Major Tourist Attractions Around Lesotho

Lesotho is the ideal place for the adventurous and nature loving person. It is a paradise for backpackers and bold drivers. If you are fond of history and architecture, this is not the best of places.

Maseru has a laid back feel to it – just drift along with it and take in the National Museum, the Hat Craft Shop and the Royal Palace. When you’ve done this round, remember the most interesting trip is waiting for you in a surrounding village – "Phomolong". It gives you a look and feel of the way the traditional village was.

16km east of Maseru is the Thaba Bosiu, the mountain stronghold of King Mashoueshoue in the 18th century. The most important historical site of the country, Thaba Boisu means "Mountain at Night". Thanks to the geography of the place, it never fell to an invader and survived regular attacks for 40 years. The Qilaone Pinnacle here is conical in shape and inspired the famous "Basotho Hat" that is worn all over the country.

Teyateyaneng, "the place of quicksand", is also known as Ty. No, it isn’t meant for a sightseeing trip of the quicksand, but for the excellent traditional art and craft industries developed there by the government. 30km away from Maseru, it is well connected by minibuses and taxis. 2km from Ty is the Helang Basali Craft Centre in the St Agnes Mission – an absolute must if you want to see some of the world’s finest tapestries.

Halfway between Butha Buthe and Leribe are the famous Subeng River Dinosaur Footprints. You have to walk to see this sight because the footprints are not signposted, although the river is. Check out the footprints of at least three species of dinosaurs on the right bank, about 15km downstream. If you are driving around Lesotho, you must put this into your itinerary.

Lesotho’s only National Park, Sehlathebe, is remote and rugged. The park has guided horseback tours and plenty of climbs and hikes, but few animals and some rare birds. Driving to the park during the rains can be a risky proposition. There are frequent chartered flights from Maseru to Ha Paulus, a village near the Park. For booking your accommodation at the park, contact the Conservation Division in the Ministry of Agriculture building, Maseru (Tel: 323600, ext 30).

Mahletsunyane Falls is a visual delight, especially in summer, thundering from a height of 200m. It is a great walk from Semonkong and will take you 1-½ hours at a reasonable speed. Pony trekking and hiking are possible activities here.