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Lesotho is a fantastic destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Often referred to as the "Switzerland of Africa”, it offers a superb array of hiking, mountaineering, pony trekking, skiing, abseiling, birdwatching, boating and fishing opportunities in a gorgeous highland setting where burnished sandstone escarpments stand sentinel over undulating green meadows scattered with colourful wildflowers.
One of the world’s most mountainous countries, Lesotho is a democratic kingdom that gained independence from Britain in 1966, prior to which it was called Basutoland. It extends over 30,355 square kilometres, roughly the same size as Belgium or the US state of Maryland, though it is less densely inhabited than either, with a total population of 2.1 million. It is also somewhat more mountainous - indeed, despite its relatively small size, Lesotho owns bragging rights to the highest peak in Southern Africa in the form of the 3,482-metre Thabana Ntlenyana.
Lesotho is unique in several respects. It is the only nation in the world to lie entirely above the 1,000m contour (the kingdom’s lowest point is 1,388m) and the only independent state other than the cities of Monaco and the Vatican to be enclosed entirely within another country (namely, South Africa). One of three remaining monarchies in Africa, it is also the continent’s most culturally and linguistically homogenous state, with an astonishing 99.7 percent of the population identifying as Basotho and speaking the Sesotho tongue.
The breathtaking highland vistas that characterise Lesotho are complemented by crisp fresh mountain air associated with low levels of industrialisation and pollution. A scarcity of civilisation's other trappings, such as landlords and fences, create an ideal environment for hiking, pony trekking and birdwatching among the rural Basotho, whose traditional culture places a high premium on welcoming strangers.
Lesotho’s ancient history can be explored at leisure with visits to San rock art sites, dinosaur footprints and cultural villages where the rich local culture of the Basotho people can be experienced. A good network of surfaced roads ensures that most main sites if interest can be reached in any vehicle, though it also still boasts some remote dirt roads where 4x4 enthusiasts will be in their gear-shifting element. Accommodation can be found in all regions, sometimes in the towns, sometimes on river banks, sometimes on mountain sides - while restaurants include the highest altitude pub anywhere in Africa.
The kingdom is home to the largest and most ambitious civil engineering project in the whole of Africa, Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which has harnessed and commercialized her up-stream surplus water sources - often referred to by the Basotho as their "White Gold". The main components in this project are Katse and Mohale Dams, a pair of engineering marvels that both offer guided tours to visitors.
