2 Hotels and Resorts in Lesotho

Lesotho is a true R&R destination, with a laidback pace of life, wide open spaces to explore, and a sunny yet cool climate. Outdoor adventures include pony trekking (with some mountainous and cave villages still only reachable this way), hiking to waterfalls, climbing cliff faces and camping in beautiful valleys.

Lesotho uses the loti (LSL), with South African rand also accepted as legal tender. Cash can be withdrawn at bank ATMs, while credit cards are widely accepted at hotels.

Lesotho has 300 days of sunshine a year, with highs of 27°C in summer and lows of near freezing during winter, especially at high altitude where it can snow. During the summer months of December to February, there are occasional rainstorms, although these are brief and followed by sun.

Moshoeshoe I International Airport in Maseru has daily direct flights from Johannesburg. Alternatively, driving over the border is very common.

Laidback Maseru is where most travellers will begin and end their journey. And Lesotho is in fact small enough that you can base yourself here, making day trips around the country. For an introduction to Lesotho’s unique history, start at Thaba Bosiu, the mountain fortress of King Moshoeshoe I just half an hour outside the capital, with historic ruins, a museum and cultural village.

Almost all of Lesotho is ideal for hiking and pony trekking, but if you want to combine your route with some sightseeing, head to the Maletsunyane Falls, like something out of Jurassic Park, the Ha Baroana Caves with their famous San paintings, or the Makhoarane Plateau in search of dinosaur footprints. All are within a few hours’ drive of Maseru.

Lesotho’s food is very much farm to table, with grains, beans and leafy greens grown locally serving as staples of most meals. A must-try is traditional likhobe stew, as well as the deliciously named fat cake, a type of doughnut sold by street vendors for breakfast.

The annual Morija Arts & Cultural Festival is a multi-day celebration of music, dance, poetry and storytelling. Held in the historic town of Morija, you can attend concerts and exhibitions, learn weaving and beadwork, buy arts and crafts, and enjoy traditional cuisine, all in a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere.

Minor Hotels has two Avanis in Maseru, Avani Lesotho Hotel & Casino, one of the oldest and most storied hotels in the city, and Avani Maseru Hotel, still central but with a resort feel on the banks of the Celadon River. Both are lush green with great recreational facilities.