Lesotho Things to Do

 
by CatherineReichardt
 
  •   Things to Do
    by CatherineReichardt
  •   Things to Do
    by CatherineReichardt
  •   Things to Do
    by CatherineReichardt
  •   Things to Do
    by CatherineReichardt
  •   Things to Do
    by CatherineReichardt
 
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Meet the albino Rastas of Lesotho!

by CatherineReichardt

Wherever you venture in the mountains of Lesotho, it won't be long before you stumble across a herd of angora goats with their characteristic white 'dreadlocked' coats.Lesotho used to have a thriving mohair industry in the late 20th century, but poor management of the sector - particularly with respect to shearing and distribution - saw the industry decline towards the millenium, causing a resultant downswing in the weaving industry.At the time of writing (February 2012), the Lesotho Treasury was funding the initial phase of a project to "focus on the improving of farming practices, state support services and infrastructure to farmers, and the development of a Wool and Mohair enterprise value chain, all in effort to significantly augment the contribution of the sector to the Lesotho economy".One of the challenges for the Lesotho mohair industry is the relatively low wool yield per...

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Unusual figure on a royal grave, Thaba Bosiu

by CatherineReichardt

The royal cemetery atop Thaba Bosiu is a very special place in many ways, but the aspect that most intrigued me was this near life size carved figure on one of the graves.Other than being a rather endearing depiction, what really piqued my curiosity was the fact that seldom - if ever - are such three dimensional figures included on graves in Southern Africa. I have seen this in places in Madagascar, but never in this part of the world, and the fact that only one grave was decorated in this manner was particularly intriguing.If anyone knows any more about this, I'd be fascinated to learn more!

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The Basotho Hat: a peculiar Maseru landmark

by CatherineReichardt

The Basotho hat is a distinctive element of Basotho national dress that doesn't look like any other sort of hat I've ever seen elsewhere. It is a curious conical structure woven out of grass and usually is topped by some sort of ornamentation - as immortalised in this bizarre building that has been part of the Maseru landscape since the 1960s.Rather than having been relegated to a tourist curio like so many other aspects of national dress elsewhere, the Basotho hat is still surprisingly common in the rural areas. When I first arrived in Johannesburg in the late 1980s - at a time when air conditioning was not a standard feature in cheaper cars - it was quite common (and just a trifle subversive) to place a pair of Basotho hats on the shelf behind your backseat to protect the speakers of your car stereo system from direct sunlight, although this fashion has since passed ...Of course a...

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Join the faithful at Maseru's Catholic cathedral

by CatherineReichardt

Lesotho is a dominantly Catholic country: about 45% of the population are Catholic, which distinguishes it yet further from its neighbour, South Africa, which is staunchly Protestant. The Catholic cathedral in Maseru (at the end of Kingsway) is one of the largest - if not the largest - building in the city, and is indicative of the large number of practicing Catholics in the city.Lesotho's Catholicism stems from the fact that it was evangelised by French missionaries in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They established their headquarters at Motse-oa-'M'a-Jesu (the Village of the Mother of Jesus), the site of the present day town of Roma, about 35km south east of Maseru - which was the first home of the National University of Lesotho and still hosts three seminaries.Lesotho is also well on its way to having its first 'home grown' saint, the Blessed Joseph Gérard, a French-born member of...

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Pony trekking at Sani Top

by CatherineReichardt

Even if you've never ridden a horse in your life, you simply can't visit Lesotho and not have a go at riding a Basotho pony! Experiencing the mountains from horseback is very different to watching the landscape slip by through a car window, and being on a pony gives you the opportunity to explore Lesotho's extensive network of bridle paths which crosscross areas that are inaccessible by vehicle.The Basotho pony is an extraordinarily resiliant breed that is renowned for its endurance and sure footedness - both qualities that make it ideal for negotiating Lesotho's challenging terrain. They are small, stocky animals with stoic temperaments, and little seems to faze them ... ideal for first time riders! There are many pony trekking options in Lesotho, starting with a gentle hour's trek where inexperienced riders can opt to be lead by the reins. At the other end of the spectrum, it's...

