Journey to the Kingdom in the Sky

 

Off-roading through the grueling and winding dirt road of the Sani Pass, unforgiving natural beauty as far as the eye can see and sipping a beer at the highest pub in Africa: this was an expedition leading to the Mountain Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho. The Sani Pass is a mountain pass positioned between the two borders of South Africa and Lesotho – it is also the only road-link between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho. This arduous and challenging trail stretches for 9 kilometers in an abundance of twists and hairpin turns through the Drakensberg Mountains, a mountain range of spellbinding beauty.

Sani Pass Panorama

My morning with Major Adventures started at 9 AM when they came to pick me up at the beautiful property I was staying at, the Moorcroft Manor Hotel. From there on we hit the Sani Pass in anticipation and was soon venturing into the pass in a 4x4, tackling all the twists and turns, and rocks and mud. Our guide was well-educated in the history of the pass as well as skilled and seasoned in maneuvering up and over the challenges of the road. With an excellently knowledgeable guide and the rough terrain of the pass set in perfect juxtaposition with the serenity of the views all around, this trip was educational, enticing, and just truly one of a kind.

After about an hour’s drive, we arrived at the Sani Mountain Lodge, home of the highest pub in Africa, where we grabbed a mouth-watering bite to eat before crossing the border into Lesotho and partaking in a fascinating and insightful cultural village tour of Basotho. Here we learned all about how the people make their houses to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter as well as how, over many generations, they have used these materials. We interacted with the village people — learning a few common greetings and phrases while they baked Borotho, the traditional bread of Lesotho baked in a pot over a fire.

This trip was exhilarating, beautiful and greatly educational. I’m am so happy to have gotten to see this little unique slice of the world, the Sani Pass and the Mountain Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho.

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