions killing a zebra right in the open there. Seems to be a good road for lion and leopard. Have also heard about wild dogs.

Mixed bag for me but my highlights on this road are Cheetah on 2 occasions, Eland on 2 ocassions and 2 Sable at Sable Dam. Sable Dam is a family favourite and we always see elephants and buffs etc on this road.

Definitely do this road considering you are going to Tambotie! My aim when in the park is always to drive different areas just to see different scenery. The animals usually show up as well.