Lesotho

Lesotho, the ‘mountain kingdom’, a tiny landlocked country surrounded by South Africa, is an adventure wonderland of wild mountains and warm people. Above all else, Lesotho is about the mountains. Savage rocky peaks and dark, distant gorges seem to be propped up by scree slopes covered in a patchwork of cultivated plots that cover 65% of the country’s landscape. Lesotho has the highest low point (1500 metres) of any country in the world.

Pony trekking holidays on the hardy Basotho ponies are immensely popular and a fantastic way of exploring Lesotho’s rugged terrain and the hundreds of San rock art sites across the country. Lesotho also has great hiking, mountain biking and 4x4ing trails in its scenic mountains. Other adventurous activities include world-class fly-fishing, skiing and snowboarding in the winter at Oxbow, and doing the highest commercial abseil in the world at Maletsunyane Falls. The Lesotho Lowlands around the eastern crescent of the country draw visitors with Thaba-Bosiu, the mountain fortress and grave of Lesotho’s founder, King Moshoeshoe I, the fascinating cave houses at Mateka, and Teyateyaneng, the craft centre of Lesotho. Other Lesotho highlights include viewing dinosaur footprints near Quthing in the south, bird-watching in Sehlabathebe National Park and wandering through the hills and traditional Basotho villages of Malealea and Semonkong. For the most expansive views of Lesotho, head to the top of the Sani Pass, Southern Africa’s highest pass.

** Remember to take your passport if you’re planning on crossing the border into Lesotho.

Explore the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.