Welcome to Sani Lodge & Cottages!
Welcome to Sani Lodge & Cottages!
Ride a Basotho pony to the highest point in Southern Africa at 3482m.
Travel up the Sani Pass and deep into Lesotho to the home of the Ntlhoki family in the Molumong area, the base for “Ntlhoki Pony Trekking” . We started our relationship with them in the year 2005! Their horses are Basotho ponies – short, stocky, sturdy and extremely sure-footed animals who are totally at home on the steep gradients you will encounter. Enjoy the late afternoon experiencing village life as we spend our first night at Molumong. The second morning sees us etting off on two and a half days of intense riding to the highest point in southern Africa at 3482m. We sleep in tents next to shepherds’ outposts called motebo and experience wilderness far from any village as we ascend to the highest point south of Kilimanjaro! The Landrover is the vehicle which pioneered the Sani Pass back in the 1950's and 60's. We believe that for an authentic Sani Pass experience, it must be in one of our Landrovers!
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
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This 4 day expedition to conquer the Highest Point in Southern Africa (3482m) includes 2½ days of pony trekking. A local guide accompanies the group on the ride and our guide also accompanies the group.
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4:
We sleep in tents next to the rough stone huts of a shepherds’ outpost or motebo. You will require your own warm sleeping bag, tent and roll mat. If required, we do have 2 person tents and roll mats for hire at Sani Lodge.
Thabana Ntlenyana is very high, meaning that conditions at any time of the year can be extreme. You need to be prepared for this, both mentally and in terms of your equipment and especially warm and wet weather gear and sub-zero quality sleeping bags. Long hours will be spent in the saddle.
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.
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.
Please note that Lesotho has a Tourist Levy of R100 per person entering the country.
Whichever method you choose, we will respond to you as quickly and informatively as possible.
Call our reception on +27 83 987 3071 phone or WhatsApp. Someone will be available between 7am and 7pm everyday. South African time is GMT+2
Send us an email or complete the contact form. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
We'd love to share our detailed knowledge of the local area with you.
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