Lesotho

Lesotho is a landlocked country and enclave — entirely surrounded by South Africa. It is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 meters above sea level. Its lowest point is 1,400 meters and over 80% of the country lies above 1,800 meter.

Lesotho offers the chance to enjoy Africa’s majestic beauty, the simplicity of a mountain people, and a serene quality of life for discerning travelers from all over the world.

Known as the Kingdom in the Sky it is building a reputation as a fantastic adventure holiday destination. The Basotho people are very friendly and welcoming, the country is relatively safe and politically stable.

It offers a magnificent opportunity to explore nature still little changed by man, still unspoilt by crowds of tourists, and to appreciate the untamed but beautiful landscapes of the soaring Maluti and Drakensberg mountains.

Highlights of the country include:
* Maletsunyane Falls — in the Lesotho highlands it is Southern Africa's highest single drop waterfall. If you're very adventurous you could also do the world's highest commercial abseil off the 200m high cliff! It is located close to Semonkong.
* Morija — a quaint little town with the great Morija Museum and dinosaur footprints of the Lesothosaurus
* Katse Dam — the stunning 185m dam wall is part of a larger water scheme to sell water to South Africa and produce electricity for Lesotho. The beauty of this award-winning feat of engineering is eclipsed, however, by the surrounding mountains and rural countryside.
* Thaba Bosiu — the mountain stronghold where the great warrior and diplomat King Moeshoeshoe the Great established the Kingdom of Lesotho, 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.

Population:
2,128,180

Languages:
Sesotho (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa

Capital
Maseru

Time
GMT + 2

Electricity
220/30 volts AC, 50Hz; 15-amp round pin plugs are in use.

Money
Lesotho's currency, the Loti (LSL) (plural Maloti), is fixed at a 1:1 ratio with the South African Rand (ZAR). South African currency is accepted everywhere - there is no need to change money. However you will get Maloti in change (unless you ask) which is very difficult to change in South Africa.

There are ATMs at banks in most towns, but not elsewhere. Most banks will change travellers cheques for you, but it can be a very lengthy process if they in any other currency then Rand (ZAR).

Credit cards are not widely accepted.

Visa
Citizens of most Commonwealth countries, Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, European states and the US will be granted a free entry permit, valid for 30 days.

Your passport needs to be valid for another six month and you need at least two blank pages. The proof of a return or onward ticket or your future travel plans might be asked, but this should not be a problem.

Climate
The weather conditions in summer are ideal for camping and enjoying the outdoors. Rain, however, will also fall during these months. Temperatures range between 18C and 30C, from the coolness of the highlands to the warmth of the lowlands.

The winters, however, can be very cold and any outdoor activities, especially in the highlands, should be avoided.

Health
The HIV/Aids incidence rate in Lesotho is one of the highest in the world. As visiting anywhere 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.

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 South Africa.

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. Remember Lesotho's air is very dry and everyone will suffer from dry skin.