Travel through Lesotho and South Africa on a 9-day route from Maseru to Durban. Encounter diverse wildlife and see the Drakensberg Mountains while getting to know the Zulu culture of the region!
9-Day Tour: From Maseru to Durban
Day 1: Maseru
Welcome to the capital of Lesotho! We'll pick you up at the Maseru Airport, from where we'll head straight into the heart of the city to check out the Basotho Hat Craft Center. Feel free to purchase a hat yourself, an excellent accessory for the coming days!
From there, we'll briefly tour the city's downtown area before heading to the hotel for our first night in Lesotho.
Day 2: Maseru – Ha Kome Caves – Thaba Bosiu – Koro Koro - Malealea
Good morning, Maseru! We'll start the day off with a strong breakfast before leaving the Lesotho capital behind. Heading north, we'll come to the Ha Kome Caves, a National Heritage Site of Lesotho. Originally crafted by the Basia Clan, the current inhabitants of these caves, we'll embark on a tour of the grottos, gaining insight into the everyday lifestyle of the people who call these caves home.
Wrapping up our tour, we'll then head to the Thaba Bosiu Plateau. Here, we'll find this site has a special connection to Lesotho's history, as it's home to the tombs of former kings. From there, we'll travel to the Koro Koro village to enjoy a traditional lunch, plus a pony ride!
Then, we'll end the day at a hotel in Malealea, where we'll have dinner before heading to bed after an exciting day.
Day 3: Malealea – Sotho – