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Do the H9 imho. As you say, you have ample opportunity to do my fave H7.

Just time it so you get there at opening time an don't waste the best time faffing around driving there, or pandering to the whims of those who prefer it in bed then.

Can I put the cat amongst the pigeons and suggest that:-

IF you can leave Klaserie very early, you drive down to Hazyview and enter via Phabeni Gate, then follow the tar roads vias Skukuza, Tshokwane and Satara to Olifants.


If this is not a viable option, I would opt for Phala, check out Sable hide, take the tar road (H9) to Letaba and the S46/S44 to Olifants.

Whichever route you finally decide on, I wish you a fabulous trip.

Hi,

We drove from Letaba to Phalaborwa last week and came across a few lions (we spotted 5) which caught a blue wildebeest the previous day. I would take it for the same reasons as Saraf said, but I also agree with wildflowergirl that it can be like a lucky packet.

On the road between Orpen and Satara we saw a leopard as well as LOTS of ellies and buffalo.

Which ever road you take, I hope it will be memorable.

If it was my choice I will enter via Orpen and rather travel the H7 than the H9 from Phalaborwa. I base my decision on personal experience (and knowing that others would probably have had other observations).

Since 1987 I have travelled 12 040 km in Kruger, of which 607 km was done on the H7 and 389.8 km on the H9. I've been trying to count all mammal sightings since then and tried to count (yes, even impala) as accurately as possible. To compare my observations on various routes, I use a figure (for each species) per km travelled. Consequently I have a figure for each mammal per km (park average). I can compare a specific road's average to the park's average for every species.

Based on this I will say that the H7 has a higher average for the following species:

Blue Wildebeest
Burchell's Zebra
Buffalo
Giraffe
Leopard
Elephant
Impala
Black-backed Jackal
Steenbok
Warthog
Waterbuck

The H9 has a higher average for the following:

Dassie
Eland
Black-backed Jackal

I reckon that the H7 has a better chance of leaving someone with good first impressions.

Hi jeffgordon,

The H9 will always be remembered by my SO and I because on 12th April this year we saw our first pack of wild dogs . We were departing the park for the airport and at just after 7am a pack of 8 doggies took down an impala at the side of the road. We sat for over 30 mins watching them with only one other car watching. We think the elation carried us all the way to Jo'burg! Nothing is quaranteed on any road but some will stay in the memory forever.
Wishing you good sightings!

Regards,
DASSIEDELIGHT

With time not an issue I would opt for the H7 based purely on the fact that you will have longer in the park and therefore more chance of getting a good sighting than if you are outside the park and travel the H9 only.

Sheesh Stoffel, I thought I was the king of useless statistics.

Just for your interest I drove this road again yesterday. The following were spotted:

Lion- A mating pair.
Elephant- Two separate bulls and a breeding herd.
Buffalo- A few dagga boys.
Hippo- Pod out of the water at Hlanganini dam.
Impala- Various sightings.
Warthog
Giraffe- Huge numbers of them.
Bushbuck- One very good looking male.

I drove straight to Letaba, had a bite to eat and drove back. This was between 11h00 and 15h00 in the heat of the day. One thing to note is that there is a section of about 5Km half way between Phala and Letaba that has burnt on both sides of the road.

I'll take the compliment BB.

Okay, I removed the figures. Sorry man, I am a bit of a stats fanatic (and believe that I sometimes bore non-interested people with them - oh well, that's what my SO sometimes tells me).

I have seen good sightings of lion on the H9 - and even roan (but many, many moons ago) - and wild dog just off the H9 (on the H14 opposite Shikumbu), and Masorini is an interesting place to visit and I believe Phalaborwa is the gate I have used the most since going to the park in 1965 for the first time (when the present S131 was still the main road to Letaba). But I honestly believe you stand a better chance of seeing more on the H7.

Wow, I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY by all the terrific (and priceless) advice you've all given me.

I was pretty much swung by all the comments to go with the H9, considering:

- A stop at Masorini and Sable Hide will add a touch of colour to the trip
- The visibility of the dry mopani veld could deliver some decent sightings
- A number of you have seen some impressive sightings along the road
- Letaba will make a great tea/brunch spot, before heading slowly down to Olifants (past the spot where the giraffe committed suicide!)
- We'll have plenty of time to explore the H7 when we are at Tamboti
- It allows my brother and parents to see a part of the park that's different from the bushveld etc. further south

So I was all happy with that, when who should come along but Stoffel - the king of stats!

Stoffel, you shouldn't have removed those percentages. That was some awesome data you have there! I know it is really all a 'lucky packet' and even two people doing the same routes on the same day could have entirely different experiences, but Stoffel's numbers were, I admit, rather convincing.

And given the fantastic amounts of game we've been seeing on the Orpen cam lately, there is no doubt that the H7 will present a great first impression of the Park.

Carolv's suggestion was rather interesting too, to drive down to Phabeni gate and enter there. This would indeed be a good intro to the Park, but it would require a night-time traverse of Bushbuckridge (I think?) and I would be concerned about wandering cattle and other non-road-worthy creatures. Of course a similar fate may await me on the Klaserie - Phalaborwa route too.

