We drove south from Etosha, heading to Brandberg, the highest mountain of Namibia with the Königstein (2573 metres high). At the Brandberg White Lady Camp we had a nice lunch next to the pool and the cactus garden, before we drove with our “escort vehicle”, the Toyota of our son, which is much better suited for deep sand and river beds, into the Ugab River to look for the desert elephants.
We had asked, if we could go on a game drive, as we had no idea where the elephants could be found, but as they were fully booked, we decided to drive ourselves, just following the tracks of the truck they use. The route took us into the riverbed and we followed it for a couple of kilometres, before we spotted the desert elephants.
These elephants are not a different species, they have just developed certain adaptations for desert life with relatively broader feet, longer legs and smaller bodies than other African bush elephants. They may walk up to 70 kilometres at night to find water points, but can go without water for up to three days at a time.
Another sight at the Brandberg are the rock paintings, which are between 2,700 and 4,000 years old, called “White Lady”. You pay a fee and get a guide, which hikes with you for 50 minutes into the valley and explains you about fauna and flora and of course the rock paintings themselves.
The Brandberg was a great stop, and the encounter with the elephants there was a special experience. Our next destination is another mountain, the famous Spitzkoppe. More on our next post.