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Voykit pocket guide · Namibia

Khorixas

Stop in Khorixas for half a day: Twyfelfontein is 20 km south on the D3214 and the Petrified Forest 42 km west on the C39. Sleep one night only if you want both without rushing.

Khorixas is a small Damara town in Kunene, once the capital of Damaraland, with about 6,800 residents. It has a hospital, police station, bank with ATM, petrol station and a supermarket, which makes it a useful supply stop. The draw is outside town: Twyfelfontein, Namibia's first World Heritage Site, and the Petrified Forest. The town itself is walkable and has no public transport.

AusBrandbergEpupa FallsGobabisGrootfonteinKatima MuliloKeetmanshoopLüderitzMaltahöheMarientalNoordoewerOkahandjaOpuwoOranjemundKhorixas500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Namibia
Best months
check
Avoid
check
Stay
0–1 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
NAD
Money
Currency is the Namibian dollar (NAD, N$), pegged 1:1 to the South African rand; rand is accepted in Namibia, but Namibian dollars are not accepted in South Africa.
Daily spend
Budget N$600–900 excl. bed · Mid N$900–1300 excl. bed · High N$1300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
MTC has the widest coverage; TN Mobile is the alternative. Buy at the airport or town shops with a passport (registration required).
Emergency
Ambulance and rescue check — private services such as E-Med Rescue 24
Plugs
Types M, D · 220–230 V · 50 Hz · Same large round-pin sockets as South Africa; bring an adapter and a car charger.
Tipping
Restaurant: About 10%.; Fuel attendant: N$5–10.; Car guard: N$5–10.; Lodge guide: N$100–200 per guest per day.; Lodge staff: N$50–100 per guest per day in the communal box.
Water
Tap water is safe in Windhoek and main towns (Windhoek recycles water to drinking standard). Carry plenty in the car.
Toilets
Clean at fuel stations, lodges and park camps; few facilities between towns.

Get in

By air

WDH · Hosea Kutako International Airport, Windhoek
check — nearest international gateway; no sourced drive time to Khorixas
ERS · Eros Airport, Windhoek
check — no sourced service to Khorixas

Typical fares

Camping at ǀGowati
N$150 per person per night, children full price
Twyfelfontein from Khorixas
20 km (12 mi) south on the D3214, about 20 min
Petrified Forest from Khorixas
42 km (26 mi) west on the C39, about 45 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

The town is walkable and there is no public transport. You need your own vehicle for Twyfelfontein and the Petrified Forest; road conditions to both: check.

See and do

Known for

  • Twyfelfontein rock engravings
  • Petrified Forest
  • Damara heritage and former Damaraland capital

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Twyfelfontein20 km (12 mi) south of the C39 on district road D3214; drive time checkcheck
Petrified Forest42 km (26 mi) west of Khorixas on the C39; drive time checkcheck
Outjocheck — tar road east via Kamanjabcheck
Opuwo and Epupa Fallscheck — north on the C43/C39 toward Opuwo, then on to the fallscheck

Sleep

ǀGowati Country Hotel
On the C39 in the centre of town: chalets, campsite, restaurant and bar, pool, curio shop. Camping N$150 per person per night, children full price; the campsite sits beside the road and shops, so expect some noise.

Language

English is the official language and works everywhere in tourism. Afrikaans is a common lingua franca in the south and centre; Oshiwambo dominates the north; German is spoken in Swakopmund, Lüderitz and by many lodge owners. Damara/Nama is a click language.

  • WhatsApp is used by lodges, guides and rental companies.
  • Lodge directions are often given as GPS points; save them offline.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Greet and ask 'how are you' before any question; avoid: Straight to business
  • Village visits: Go with a guide and ask permission; avoid: Photographing without asking
  • Roads: Wave at passing drivers on quiet gravel; stop for anyone in trouble; avoid: Speeding through villages
  • Lodges: Follow staff instructions about walking at night; avoid: Leaving your room after dark in unfenced lodges without an escort
  • Language: English or a few words of Afrikaans or Oshiwambo; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks German

Scams and watch-outs

  • Gravel-road conditions to the sights: check after rain.
  • Fuel and services in town are limited; supply levels: check.
  • Parent-country rule: never drive after dark on Namibian roads.

Khorixas has a police station and a hospital. Crime level: check. The parent-country rule applies: never drive after dark.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Khorixas yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Twyfelfontein rock engravings
  • Petrified Forest
  • Damara heritage and former Damaraland capital

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Khorixas

ǀGowati Country Hotel, Main road (C39), Khorixas

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Fuel up and buy water in town: services thin out fast on the gravel roads.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/khorixas). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.