edit Lesotho Travel Guide

By plane

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

The HIV/Aids incidence rate in Lesotho is one of the highest in the world. Do not have unprotected sex.

Consult a doctor as to which vaccinations you will require, but they will most likely include Hep A, Hep B, Rabies, Typhoid.

Tropical diseases such as Malaria, Yellow fever and Bilharzia are not present in Lesotho.

It is a very good idea to carry some sterile needles and dressing in your first aid kit - the hospitals throughout Lesotho are not of a very high standard.

If you do have any serious health problems whilst in Lesotho, get in contact with your country's embassy either in Maseru, or in most cases, in Pretoria in South Africa, as there are very good hospitals across the border in SA which the expatriates use.

Lesotho is at a very high altitude, and the air is very thin especially in the Highlands, be warned that you may suffer from altitude sickness when you first arrive. Drink a lot of water and keep covered up, as it gets very hot in the sun in the summer!

The water in Lesotho is not clean and should not be drunk untreated. Be warned about street vendors who sell fizzy drinks as these are usually in unclean reused glass bottles.

Pack moisturiser! Lesotho's air is very dry and everyone will suffer from dry skin!

By taxi

As with most of Africa the minibus 'taxi' (aka combi / Toyota Hiace) is the transport of the people. Also available are regular taxis (you phone, they pick you up) and 4+1s - these now have a yellow stripe down the side and squeeze in 4 passengers and will take you in the direction of the other travellers. In minibus taxi's be sure you are clear on where the minibus is going (there should be a sign in the front windscreen), you'll be asked for money after a minute or two, with money being passed down the minibus - try to get the front seat by the driver for more leg room. Prices are fixed by the government and so shouldn't be more than R2-3 in Maseru, up to R50 for long distance (eg Mokhotlong). There is a risk of 'overcharge the white guy' - ask the other passengers if you are not sure of the price.

Maseru however is so small that you can walk to most places and at night proper telephone taxis are the only option available.

Minibus taxis operate with a driver and a conductor who arranges people to get on, and also collects money.

Be warned, the way the Minibus taxis are so cheap is because of the way they fit so many people in! Don't be surprised to see kids sitting on laps four or five high, or to told to have large amounts of luggage on your lap or wedged in around you.

The Minibus taxis tend to be poorly maintained and are not insured.

However, very few accidents involving taxis happen in Maseru.

At night it is inadvisable to travel out on foot - get a proper taxi for anything more than a short walk.

Intercity travel by taxi will cost no more than 50 LSL for a single way ticket, and inner city minibus taxi rides will cost you around 2.50 LSL (4+1s will cost you 20 LSL for the whole car, no matter how many are with you, provided its within a city.)

Always check the cost of a taxi before you get in, especially with 4+1s, as they take payment at the end, and often will try and dupe you into paying more than the going rate.

It is often worth negotiating to hire a whole taxi if you are a large group, as it can be a lot cheaper.

Finding a taxi

Upon arrival in one of the main towns, you will notice that all the minibuses are hooting their horns, which is to signal that they have space for more passengers. To flag one down, just wave to a taxi as it approaches, the conductor (who will be leaning out of the window on the kerbside of the van) will usually be shouting the destination of the taxi. If you are not sure it will be going where you want to go, ask before you get on!

In Maseru, there is a place called Stoppo on Moeshoeshoe Road, near to the Shoprite by The Circle / Cathedral. This is where all the minibus taxis leave from, and if you want a taxi out of town, you should head here. However, it is a very busy and bustling place, heaving with people, so it is often easier to pick up a taxi a bit before you reach the actual Stoppo, a good place is the layby just by the pedestrian bridge. This is a far safer place for a tourist to pick up a taxi as pickpocketings are quite common in Stoppo.

By car

It is also possible to hire a car and travel around, the Sun hotels in Maseru both have hire car places, as does the airport. If you hire your car in South Africa (probably cheaper than hiring in Lesotho) be sure to get permission to take the car across into Lesotho (the hire car insurance may not cover Lesotho).

But it's nowhere near as fun as getting up close to the locals and chatting with them!

You don't need a 4x4 to see the main sights in Lesotho - for the average visitor only the road to Semonkong will need a 4x4. The road is tarred to Mokhotlong (via Leribe) and is now tarred all the way to Qacha's Nek going south from Maseru. In the towns some side roads are unsealed but you can bump along in a saloon easily enough - If heading off in to the mountains on unsealed roads (eg to the Kao diamond mine) then a 4x4 is a must. The same goes for Thaba Tseka and going up or down the Sani pass.

When driving it's not advisable to stop at junctions or traffic lights at night - there is a very small chance of something nasty happening.

By plane

Some of the places you might want to visit will be in the Highlands and to get right into the heart of the Highlands, you will either need to hike or fly. Mission Aviation operate flights as part of their work in Lesotho, and also offer charter flights. It is fairly expensive but you really get to appreciate how mountainous the country is!

Mission Aviation are contactable on tel: 2232 5699, and are based at Moeshoeshoe I airport in Maseru, just off Airport Road.