Best Views, Day Tour, Drive & Hike
Hodgson's Peaks Tour
A guided tour & hike to the top of the world.
Polihali Dam Day Tour
Travel up Sani Pass and deep into Lesotho to visit the massive new dam being built as part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project supplying pure mountain water to Johannesburg.
Great Views
10 Hours
Lunch Included
Passports Essential
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
A full day's expedition to view the construction of the Polihali dam deep in the Maluti Mountains. Travel up the famous Sani Pass and cross into Lesotho, we travel on over Black Mountain Pass (3240m) and on down into the mountain valleys and beyond the town of Mokhotlong. Meeting our guide for the day from the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, we begin with the massive bridge being built over the Senqu River. We see where the dam level will be and witness the moving of households and communities to new locations. A grand high viewpoint gives a 360 degree view of the entire operation. We'll also see the tunnel entrance for the water transfer tunnels being bored between Polihali and Katse Dam. We visit the staff village and brand new Polihali Lodge. We go to the construction site of the dam wall, with diversion tunnels and a coffer dam allowing the rock wall to be built. We end at the Information Centre. This is a long trip and we use a Toyota Hilux double cab for the trip, meaning a maximum of 4 people per tour. Please note that this tour only runs Monday to Friday.
ABOUT POLIHALI AND THE LESOTHO HIGHLANDS WATER PROJECT
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is one of the largest engineering undertakings in the world. Its first phase involved the construction of the Katse Dam, which currently supplies Johannesburg with 780 million cubic meters of pure mountain water per year through a complex system of tunnels and gravity-fed flows. However, as the city continues to grow, even this vast supply is becoming insufficient. To address this increasing demand, Phase 2 of the project is now underway with the construction of the Polihali Dam near Mokhotlong. This new dam will provide an additional 490 million cubic meters of water annually. Construction began in 2023, with completion targeted for 2028. Our tour offers a unique opportunity to witness the construction of this massive dam firsthand. Accompanied by a guide from the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, you will gain insights into the scale and significance of the project. We have the privilege of visiting a viewpoint that overlooks the entire construction site, providing a breathtaking perspective on the work in progress. One of the most striking features of the site is the series of white markers indicating the future water level once the dam is full. These markers highlight the villages and homesteads that will need to be relocated as the reservoir expands. Visitors will also witness the incredible scale of excavation, with constant blasting and trucking operations shifting vast quantities of rock to form the dam wall. Additionally, entrances to the tunnels being bored through the mountains to transfer water to Katse Dam can be observed. The tour also includes a visit to the newly constructed staff village and lodge, the dam wall construction site, and the Information Centre, where further details about the project are available. For more information on the Polihali Dam and its role in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, click the button below
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
ITINERARY
Departure from Sani Lodge (7.15 am)
We meet near reception ten minutes prior to departure for a quick briefing and introduction to your guide.
Travel up the Sani Pass
Travel up the only road through the Drakensberg cliffs in a 4×4. Time for a few short photo stops as we have a long way to go!
Venture into the Lesotho Highlands
We drive further into Lesotho, ascending Black Mountain Pass at 3240m and then decending along the Sehonghong river valley towards the main town of the eastern highlands, Mokhotlong. We continue on to meet our local guide and view the new massive Senqu River brindge being constructed on the main road between mokhotlong and the Lowlands.
View the Construction
Our guide will point out all aspects of the dam project, from the construction of a massive rock wall (to be lined with concrete), the transfer tunnels to take the water to Katse Dam and on to South Africa from there, the brand new staff village and lodge, the coffer dam and diversion tunnels and the information Centre. And the social program around the communities in and around the dam site. Time to really understand and discuss the issues with our guide.
Return Journey
After a picnic lunch with a view, we begin the return journey, aiming to have you back at Sani Lodge between 5 and 5:30 pm.
TOUR MAP
Take a look at the routes our tours take.
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.
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Please note that Lesotho has a Tourist Levy of R100 per person entering the country.
SPECIAL DIETARY ITEMS AVAILABLE, JUST ASK.
GET IN TOUCH
Whichever method you choose, we will respond to you as quickly and informatively as possible.
Give Us a Call
Call our reception on +27 83 987 3071, phone or WhatsApp.. Someone will be available between 7am and 7 pm everyday. South African time is GMT+2
Send Us an Email
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Drop By and Talk
We'd love to share our detailed knowledge of the local area with you.
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