Lesotho Experience Tour! Go Volunteer Africa organizes special authentic Lesotho experience tour for independent travelers and groups. By booking a Lesotho authentic experience tour with us, you are seizing an opportunity to explore the country and you can even do a combined trip with us by joining our Lesotho Volunteer Trip.
Although you can join our private Lesotho volunteer program all year round, we run a special trip to Lesotho in March. We can also design a customized Lesotho experience tour for you. All our Lesotho volunteer tours and safaris are run in accordance with Go Volunteer Africa’s branding and ethos: affordable fees, experienced guides, and most importantly an adventure that will stick with you for life.
TOUR AND SAFARI DATES:
- LAET : March – 14 days
OUR GUIDES AND GROUP LEADERS:
All group and independent tours and trips are led by experienced guides that know the destinations and are passionate about what they do. We also strongly believe in value, and our costs are unbeatable. Lesotho Authentic Experience Tour (LAET) is a unique experience within a myriad of memorable experiences in Africa.
LESOTHO AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE TOUR:
The magical mountain kingdom of Lesotho is one of Africa’s most intriguing and rewarding off-the-beaten-track gems. A land of intoxicating heights and exciting extremes, it is set entirely above 1,388 metres, the highest low point of any country in the world, while the 3,482-metre summit of Thabana Ntlenyana stands as Africa’s loftiest peak south of Kilimanjaro.
Visit Lesotho on this authentic experience tour, a kingdom packed with gorgeous mountains and unique culture and discover how this tiny country earned its title as Africa’s “Kingdom in the Sky”. Lesotho is located in Southern Africa, and because of its high altitude is also known as the Kingdom in the Sky.
Uniformly mountainous, Lesotho is known for its breathtaking highland vistas. Golden sandstone cliffs, towering basaltic peaks and bizarre rock sculptures overlook undulating Afroalpine meadows swathed in clumped grass, tussocked heather and colourful spring wildflowers. Spectacular waterfalls plunge into gaping canyons snaked through by crystal-clear rivers. From Spring through to Autumn, days are bathed in sunshine and ideal for hiking and pony trekking, but the midwinter months of June to August often bring heavy snowfalls and sub-zero temperatures that transform the waterfalls into beautiful icy sculptures.
This is the only one country in the world that is entirely located above 1000m above sea level. Because of its location, Lesotho provides a wide range of activities that can be performed in nature: fishing, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching, and even skiing. Lesotho is surrounded by South Africa and can be very interesting tourist destination.
The mountains of Lesotho are a thrilling adventure playground for hikers, horse-riders, 4×4 enthusiasts and other outdoor lovers. For adrenaline junkies, activities include skiing, mountain biking, canoeing and the world’s highest commercial abseil. Archaeological and historic highlights include dinosaur footprints dating back more than 200 million years, atmospheric rock overhangs adorned with mysterious centuries-old rock art, and a host of 19th-century landmarks associated with King Moshoeshoe I and various early missionaries.
As mentioned earlier, Lesotho holds the pride of being the only country elevated entirely above 1000m in the whole world. Therefore, it is renowned as the ‘Kingdom in the sky.‘ It is full of towering mountains and sky-scraping peaks. Undoubtedly, it is ideal for anyone who craves for a timeless adventure.
Go Volunteer Africa gives you an opportunity to explore amazing diversity and rich cultural history of Lesotho on this memory adventure authentic experience tour. Lesotho is a rustic yet scenic country nestled in the middle of South Africa. You will experience the gem of the hilly villages, the ambiance of richly decorated raging waterfalls and wide and clear rivers.
You will experience and explore the Basotho people’s unique hospitality and an eternally sunny climate; it is in the topographical extremes of the Lesotho Mountains that adventure travelers and nature lovers find Lesotho’s appeal.
Maletsunyane Falls holds the Guinness World Record for the highest commercial abseil point in the world. The spectacular 204m drop attracts daredevils from around the world. This is adventure travel at its best. You cannot visit Lesotho and miss Maletsunyane Falls, whether you are seeking an adrenaline rush or just to admire this natural wonder.
Once the capital of Lesotho, Thaba Bosiu mountain is both a natural attraction and one of the most important historical sites in Lesotho. The 120m high plateau is where King Moeshoeshoe the First established his rule of the Kingdom of Lesotho in the early 19th century. It is also where he and his predecessors rest peacefully today.
