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Lesotho shouldn’t be dismissed as South Africa’s unofficial tenth province. Although completely encircled by South Africa, and closely linked politically and economically, life in this mountain kingdom is very different. Those looking for the best 9 things to do in Lesotho will find a heady mix of culture, natural beauty and unexpected pleasures – including one of southern Africa’s only ski resorts!
Here’s my personal pick of what not to miss.
1. Chink glasses at the highest pub in Africa
Lesotho certainly deserves to host Africa’s highest pub. After all, the country’s lowest point sits at an altitude above the summit of the UK’s tallest mountain.
Interestingly though, the bar at Sani Mountain Lodge actually sits in South Africa. This is because the short path which leads from the one and only road in the area recrosses the border.
Spend the night at the lodge’s cluster of rondavels, and you’ll be in South Africa. But opt instead for the dorm rooms of the backpacker campsite and you’ll be back in Lesotho.
A warm and comfortable place to break a journey, drivers and non-drinkers can grab a very decent coffee instead.
In fact, the lodge sees a steady stream of people stopping off for the full English breakfasts, lunches, and hearty dinners.
Seemingly sitting exactly on the cloud line, the lodge can be blanketed in mist, though the views back down the pass are spectacular. Travel just a couple of miles further into Lesotho and the clouds magically clear to reveal stunning peaks too.
2. Relax in the laid-back surrounds of Maseru
Lesotho’s capital, and only real city, is also located close to the South African border, but on the opposite side of the country.
One of Africa’s safest capital cities, Maseru is difficult to sum up. It is both relaxed, and frantic with suited office workers.
It has its fair share of ugly throw-it-up-and-hope-for-the-best buildings. But it also has some clever architecture pointing to the country’s unique culture, such as thatched Basotho Hat art and crafts centre.
Home to government ministries and a small yet informative museum, visitors to Maseru can also peek at the modest Royal Palace and enjoy the cafes and grassy squares around the Old Post Office.
3. Track dinosaur footprints in Quthing
The modern bare breeze block construction which houses Quthing’s dinosaur footprints certainly doesn’t do them justice.
All the same, this selection of 230 million year old imprints is one of the easiest places in the world to see this direct evidence of dinosaurs in situ.
You don’t really need to have a guide, although agreeing to have one of the kids that hang around the entrance lead you around can be a great way of connecting with locals.
Nearby, the Masitise Cave House Museum makes use of part of a mission station set up in the 1860s by a Swiss missionary.
The home of Reverend David-Frederic Ellenberger and his family, it was built out of an ancient San cave.
The plainly-decorated interior is used to display a range of cultural artifacts, such as necklaces and basketry.
4. Don your skis
The idea of skiing in Africa may boggle the mind, however it is possible at the Afriski Mountain Resort.
Comprising 50% of southern Africa’s ski slopes, it’s one of just a handful of places anywhere in Africa where you can ski or real snow (rather than on artificial indoor slopes or on sand). It has runs totalling three kilometres (1.9 miles).
If you’re travelling light, you can rent all the equipment you need at the resort, as well as book lessons.
Snowfall allowing, the ski season lasts from June to August, Lesotho’s winter. Take a careful look at the local weather before arriving, since the resort lies off Mahlasela Pass.
Rising to 3,222 metres (10,500 feet) Mahlasela Pass is beyond treacherous after fresh snowfalls. I experienced this myself, getting stuck for hours in conditions that even had 4x4s beaten.
The resort also offers rooms, which are best to book in advance on weekends during the ski season.
That way, you can experience the après ski, with travellers from across the globe exchanging tales before disappearing to modern rooms to tuck themselves beneath the much-needed blankets.
In the summer months of December to March, the region becomes one of several destinations in Lesotho worth visiting for its hiking trails, fishing and birdwatching opportunities.
5. Safari with a difference at Sehlabathebe National Park
If you’re expecting the Big Five in Lesotho, look away now.
Lesotho’s mountainous terrain means the megafauna of neighbouring South Africa doesn’t exist here. However, all is not lost.
