Khorixas

Khorixas is a town of about 6,800 inhabitants (2011) in Kunene in Namibia. The town is near an important deposit of petrified wood and the Twyfelfontein valley, known for its rock art.

Understand

Khorixas was once the capital of Damaraland, a settlement area ("bantustan") for Damara people during the Apartheid era. Most of the inhabitants are from the Damara ethnic group.

As former regional capital it has many administrative offices, a hospital, a police station and a bank.

Get around

The town is walkable, and there is no public transport.

See

Rock painting at Twyfelfontein

• 1 Twyfelfontein (20 km (12 mi) south of the C39 major road from Sesfontein to Khorixas; connected by the district road D3214). A site of ancient rock engravings that consists of a spring in a valley flanked by the slopes of a sandstone table mountain. It was a place of worship and a site to conduct shamanist rituals. At least 2,500 items of rock carvings were created, as well as a few rock paintings. Displaying one of the largest concentrations of rock petroglyphs in Africa, UNESCO approved Twyfelfontein as Namibia's first World Heritage Site in 2007.  
• 2 Petrified forest (42 kilometres (26 mi) west of the Namibian town of Khorixas, on the C39 road). A deposit of large tree trunks that have "turned to stone" through a process of diagenesis. There are at least two large tree trunks, each 45 metres (148 ft) long, exposed to view. Several hundred others are found in the vicinity.  

Buy

There is a petrol station and a well-stocked "OK" supermarket. The bank has an ATM. There are a number of craft stalls all along the main road.

Sleep

• 1 ǀGowati Country Hotel, Main road (directly on the C39 (Justus //Garoeb Road) in the centre of town). Accommodation in chalets and on the campsite, restaurant and bar, rim pool, and a curio shop operated by the artist who makes the ware. Campsite is a bit noisy, only a wall separates it from the regional road, shops, bars, and petrol station. But it has old trees throughout, soft grass, and electricity at every spot. Staff is very friendly. The place is upscale for almost every local ("Are you staying over there?") but not unusually expensive. Camping N$150 pppn, children full price. (updated Jan 2023)

Go next

Khorixas is the town closest to Twyfelfontein, a World Heritage Site for San rock engravings. The minor attractions of the Burnt Mountain, the Organ Pipes, and the Petrified Forest are also nearby.

The town is connected by tar road to Kamanjab and Outjo, and by 4x4 track to Brandberg West.