Lake Letsie

The largest natural freshwater body in Lesotho, remote and little-visited Lake Letsie is a true off-the-beaten-track scenic gem that will prove particularly rewarding to birdwatchers.

A gorgeous Alpine lake set an at an altitude of above 3,000m, Letsie occupies a grassy 800ha valley enclosed surrounded by rocky heather-clad slopes that bloom bright yellow in spring. Not only is it the kingdom’s only Ramsar protected wetland, but it also forms the centrepiece of the Letseng-la-Letsie Nature Reserve. It is an important catchment area that filters the source of the Quthing River, a major tributary of the Senqu (Orange).

Birders are in for a treat. The endangered Cape vulture soars overhead, occasionally joined by the even rarer bearded vulture, and the likes of Verreaux’s eagle, jackal buzzard and lesser kestrel. The inundated grassland around the lake is a favoured haunt of blue crane, southern bald ibis and black harrier, all of which are regional endemics, and it is also visited seasonally by European stork and wattled crane. The lake’s shallows are a magnet for waterfowl and waders, including the lovely black-winged stilt and pied avocet, while the surrounding slopes support such highland specials as Drakensberg rockjumper, ground woodpecker, yellow-breasted pipit and Drakensberg siskin. Mammals are scarcer, but you might well see the endearing rock hyrax and Sloggett’s ice rat on rocky outcrops.

An added attraction of Lake Letsie is the spectacular but occasionally challenging dirt road that connects it to Mount Moorosi via the Makoae River. For keen walkers, an excellent add-on to Lake Letsie is the four-hour round hike to the Majoana Mabedi Falls, which ranks among the most spectacular waterfalls in Lesotho, its twin streams plunging more than 100m into a sheer-sided ravine.

Travel tips

Sleeping: There is nowhere to stay at Lake Letsie. The closest accommodation is Mount Moorosi Chalets, which offers basic self-catering facilities two hours’ drive to the northwest along a rough road that requires high clearance and ideally 4x4. More remotely, hotel and guesthouse accommodation can be found in the towns of Quthing and Qacha’s Nek.

Eating: Best bring a picnic lunch, as the closest restaurants are in Mount Moorosi and Quthing.

Access: The scenic 60km dirt road from Mount Moorosi takes up to two hours. A shorter (around 22km) but rougher dirt road connects the lake to the junction village of Mphaki on the A4 between Quthing and Qacha’s Nek. Allow up to three hours each way if you visit as a day trip from either Quthing or Qacha’s Nek. The approach road to the lake requires high clearance and ideally 4x4. Snow is a possibility in midwinter.

Preparations: Guides can usually be arranged at the Visitors' Centre just outside the entrance to Letseng-la-Letsie Nature Reserve. Mount Moorosi Chalets can also arrange visits and the guides there know the hiking route to Majoana Mabedi Falls.