So, where does that leave me?

Well, it puts me in a very enviable position. I don't think I can go wrong whichever route I choose. The idea of both fills me with such a tingle of excitement, I can hardly wait.

I'll let you all know what final decision we made in my trip report upon my return.

Thank you again all you wonderful forumites! Your wealth of knowledge is incredible.

Jeff

Stoffel!
I found your stats to be extremely interesting. Please post it again! (and whatever you've got of other areas)

I love the H9 (just look at my avatar) because it can so frustrating the one day and so rewarding the next day. Have seen a lot over the years, wild dog, lion, leopard, sable etc etc.
Alternatively take the S131 and stop off at the Ngwenyeni waterhole.

...and Letaba Camp and the views are amazing. That stretch of River between the camp and the highwater bridge always produces some highlight on a trip. So a bit of extra time and do that road as well. Birds in Letaba are spectacular and then there is the elephant museum etc etc

Bennievis

I have also had some good sightings on the H9 in the past (also before I started keeping record in 1987). We lived in Tzaneen for 3½ years (early 80's) and visited the park very regularly. With Letaba and Olifants being the nearest camps to Tzaneen, Phalaborwa Gate (and naturally the H9) used to be our regular gate. It was during that period that I saw roan (at Erfdeel) once and many other great sightings of the type of animals most of us like to find. We once saw 2 male lions that caught a wildebeest at the eastern junction of the Nhlanganini Loop. I recall a beautiful sighting of two black-backed jackal mating, and many others.

I love Letaba and agree with o-dog on the stretch of road between the camp and the bridge over the Letaba River. And the gravel road (following the river) to Olifants delivered some of the best leopard sightings I have ever seen in the park.

The H7 also produced its "bad" days. But only basing it on my experience of both roads (especially since record-keeping) in 1987, I reckon that your chances to find more game on the H7 is much higher than on the H9.

I've got (my) figures for most of the park. My dream is to drive each road in the park at least 3 times. There are some roads that I have not done once.

There's more than 2 600 km of tourist roads in the park. 37% of it I have driven 3 times or more (some up to 40+ times). 16% I have done twice. 26% only once and 21% I still have no record on.

To come back to the H7 & H9; if I take blue wildebeest for instance. My average for the park is 0.3487/km. The figure for the H7 is 1.1549 and for the H9 is 0.0308. But in spite of the low figure for wildebeest on the H9 it is the only road on which I saw a wildebeest kill.

My experience (and emanate conclusions) will obviously differ from each every other individual's opinion. David Paynter mentions in his book (unfortunately I only know the Afrikaan title namely: "Die Krugerwildtuin in Woord en Beeld) the roads that he would recommend - based on personal experienced. I had very little luck on the roads that he recommends.

I also love Ngwenyeni on the S131. I saw my first elephants and roan in the park when I entered the park for the first time with my parents in 1965 as a 11-year old boy. The S131 was closed for many years after the building of the H9. Since it has been re-opened I have passed there a few times and has never seen any animal there again (except for some nice birds). But it still has a lot of nostalgic value to me.

I'm glad that you found the stats (now removed) on my earlier posting of interest.

Stoffel you have just inspired me to start doing the same - I have also documented most of my sightings throughout the park (and always does) but never included stats. As a scientist I suppose this makes the saying that you make your own luck even more valid. I've always said that if you know the park well you should not need any luck. For example I do not rate the S21 road in the south in the winter but this road is amazing with sightings in the summer - I only know this 'cause the last 5 times I've driven this road in winter it was dead quiet, although much when I did it in summer. The closing of waterholes on many dirt roads in the park have had a huge impact on game migration patterns in recent times and many of the roads that previously produced are now much quieter in winter.

Considering the H9 I would enter this way just because of the good chance of seeing wild dog (they have a den in the area of the H14) early morning (lourens will tell you all about them). I also think starting off with a guaranteed elephant sighting on the H9 is a good start but this is more from my guiding experience since my believe is to start off slowly and build it up during the trip (only my guiding experience talking now). I remember driving this road on a rugby tour in 1985 and seeing lion, 3 male cheetah, roan, buffalo and elephant. I also rate the H7 much higher during the summer and after the first rains (December) than in the drier times - the reason is the gabbro bedrock giving rise to sweet, short grasses grazed by many animals throughout the wet season. The few waterholes can be frustrating during winter time though and the Timbavati have little water then. But this is only my opinion.

Have fun!

Hallo, Jeff!

Very interesting comments here...don't know if there's an H-9 thread under KNP camps and roads...

If I understand correctly, you will be here in November, when rains should have come.

This means the bush should be thick, and it will be HOT!

As BB and others said, you willl have MORE than your fill of the Orpen road staying at Tamboti, and you want a quiet wildlife experience to start?

I suggest going in at Phalaborwa, and taking the first left along the S-131 DIRT road.

This continues for miles paralell to the H-9, and is virtually guaranteed to be quiet and free of speeders!

One can cut down to the H-9 at a number of points, and mosey on from there, as per the other suggestions!

That's what I would do...