Eastern Lesotho Village Experience


Please have a look at this article

Sani Lodge Backpackers and Drakensberg Adventures along with all their staff and guides are greatly saddened at the passing away of Ntate Thabiso Nkune, our partner in many of our Lesotho tours. Our condolences to his family and community. (Please read the obituary here)

The Eastern Lesotho Village Experience can be done as either a 2 day or a three day tour. The three day option allows you to get totally immersed in the community and culture and will allow you to get into the opace of life in the mountains. You will feel like part of the community when it is time to leave!

The tour starts at 9am from Sani Lodge. We travel the spectacular 4x4 track up the Sani Pass and into Lesotho. From Sani Top, we drive about 50km into Lesotho, over Black Mountain Pass (at 3240m, the second highest road pass in Lesotho) and down the Sehonghong river valley, through rugged scenery. We have lunch by a set of lovely swimming spots in the river, and then head on into typical highland village country. See the picturesque Basotho rondavels, fields ploughed by oxen on steep gradients, shepherds with their flocks of sheep and goats and Basotho riders, blanket-clad on their sturdy ponies. By early afternoon, we arrive at Matsoaing village, the home of our hosts for a day, the Nkune family. This hospitable family will do their best to help you gain an insight into the unique culture of this mountain kingdom.


Our program there will include:

  • Meeting the family and being shown around the home area
  • Being shown your quarters and settling in
  • Traditional Basotho dancing and singing
  • See traditional Basotho artefacts
  • Eating traditional meals with the family
  • A visit to the local primary school
  • A walk in the area and a look at a typical highlands village
  • A visit to a local ngaka (traditional healer)
  • Seeing local agriculture in action
  • On the 3 day trip, there is also time for a visit to the nearby highlands town of Mokhotlong.

    • An optional horseride hiring horses from local villagers
      (Cost is R60pp for a two hour ride plus the cost of the guide which is R210. The guiding rate is shared by all those who do the ride.)

    After lunch on, we take our leave of the Nkunes and start the journey back to Sani Lodge. We'll stop off for a drink at the Highest Pub in Africa at Sani Top. Return to Sani Lodge by 5pm. The father of the house, Ntate Thabiso was Drakensberg Adventuresí long time partner in tourism in Lesotho. Together, we pioneered this tour and the ground-breaking community-based tourism approach upon which it is built. Ntate Thabiso had diabetes, and in recent years, his health declined. Sadly, in October 2011, he passed away at home and will be sadly missed. His family are, however, determined to carry on with his work and with this tour.

    REQUIRED: VALID PASSPORT(Please click here for Lesotho visa requirements)

    YOU BRING:     Please download the KIT LIST FOR VILLAGE EXPERIENCE (click on the links)

    Please have a look at our tour map or download Tour Brochure pdf file