The plateau formed a natural fortress, a place to gather the Basotho people during times of danger or extended sieges. Climb the mountain from the Thaba Bosiu cultural village and you will see the remains of the king’s mountaintop dwellings. This is where the story of Lesotho’s past is told.
The Katse Dam, high in the Maluti Mountains was constructed as part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. It is the second largest dam in Africa. The Mohale Dam, at 145m it is the second-largest in Lesotho and the highest concrete-faced rock-filled dam in Africa. An entire mountain was crushed to build this dam.
Participants will not miss the Kome Cave, a fascinating village of cave dwellings carved underneath towering rocks. Past generations of Basotho fled to these caves to hide from cannibals who inhabited the area. Descendants of the original people who built the caves still live there, much as their forefathers did almost two centuries ago.
LESOTHO TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES:
1. Tsehlanyane National Park
The undisputed jewel in the crown of Lesotho’s national park system comes in the form of the sun-baked highlands of Tsehlanyane. Surrounded by the rock-ribbed peaks of the mighty Maloti Mountains, the region is famed for its rare woodland habitats and high altitudes of up to 5,600 meters above sea level. Trekkers often opt to hit the connecting trail that links the park with Bokong, and come to delve into the wildernesses of chi chi trees and rare fern species, endemic berg bamboo groves and mountain animals that abounds in all its glory here.
2. Maseru
Welcoming, stable, small and on-the-up, Maseru might just be something of the odd one out when it comes to African capitals. Slowly being reconstructed after a period of upheaval in the late 90s, the town is now a charming and characterful place to while away a few days. The most noticeable landmark has to be the appropriately-named Basotho Hat, which is actually a gift shop selling traditional Basotho arts and crafts. Aside from that there’s a smattering of great tailors and international eateries, not to mention a fair bit of backpacker traffic in the bars.
3. Semonkong
Nestled between the dusty escarpments of the Maseru District, close to the geographical heart of Lesotho as a whole, the little conglomeration of bamboo-topped thatch villages and huts that is Semonkong might not look like one of the most-visited spots in the country; but it is. Why? Well, that honour surely has to go to the mist-producing plumes of the great Maletsunyane Falls, which can be found roaring over the edge of a table-top mountain nearby. Thousands of visitors come to wonder at this great natural creation, to scale the mountain paths in its presence and see the ice-caked plunge pools into which is descends.
4. Katse Dam
Blocking the meanders of the Malibamat’so River as it flows down from the cold highlands of the country, the Katse Dam once reigned supreme as the largest of its kind in all of Africa. And while that superlative has been taken by the Tekezé Dam of Ethiopia, there’s no question that this dramatic wall of concrete and steel remains one of the continent’s real engineering wonders. Surrounded by grass-topped mountains and undulating peaks, it clocks up a whopping 185 meters in height and comes in at nearly 2,000 meters above sea level!
5. Bokong
Nestled between the dramatic mountains just to the west of the aforementioned Katse Dam, the little hill town of Bokong is a great place to wax up the walking boots and hit the trails of central Lesotho. In the immediate vicinity, visitors will be able to discover the likes of the Lepaqoa Waterfall, crashing over the escarpments of rock that define Lesotho’s highlands in plumes of mist and steam. The surrounding Bokong Nature Reserve is also a real draw. Complete with winding hiking trails and maintained campsites, it’s a great place for horse riding and trekking, and even runs into the paths of the Tsehlanyane National Park on its northern fringes.
6. Liphofung
The sinewy mountains around Liphofung rise in hues of ochre and snow-white during the winter. They conceal the fascinating historic sites of the Moteng Valley, which have yielded evidence of human habitation in these parts of Lesotho since at least the Stone Age. Today, visitors can come and explore the unique history of the Liphofung Caves, where a well-rounded visitor’s center now offers an insight into the old Basotho kings and the ins and outs of traditional Basotho craft culture.
7. Leribe
Also known by the name of the river that fringes the north and south of the town (Hlotse), little, laid-back Leribe is the place to go for a glimpse of authentic Basotho life. Set right on the Lesotho-South Africa border in the north of the country, its wide, sun-baked streets are lined with low-rise shacks and tin homes. Some draws include the local marketplace, the Leribe Craft Center (loaded with handmade fabrics and wools), and one or two historic wartime lookout points (dating from the years of English colonialism). There are also English-style statues peppering the squares and a pretty Anglican church to see.