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Follow in the footsteps of Lesothosaurus!

by CatherineReichardt

When I was little, Crosse & Blackwell cleverly tried to establish a competitive advantage amongst their family consumer base by developing a label for their baked bean cans which featured a dinosaur in the reverse side. For a small fee (sixpence in old money, I think?), you could write away for an album in which to display your dinosaurs, and from that moment, I was hooked.This was clearly an extraordinarily successful campaign as over four decades later, I still have the (exceedingly battered) album and have never managed to kick my fascination with dinosaurs, although I have to confess that as C&B baked beans are unfortunately not available in South Africa, I have reluctantly defected to their bitter rival, Heinz. I married a man who was even more passionate on the subject than I, and so our kids were left with little choice but to become dinosaur enthusiasts in their own right!One of...

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Lesotho's streams and dams offer excellent fishing

by CatherineReichardt

One of Lesotho's great attractions is the opportunity to pursue outdoors activities in a relatively unspoilt environment.The same advantage was apparent to the first white setllers, who had to be of the "huntin', shootin', fishin'" mould to survive somewhere so remote and cut off from centres of civilisation. Unfortunately Lesotho's terrain and climate is too extreme to support much in the way of large game - eland were not considered particularly good sport - so the delights were largely restricted to shooting small game (partridge and francolin) and fishing.Lesotho's rivers already hosted native species such as yellowfish (also known as 'scalies', which sound like a mildly contagiousskin condition), but these were not considered sufficiently 'sporting' by the new arrivals. One of the most formidable pioneers of remote eastern Lesotho, Major Harry Smith, therefore took it upon himself...

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The grave of Moshoeshoe I: founder of Thaba Bosiu

by CatherineReichardt

In most country's history there are one or two towering figures who overshadow the rest. In Lesotho, that man is the extraordinary paramount chief, Moshoeshoe I, and although there have been two leaders with the same name, the first is so legendary that he seldom requires a number to distinguish him.Let's start with the name first - despite the spelling, Moshoeshoe doesn't have the slightest echo of footwear and is pronounced 'mo-shesh- shway'. This was not his birth name, but was given to him by a praise singer as a young adult after he organised a highly successful cattle raid against a long term foe. The name is onomatopoeic - that is, imitates the sound it describes - and derives from the sound of Moshoeshoe (figuratively) shaving his defeated enemy's beard! Moshoeshoe was the founder of the modern Basotho nation, which he gathered together in 1818. Moshoeshoe's people comprised a...

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Explore Moshoeshoe's mountain fortress

by CatherineReichardt

As long as I have been visiting Lesotho, I have wanted to visit Moshoeshoe's mountain fortress of Thaba Bosiu, but the opportunity had never presented itself until now. Often when you wait a long time to do something, the reality can be somewhat underwhelming after all the anticipation. However, in the case of visiting Thaba Bosiu, I can happily report that it was well worth waiting a quarter of a century for!The initial part of Moshoeshoe's long reign in particular was characterised by intense intertribal conflict, and the Basotho found themselves being attacked by warlike neighbours - particularly the Batlokoa, an especially troublesome lot from what is now the Harrismith region on Lesotho's northern border. In the early 1820s, an impressively intimidating 40,000 Batlokoa besieged Moshoeshoe and his troops in his mountain stronghold of Butha Buthe, and after rebuffing their enemy in...

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Explore the Mokhotlong valley before it's flooded

by CatherineReichardt

I am happy to concede that the Lesotho Highlands Water scheme has brought great benefits to Lesotho, particularly in terms of improved infrastructure and much needed foreign exchange. However, it could be argued that the much greater benefits - in terms of water security and hydroelectic power generation - have accrued to Lesotho's 'big brother' South Africa, which has experienced little of the associated downside.However, such development comes at a high price. Lesotho has an acute shortage of flat land - and even less arable land - outside the narrow western lowlands, and the only area where it is possible to grow crops is possible is adjacent to rivers, which provide relatively flat topography and water supply. Sadly, these are exactly the areas that are sacrificed when a valley is flooded to create a dam.At present (2012), the Highlands scheme has resulted in the construction of the...

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Fun things to do in Lesotho

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Q:  I am finalising my travel trip on South Africa -Lesotho -Swaziland. I have applied for a Visa for Lesotho and South Africa, but... 

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A: Pretoria is a city about 50 or so north-east of Jo'burg. I can't make any comments on local transport as we got there by car, and this was quite a few years ago now. If... 

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