Most Popular, Day Tour
Standard Sani Pass Tour
A guided tour up the majestic Sani Pass, venturing as far into Lesotho as Black Mountain (3240m).
Welcome to Drakensberg Adventures!
The Sani Pass is the only vehicle route over the Drakensberg escarpment and into the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. It is a spectacular 4x4 track twisting and snaking its way through the rocky cliffs to the very roof of Africa. Situated at the base of the majestic Sani Pass, our tour company offers an extraordinary experience like no other. Our unique location holds historical significance as the home base and departure point for the first explorers to conquer the pass by vehicle. Honoring their indomitable spirit, we proudly continue their legacy by traversing these extraordinary landscapes in the iconic and timeless Land Rover Defender. We take pride in being at the forefront of responsible tourism, fostering positive impacts on the rural communities we visit in Lesotho. Join us for an awe-inspiring journey through breathtaking landscapes and cultural encounters you'll cherish forever.
LESOTHO TOURS
Choose from a variety of lengths and themes.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
Experience Fair Trade in Tourism in action. Your tour price includes a contribution to the Sani Top Basotho community. Our ground-breaking approach to grass-roots tourism means that your tour price directly benefits a wide segment of the local community, preserving cultural dignity and ensuring Fair remuneration for services rendered.
“Sani Lodge is the Silver Award Winner of African Responsible Tourism Award for Poverty Reduction 2018. Sani Lodge and Drakensberg Adventures in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa has made a major contribution to local livelihoods and poverty reduction over many years. By involving Basotho stakeholders, they have created opportunities for communities to proudly showcase their unique cultural practices, engaging with guests in an authentic manner, thereby earning their respect. They are the future of tourism in Africa”. ~ Judges
Three Day Tour
Combination Village Experience & Pony Trek or Village Hike
Combine the 2 day Pony Trek or Village Hike with the 2 day Eastern Lesotho Village Experience. A popular choice giving you the best of various tours!
GUIDED HIKES
A number of guided and self-guided hikes to choose from, suiting a variety of fitness levels.
PACKAGE DEALS
Experience it all at a bargain price.
HISTORY OF THE SANI PASS
Before the 1950's, it was a trail for pack animals to carry goods through to the isolated town of Mokhotlong in Eastern Lesotho. Now, the road carries 4x4 vehicles, though the odd donkey and horse can still be seen plodding slowly up the steep route. Crossing the border at the top of the pass, one enters not only another country (passports required), but another world. The Basotho have a unique African mountain culture, reminiscent of Tibet! People live in traditional rondavels (huts), herd goats and sheep in the high mountains and grow crops by ox-ploughing and hand-hoeing in a lifestyle fascinating for the visitor. Come and experience the wonders of the mountains. Visit Lesotho under your own steam, or on one of our tours. The South African border post opens at 6 am and closes at 6 pm.
MOUNTAIN KINGDOM OF LESOTHO
Lesotho is a little-known country. It is unique in several respects. It is the only “real” country completely surrounded by another country (South Africa). it is also the country with the highest lowest point in the world – the lowest point in Lesotho is 1433m which is higher than in any other country. The highest point in Southern Africa, Thabana Ntlenyana, 3482m, is situated in the east of the country. Lesotho owes its existence to their great and revered first king, Moshoeshoe the Great. He welded a group of disparate Sesotho speaking clans into a single nation through wise statesmanship and his mountain fortress of Thaba Bosiu. Southern Africa in the first part of the 19th century was in some chaos, with warfare and population displacement rife. Moshoeshoe offered sanctuary at his mountain fortress in these troubled times, effectively forging the Basotho nation through the offering of peace. This ethos can be felt in the current motto of Lesotho which is “Khotso, Pula, Nala meaning Peace, Rain and Prosperity” Lesotho has managed to retain its own separate identity ever since. One of Moshoeshoe’s last acts as an old man was to ask for “protection” and the country thus became the British Protectorate of Basutoland from 1868 until its independence in 1965. An attempt to include the country in the Cape Colony led to the Gun war of the 1880’s and from then on, the country was governed directly from London. Basutoland was offered the opportunity to join the Union of South Africa when it was formed in 1910, but the council of chiefs declined. The country has its own currency, government system and schooling system and its people are fiercely independent. As one of the few mountain peoples in Africa, the Basotho people have a unique lifestyle and culture. Soaring mountain peaks and deep incised river valleys have led to many adaptations to the environment. This is exemplified by the sight of a horseman mounted on the sturdy Basotho pony, wearing a traditional Basotho blanket! Visit under your own steam or go on one of our tours which visit remote, seldom visited areas and give you an authentic window into the lifestyle of these proud and friendly people.
