Place to stay · Khorixas
Damara Mopane Lodge
Gondwana lodge 20 km east of Khorixas on the C39, with 60 twin chalets each with a small vegetable garden, a sunset viewpoint on the hill and self-guided trails.
Damara Mopane Lodge is a Gondwana Collection lodge in mopane woodland 20 km east of Khorixas on the C39, in the Kunene Region. It is a popular overnight stop on self-drive routes into Damaraland, with Twyfelfontein, the Petrified Forest, Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes all reachable from here. With 60 rooms it is a big lodge rather than an intimate one, which suits a one or two night stay.
What to expect
The 60 chalets are laid out in a semicircle of linked paths around a central pool. Each twin room has its own little garden planted with vegetables and flowers, plus a veranda, en suite shower, air conditioning and tea and coffee. There is a restaurant, a bar and a curio shop. Five pairs of rooms interlead for families, and one further interleading pair is wheelchair friendly.
The best thing to do is walk up the hill about 45 minutes before sunset to the viewing deck, where you get the woodland and the shape of the lodge below you. Two marked self-guided hiking trails take between one and three hours. The lodge also runs guided birding walks in the early morning and late afternoon, and a full day trip to track desert-adapted elephants, which is not open to children under 12.
Practical details
- 20 km east of Khorixas on the C39. GPS -20.30167, 15.17444.
- Bookings through Gondwana’s central reservations, +264 61 427 200.
- Check in from 2pm, check out by 10am.
- Wi-Fi, mobile signal, laundry and secure parking. Visa and Mastercard accepted.
Good to know
Gondwana gives the distance to Twyfelfontein as 124 km, so the rock engravings are a full outing, not a quick hop. Khorixas itself is a small town (9,371 people at the 2023 census) and has the regional hospital. The pool is unheated.
Last updated 7 October 2026. Sources: Gondwana Collection, Damara Mopane Lodge, Wikipedia, Khorixas.