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Brogan - the H5 Randspruit Road is like alot of the other roads in Kruger - it can be a case of hit and miss.

We've seen alot of kudu and buffalo on this road. Also seen white rhino on occasion. Best sighting has been lions at Mpondo dam (slightly off the H5) and we've seen leopard as well. In the old days we've also had our fare share of punctures

NOT one of my favorites - but also not one that I would give a complete miss. It does offer some alternatives if you stay at Croc Bridge for a few days and you dont want to take Croc River road or head up to Lower Sabie every day... you can take this as an alternative to get to Afsaal.

PS: I find that either side of this road is often burnt during winter - so that can be a bummer or a positive for spotting small critters - depends how you look at it.

I agree that it can be a bit of a hit and miss road, but just like any where else in Kruger you might just be in the right place at the right time. On the plus side I have seen Black Rhino on this road, the road is also a nice quiet break away from the busier roads in the south

To be frank, it ranks among the quietest roads in the South.
General game and cars are generally in low densities on the road
Although the first 5km off the H4-2 has produced lions often enough of late to motivate a little deviation on to the H5

We had 10 wild dog all to ourselves on this road in Feb. 2011. Have also had elephants. Otherwise, quite quiet.

The best part of the H5 is being in the Kruger, you never know what might surprise you!
We just stop anywhere ,engine off, coffee , relax, and enjoy. Leopard came to check what we were doing!
Normally pretty quiet.

Except for seeing a cheetah once in March 2001 (which we followed for quite a distance - walking on the raised area where the old Selati railway line used to be) we have never been particulaarly lucky on the H5. But if you can find a cheetah, you can just as well be lucky and find something else exciting too - like Hippotragus and his wild dog sighting. Everytime I travelled the road I saw lots of rhino evidence, but have not seen one on the H5 yet.

Certainly not one of my favourite roads.

We drove both ends of the H5 so to speak earlier this month, the piece from the S102, and also the other end, S108 towards the H4-2 and must admit didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
It is very corrugated tho and I am sure the animals can hear one's teeth rattling coming from a good distance away!
But with the water holes drying up, nearby Mpondo Dam is a good option as there was quite a bit of animal activity there.

That in itself is an excellent recommendation.

I used to drive the H-5 rather often, one can get anything and everything on that road. I even recall caracal in broad daylight. If you leave Skukuza first thing in the morning, you stand a very good chance of making it down that road without meeting a single oncoming vehicle.

Johan

hey guys:) thank you for the personal views on the H5, the majority say its quite, which is probably the main reason for why we do not go on this road any more, i honestly can not remember what we have seen on the road. could the railway have something to do with it ??

I think it is merely a case of the dryness of the road not attracting many grazers

The Randspruit road is one of the most under-utilised roads in the Park.
Most people only do the H5 up to the point where it links up with the road over the Bume causeway.
Just past Mpondo dam on the H5 we had one of our most awesome leopard sightings it was lying on a termite mound under a tree virtually on the road but sadly the road is so badly rutted from speeding vehicles that when he heard us coming he did not stay.
What an animal - it was one of the biggest males I have ever seen.

It is indeed a very quiet road and it really is a case of 'at the right place, at the right time'. We had a stunning sighting of a Leopard resting in a tree about 10m from the road. We also had 2 male lions doing their rounds.

It is often a very boring road to drive but yet we drive it every December.

We've had numerous Lion sightings on the S102 which links up to the H5.

Remember a wise man once said "Life is like a box of chocolates...., you never know which one you're gonna get!"