4 incredible gems of Lesotho
By: Daniel

Morija

Morija is one of Lesotho’s most important historical and cultural sites, known as the Selibeng sa Thut — the Well-Spring of Learning. It was the site of the first French Protestant mission in Lesotho, founded in 1833. The town also houses the Morija Museum and Archives, well known for supporting research and preserving valuable records and documents of Lesotho’s history.

Tim Couzens' novel Murder at Morija tells of the 1920 poisoning of one of Lesotho's first missionaries. It's well worth a read before you visit! Although do note that it is highly unlikely that you will be poisoned on your visit.

Go hiking, mountain climbing, village walks, pony-trekking, village sleepover and tailor-made tours all organised and arranged by Morija Guest House, check the dinosaur footprints in the hills above the town.

Sehlabathebe National Park

The Sehlabathebe National Park is located in the Maloti Mountains in Qacha's Nek District, and is part of the larger Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area. Home to both striking biological diversity as well as important cultural heritage, the park was first established on May 8, 1969.

An incredible place for hiking with rare wildlife, impressive waterfalls, and ancient rock paintings and stone shelters.

Thaba Bosiu

Thaba Bosiu is the mountain stronghold from where King Moeshoeshoe established and ruled over the Kingdom of Lesotho in the 19th Century, fighting off wave after wave of attacks by white settlers and hostile African armies. Still today, the Kings and Queens of Lesotho are buried here.

The place is basically a hill 10km kilometers from Maseru and is worth a visit if you are looking for an easy day trip from Maseru - there is an information centre where a guide will give you a run down of the history of King Moshoeshoe and the birth of the Basotho nation and then you can climb up and explore on your own.

Bokong Nature Reserve

It contains Afro-alpine wetlands at the sources of the Bokong and Lepaqoa rivers, plus montane grassland and patches of heathland boulder beds, both of which are regular haunts for Vaal rhebuck. The reserve's highlight, however, is the Lepaqoa Waterfall, which freezes in winter to form a column of ice.

The reserve's entrance is next to the visitors' centre, signposted left off the highway beyond the Mafika Lisiu Pass. Perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Lepaqoa Valley, the visitor centre has a picnic site and interpretative trail to the top of the Lepaqoa Falls, as well as guides and horses for hire. There is also a two- to three-day hike along the alpine plateau to Ts'ehlanyane National Park to the north. Camping is possible throughout the reserve, and there are also two stone-and-thatch rondavels close to the falls.