Blog (walking) - Lesotho

Although Lesotho lacks the prolific big game associated with larger African countries, some 350 bird, 60 mammal and 20 reptile species have been recorded within the kingdom’s borders. This list includes several endemic lizards as well as roughly half of those highland bird species whose natural range is restricted to South Africa, Lesotho and/or Swaziland. These are five of the many ‘Lesotho specials’ that visitors might want to look out for.

Lesotho and the neighbouring uKhahlamba-Drakensberg in South Africa constitute a hub of floral biodiversity comprising more than 2,000 plant indigenous plant species of which 30 percent occur nowhere else in the world. Most visible among these is a kaleidoscopic array of spring and summer wildflowers, but the floral landscape of Lesotho has much to offer at all times of year. Eight of Lesotho’s most interesting plants are described below; most can be seen in the Katse Botanical Garden, which was created in 1995 to protect the country’s vulnerable Alpine flora.

The unfenced highlands and myriad bridle paths of Lesotho offer a wealth of hiking opportunities. These range from short and relatively easy sightseeing strolls to full-day ascents of the lofty peaks of the Maloti-Drakensberg UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here are five of our favourites, starting from the easiest to the most challenging.