TRAVEL AFRICA
BY MILOU STAUB
ENCIRCLED BY SOUTH AFRICA, LESOTHO RISES ABOVE THE ORDINARY, AN INDEPENDENT MOUNTAIN KINGDOM OF HIGH PASSES, PROUD BASOTHO TRADITION, AND LANDSCAPES THAT FEEL SUSPENDED BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY.
Every centimetre of Lesotho sits more than 1 400m above sea level, giving it the highest lowest point of any country in the world. Locals call it the“ Kingdom in the Sky”, and once you arrive, it is easy to see why.
This is not a typical Southern African destination. There are no Big Five game reserves, no beachfront resorts. What Lesotho offers instead is raw mountain scenery, living culture, and a quietness that most of the world has already lost.
The Maloti Mountains cover most of Lesotho’ s eastern region, with peaks towering above 3 400m as part of the greater Drakensberg range. Wide valleys, rocky ridgelines, and deep gorges make this is some of the most dramatic highland terrain in Africa.
INTO THE HIGHLANDS
One of the best ways in is the Sani Pass, a rugged mountain road climbing from KwaZulu-Natal into Lesotho through steep switchbacks. A 4x4 is essential, but the views on the way up more than justify the effort.
For those who prefer a guided experience, Major Adventures runs a day trip from Underberg, climbing the gravel switchbacks into Lesotho before returning to South Africa. It is an easy way to savour Lesotho without staying overnight.
The Basotho culture is at the heart of Lesotho. The Basotho blanket, or kobo, is worn across the highlands, draped over the shoulders like a cloak. These are everyday dress, worn to the fields, church, and market.
The compact Basotho pony, bred for steep terrain and thin air, are still a practical form of transport and multi-day pony treks between villages are among the best adventure travel experiences in Southern Africa.
Then there is the mokorotlo, the conical woven hat that appears on Lesotho’ s national flag. It is sold everywhere and worn with obvious pride.
HISTORY AT ALTITUDE
Lesotho exists because of Moshoeshoe I, who in the 1820s, gathered scattered communities under his protection and established his base
MAY 2026 / INBOUND SA 17