Activity Description

The mountain kingdom of Lesotho has a beauty that is simultaneously humble and awe-inspiring, something it has in common with all the best places. But when you combine it’s beauty with the people’s unique Basotho culture and their unique way-of-life it becomes quite extraordinary.

While there is so much to see in Lesotho, this tour has become an out and out favourite because it includes all the best bits: the daunting Sani Pass, Basotho Cultural Immersion, Bushmen/SAN Rock Paintings, Dinosaur Footprints, Butha Buthe, Kome Caves, Semonkong and Maseru of course.

DAY 1

Depart at 08h00 from Durban and head to the aptly named town of Underberg under the Drakensberg mountains. Jump into our 4×4 vehicle in Underberg we proceed into Lesotho via Sani Pass. The Sani Pass climbs from 1500m to 2874m above sea level (ASL), with the last 8km climbing nearly 1000m ASL.

The famous switchbacks overlooking the South African valleys are spectacular. Your afternoon is all about taking in the scenic beauty. Embark on a scenic hike of the escarpment overlooking the Sani Pass or pony trek along the rugged cliffs of the Drakensberg.

DAY 2

Climb another 500m to the top of Black Mountain Pass which sits at 3240m ASL. The remote villages of the Sani Top and Mokhotlong areas are some of the most remote villages in Lesotho. Get an inside look at the people living in this tough environment with a visit to a village.

Picnic lunch is over a beautiful vista of the Senqu river, which becomes the Orange River in South Africa. An important river for several Southern African countries makes it the perfect lunch stop. The route from Sani Top to Thaba Bosiu is often called the Roof of Africa route. Having conquered the Sani Pass and Black Mountain Pass we will take on Taeeng Pass at 3225m and Motebong Pass at 2820m ASL.

Along the way you will see the Letseng Diamond Mine – the world’s highest diamond mine and Afriski Mountain Resort as well as countless villages and other picturesque sites. Thereafter, we descend into the lowlands of the Thaba Bosiu area and visit the Bushman Paintings at Liphofung at approx. 16h00. This area of Lesotho has better infrastructure than the remote highlands where we started on Day 1. We will check-in at Bird Haven at approx. 18h00 which will serves as our overnight accommodation in Hlotse.

DAY 3

We aim to depart on Day 3 at approx. 08h00/30 after a hearty breakfast at 07h00. We backtrack slightly to visit a riverbed close to our overnight accommodation where there is evidence of prehistoric life forms. If the river is in flood these ancient footprints are hidden to the world but usually the water levels are low enough for us to look at the Dinosaur Footprints.

We now leave the main road to Maseru and travel to the Kome Caves, home to modern cave-dwellers, these caves were originally inhabited by clans escaping the Lifqane wars and cannabilism. We make our way to Thaba Bosiu along the back roads which go through many rural villages. Thaba Bosiu is a cultural centre of utmost importance to Lesotho and its history.

From Thaba Bosiu we drive into the capital city Maseru for lunch at approx. 13h00, this will give you a good peek into modern-day city life in Lesotho. By 15h00, we will start to head back into the highlands of Lesotho travelling through the Mantsa Pass to the highland town of Semonkong. Dependant on the weather and water levels (i.e. time of year), we might be privy to a beautiful sunset over Maletsunayne Falls as we make our way to our overnight accommodation at Semonkong for approx. 17h30.

DAY 4

Tuck into a delicious breakfast at 07h30. Either opt for a scenic hike or a 4×4 drive to Maletsunyane Falls. Depart the Lesotho highlands via the several passes that connect Lesotho to South Africa at Qacha’s Nek.

We will snake our way through the last remote villages of Lesotho and cross the Senqu river again [which we first saw on Day 1] and follow it all along the Senqu river valleys toward the border town of Qacha’s Nek.

Once back in South Africa we expect to arrive in Matatiele around 13h00 for lunch. From Matatiele we skirt alongside the Drakensberg mountains and return to Underberg along scenic back roads, usually returning usually to Underberg between 15h00 and 16h00. Finally, jump into your luxury vehicle for your 2.5 hour drive back to Durban.

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