As one of the top national parks in Lesotho, Sehlabathebe is a fantastic birding destination. Species to look out for include the lammergeier (bearded vulture), among hundreds of others.
You’ll also find smaller predators such as black-backed jackals and wild cats, in addition to antelope such as oribi and rhebok. It’s home to several troops of baboons too.
Largely comprising high-altitude grassland (there’s really no other kind in Lesotho) within Maloti-Drakensburg Park UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the best ways to explore is on the back of a horse.
6. Traverse the Sani Pass
Often mentioned with a sense of awe, the Sani Pass has a mysticism that’s difficult to shake off.
The only border crossing between South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province and Lesotho, most travellers get to Sani Pass via the small Drakensburg town of Underberg.
This is where you’ll find that most companies operating 4×4 tours across the pass have their bases.
Coming from Underberg, the pass begins in disappointing fashion with smooth tarmac. I for one wondered what all the fuss was about.
But as the altimeter ticks over, the first switchbacks appear. The views unravel below you, and you’ll soon get Sani fever too.
The need for an all-terrain vehicle to cross the Sani Pass only becomes obvious beyond passport control.
Although rumours persist that the entire pass will be covered in tarmac sometime soon, which might even be a negative step, for now the upper reaches of the route maintains its wild west feel.
Going no faster than a horse can trot, vehicle tyres clamber over protruding rock after protruding rock.
Gears do battle with impressive gradients, while drivers have to carefully negotiate road widths better suited to Nissan Micras than Land Rovers. No wonder the highest pub in Africa sits at its summit!
And if the position from the passenger seat seems altogether too mundane, grab a mountain bike or hiking boots and follow the same route without the aid of an internal combustion engine.
7. Explore the landscapes created by Katse Dam
A dam might not sound like one of the top 9 things to do in Lesotho, or anywhere else.
And while Katse Dam is yet to obtain the allure of Egypt’s Aswan High Dam or America’s Hoover Dam, there are several reasons to consider a visit.
The first is to admire the engineering feat of Africa’s second-largest double curvature dam, which can be done at the onsite visitor centre.
The second is to check out the region’s flora at the Katse Botanical Gardens, the highest gardens in the southern hemisphere.
Created specifically to provide new habitat for plants native to the area, its focus lies in traditional Sotho medical plants.
A large part of the collection comprises spiral aloes, backed by the beauty of the dam’s glittering reservoir.
8. Climb Thabana Ntlenyana
There’s an irony to Thabana Ntlenyana. It’s Sesotho name translates as ‘beautiful little mountain’, yet Thabana Ntlenyana is the highest mountain in Lesotho. It’s also the tallest peak anywhere south of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
A gentle summit climb, at least compared to the likes of Mount Kenya, Thabana Ntlenyana rises to a height of just under 3,400 m (11,500 feet).
Serious climbers tend to tackle the mountain as a grand traverse of the Drakensbergs. Its summit can also be reached from Sani Mountain Lodge.
The route takes most people eight or nine hours, meaning you’ll need to be prepared for at least one night of camping.
Heavy winter (June to September) snowfalls at this altitude make the hike to Thabana Ntlenyana less than ideal during these months.
9. Get in the saddle in the Malealea Valley
Lesotho isn’t only a dream for hikers. Off-road biking is also taking off big time.
Of all the potential locations in Lesotho where it’s possible to hit the trails with your bike, I’d suggest the Malealea Valley.
Close to the Makhaleng River, this area is reached by Malealea Main Road. This is where many of the trails originate.
There are over 40 different trails rising and falling amid the mountainous scenery, none of which are so long that they’ll put off hobby cyclists.
Seeing just a handful of riders at any one time, the choice is yours when it comes to which trails to tackle.
Favourites include the Village Trail and the Gates of Paradise Trail. The latter manages to live up to its name while only climbing 14 m along its two kilometre (1.2 mile) length, leaving plenty of time to tackle another of the Malealea Valley’s trails.
Discovering the top 9 things to do in Lesotho
Though dwarfed by its sole neighbour, Lesotho is well worth discovering. Its towns maintain many of the traditional cultural structures lost in South Africa, and there are plenty of ways of getting out into the countryside too.
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