8. Butha-Buthe
The gateway to the northern passes, the northern “city” of Butha-Buthe touts easy access to the prehistoric wonders of the Moteng Valley, some of the country’s most dramatic mountain roads, and the aforementioned Afriski ski resort to boot. However, the town itself is also worth a little attention, thanks largely to the natural rock fortresses on its edges. These once helped the Basotho kings fend of Zulu invaders, and still offer some breathtaking views over the roofs of the city and surrounding district.
9. Thaba Bosiu
You could be forgiven for thinking that you’d been transported to the hoodoo-spiked lands of Arizona or Mexico when you first behold this vast and flat stretch of desert-like sandstone that dominates the landscape between the Orange and Caledon Rivers. But no, this is still Lesotho, and the two square kilometers of elevated space offered by the Thaba Bosiu plateau represents the historic natural fortress of the Basotho tribe, while the spot also served as a stronghold during the Basuto Wars, and against the Boers during the Basotho conflicts with the Orange Free State in the 1850s.
10. Ha Kome
The awesome Ha Kome cave houses of Lesotho’s Berea District are surely one of the most striking wonders in the country. Carved directly from the rock faces of the surrounding mountains, they can be found hiding between the valleys close to the village of Mateka. A truly earthy and interesting look at traditional family living in this part of Africa, the structures are still inhabited by the descendants of those who built them almost 200 years ago. Come and meet the cave dwellers and take a tour of the on-site Ha Kome Visitors Centre, which unravels the heritage of these curious highland settlements.
11. Mohale
Mohale is a beautiful place. Sprawled over the sculpted mountains right in the heart of the country, it’s enveloped by sweeping highland panoramas on all sides. And while there are only a few who come to enjoy the less-popular trekking away from Bokong and Tsehlanyane, most these days will flock into the region for a glimpse of the award-winning Mohale Dam. Intended as a backup to the aforementioned Katse Dam, this awesome structure counts a whopping 145 meters in height and bridges a wide crest on the Senqunyane River of more than 700 meters in total!
12. Mafeteng
Once a hot point of conflict during the Gun Wars of the late 19th century, and then subsequently a working mill town, little Mafeteng makes its home south of the Basotho capital and close to the border with South Africa to the west. A place at once industrial and historic, it’s known for its flair for local famo music, and has a clutch of good hotels, local eateries and bars besides. Mafeteng is also a convenient stopover if you’re making a beeline for the border at Wepener, or going deeper into the mountains, to spots like Malealea, or to the cultural attractions of Morija just to the north.
13. Teyateyaneng
The gateway to the great mountains of the Berea District, where ancient San tribal cave paintings hide between the rocks and monolith villages – still inhabited, mind you – emerge from the dusty cliffs, Teyateyaneng (often conveniently referred to as just T.Y) is one of Lesotho’s more enthralling and interesting highway towns. It’s known for its earthy local craft markets, which boom with wood carvings and traditional costumes throughout the week. There are also weaving galleries and the occasional mountain tavern to enjoy. And the city is a great option for further explorations into Ha Kome and Hlotse.
14. Morija
Famed for its other moniker – the Selibeng sa Thut – Morija is something like Lesotho’s answer to England’s Cambridge or the US’s Massachusetts. Long a center for learning, it’s considered the go to place to unravelling the mysteries and histories of the Basotho culture and past. The main institution has to be the acclaimed Morija Museum and Archives, which contains fascinating relics that detail episodes of the Gun Wars, the Boer War and English colonialism in these parts. The town is also the host of an annual arts and culture event, which brings traditional dance, live music and performances to the streets.
15. Sehlabathebe National Park
The paradise on the tops of the Maloti Mountains, Sehlabathebe National Park occupies around 68 square kilometers on the very roof of Lesotho. It’s actually joined at the hip with the Maloti-Drakensberg Park National Park across the border in South Africa, and boasts the same breathtaking vistas of rolling highland savannah, wild flower meadows and verdant valleys overlooked by craggy faces of primeval stone. Intrepid travelers flock here to ride across the plateaus on horseback, encounter semi-nomadic tribal peoples, and embark on some of the most beautiful trekking trails in the entire Qacha’s Nek region.
TRAVEL INSURANCE:
You’ll need to buy appropriate travel insurance covering your participation on the program. You won’t be able to go without the right travel insurance so double check to avoid disappointment. Please make sure that you’re covered for the whole duration of your trip – from the day you leave your home to the day you return. Buy here Now
