Lesotho travel guide

There are many ways to take in the mountain scenery of Lesotho, but perhaps none more fitting than by Basotho pony. These horses are scrawny and - unless the stable is in sight - not particularly fast, but they do carry your bags for you, and on the steep slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains that is no little thing. Although a short ride is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, a multi-day excursion is really the way to experience mountain life. Not only does this allow you to explore parts of the country inaccessible by car; it usually means spending your nights in local mountain-side villages, providing for plenty of opportunities to get to know your Basotho guide and hosts. You may end up with sore legs and knees, but this is one of those experiences that is definitely worth the pain.

Dinosaur footprints are scattered all over Lesotho and there are a few near the village of Roma. They are located at the top of the mountain and are difficult to find by yourself, but, luckily, the local kids are happy to act as guides for a few maloti/rand. It takes about 30 minutes on foot from the village to reach the few footprints. They lie unprotected on a slab of rock and are eroded by weather and tear from the locals, so their condition is thereof. But it's cool to 'explore' something in the real world instead of a museum setup with fences and explanatory texts. The panoramic views from the footprints are equally amazing and worth the walk up, even if you don't give a hoot about a few dinosaur footprints.

The small market town of Leribe is also known as Hlotse. There are a few supermarkets along with a string of Chinese owned trading stores, which are remarkably indistinguishable throughout the third world. Besides being a good place to stock up, you have a chance to experience a bit of the famous African disorder.

Malealea is a small village centred around the former trading post which now is a lodge. The main activity is trekking, with or without pony, through the stunning highlands. Anything from a few hours to multiple days with village stays can be arranged. The village is used to tourists, so you can sniff around without attracting too much attention. The mountainous scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Traditional thatched mud huts are dotting the meadows while grazing stocks are herded by shepherds wrapped in traditional Basotho blankets. Malealea is definitely one of the best places to experience Lesotho's main attraction, the highlands.

Let's face it, Maseru is not the centre of the world. It's even located as far from the centre of Lesotho as possible, right on the border to South Africa. It's a clutter of those buildings that any nation needs to function, like public offices, banks, hospital, etc. and a few coffee shops which seem to be favoured by foreign NGOs. Though the pace is slow and people are friendly, there is absolutely no reason to spend more time here than necessary, particularly when the beautiful Lesotho highlands are right at the doorstep.

As with many places in Lesotho, Morija is more a collection of houses than a real village. It's quasi-famous as the site for the first European mission in Lesotho and semi-famous for the Morija Museum and Archives. But the real attraction is its location on the slopes of the Makhoarane Plateau where there are spectacular views over the Maloti mountains. You can enjoy even more of the beautiful landscape on treks, either on foot or pony, through pine forests to mountain lakes and some dinosaur footprints.

Lesotho has more prehistoric sites than just dinosaur footprints, namely rock paintings, also known as bushman paintings. As with the dinosaur footprints, the rock paintings are totally unprotected and difficult to find without help from a local. For the rock paintings at Ha Tjooeng, you first have to walk through the village down to the bottom of the gorge, cross the river, and up to the overhanging on the rock face. Among newer drawings and carvings, you will be able to make out the original rock paintings - some men, a cow and a lion(?) - which surprisingly have survived millenniums of tear, wear, and graffiti. As with most sights in Lesotho, the journey through the breathtaking scenery is half the reward.