Getting Around Lesotho

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One would think that the road conditions in Lesotho are poor due to its location and poverty. Think again! The roads are not only one of the best engineering master pieces one could come across with; with mountain passes over 3000 meters in altitude; and they are in perfect conditions.
The roads from Butha Buthe to Katse, from Butha Buthe to Maseru, from Thaba Tseka to Mohale and Maseru, from Maseru to Morija, Mafeteng, Mohales Hoek and Moyeni onto Qachas Neck are all perfectly tarred and maintained. On a recent trip through Lesotho we took a normal sedan car and were surprised how well maintained the roads are!

The best advice would be to hire a 4x4 for getting around the country as the roads in Lesotho are on the whole quite rough. If you don't have a 4x4 vehicle you will not be allowed to drive up the Sani Pass from S.Africa into Lesotho. Our vehicles and drivers were hired from the Cape Town based "Just Done It" 4x4 tours company.

If you plan to drive via sani pass, be aware that it is possible only with a 4WD or otherwise you will get into trouble. Also some too heavy vehicles or city 4WD that wasn’t really meant for rough roads might get stuck on the way up.

While you could probably get around Lesotho without it, having four good wheels pushing you along is quite the useful assistant, especially in the winter with snow and ice on the dirt roads, or if it rains.

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If you're driving around, get a topographic map of Lesotho. Though the 'latest' edition is ten years old, it is well worth the investment. Many hotels and lodges stock them, most definitely Malealea Lodge. With it you'll be able to track your progress quite accurately and anticipate certain things like river crossings and steep inclines. It'll also help you discover out of the way roads that may not be indicated on ordinary road maps.

Lesotho has about a dozen border posts where you can enter from South Africa. Most of them are open from 8am-4pm, with the ones that are busy open till 10pm. The most popular border posts are those from Bethlehem and Fouriesburg in South Africa. Sometimes it's better to go via a smaller border post that has less traffic, and the roads are more quiet and interesting. Sepupas Gate near Wepener is a small post with good access roads on both sides. If you have access to a four wheel drive vehicle Sani Pass and Qachas Nek are good choices for entering and having fun at the same time. Monantha Pass is a remote border post in the north east that is a nice drive leading into Lesotho. It doesn't have a Lesotho border post for some reason.

Petrol and diesel if fairly widely available in Lesotho, especially the larger towns. In smaller ones the 'petrol station' may be an interesting place. It's best to fill up when passing a station, especially if you're driving a thirsty four wheel drive. It's also a good place to catch up on the quality of the roads from fellow travellers.

While only 20% of the roads in Lesotho are tarred, there are portions that have deteriorated so badly that they can hardly be described as 'tarred'. The section between Mokhotlong and Oxbow varies from excellent to 'gone back to dirt road'. Seems this section was badly constructed in the first place. Having said all that, the main roads are all in excellent condition, expecially the section towards Katse Dam, and can be travelled by any vehicle.

The dirt roads vary widely in quality, with some sections not qualifying as a road by rather as a collection of potholes. The rule of thumb is to avoid dirt roads during wet weather, or to enquire from people who had travelled the road recently. Don't take the word of locals - non-drivers - as gospel, as they will inevitably say the roads are 'a little good'.