COVID-19 update
As I am writing this review, Windhoek has overtaken the whole coastal region for new cases of the pandemic per day. It would seem that the coast has flattened the curve, and learned how to live with this thing.
Brandberg surroundings and the White Lady Lodge.
The Brandberg has been one of our favorite locations to visit for many years now. Pretty close to the town of Uis, there are plenty of things to see and do. There are a couple of home videos at the end of this review if you want to see what it looks and feels like.
If you are just popping in for a visit, there are plenty of wild animals to see, from the little to the very large. The lodge offers guided game drives, however you are free to explore this area with your own vehicle as well. Please just remember that this is the wilderness, so protect it and yourself.
This is one of the many locations that Awesome Chapters offers a camping trip to because this is a truly awesome place. It is a pretty remote place, so you need to prepare for a few hours of driving from population centers like Walvis Bay or Windhoek.
After a few hours of driving over dusty corrugated gravel roads, Uis is usually the first stop. With the Brandberg Rest camp in town offering great meals and cold beers it makes for a great place to take an hour or two break. Uis itself is a small tin mining town with a very interesting history.
Should you have the luxury of having some time to spend in this area, the garden route trip with Bazil from the rest camp is highly recommended. Quite close to the Brandberg is Spitzkoppe as well.
The animals at the Brandberg are completely wild. In the past, there were more tame animals, visiting the camp sites. Unfortunately poaching and indiscriminate visitors put an end to it. The first of the home videos still has some glimpses of tame Springbuck and Meerkat.
Popping out for a game drive in the riverbed is always fun, as there are usually plenty of animals to see. The Elephants are seasonal. Usually one can call the lodge ahead of time, and find out if the Elephants are there or not. On our first few camps at Brandberg we purposefully avoided the Elephants.
The big five are not called the big five because they are big, it is because they are the five biggest wild animals responsible for killing of humans. Elephants are dangerous, especially the wild ones. So, if you do see one, keep your distance, and make sure you have either sturdy shelter, or a good escape route.
The elephants at Brandberg live and travel up the Ugab river which runs past Brandberg and forms the border between the Erongo and Kunene regions. On our last home video at the bottom, we drive down the river for a while and around the mountain. This adventure takes most of a day, and you really need a second vehicle just in case you run into trouble.
Camping or staying in the cottages of the Brandberg allows you to see some stunning sunsets, and, if you are lucky, the elephants when they are in season. Just chilling at your digs for a while you will see many species of bird including the grey go-away bird and horn-bills.
This area is best enjoyed with lots of time to take in the peace and quiet. Just let nature do it’s thing around you for a while, and take it all in.
The home videos below have been taken quite a few years ago. As they are home videos of camping trips of my family & friends, don’t expect too much excitement. However, the scenery is amazing, and I am itching to make a higher quality video of this area.
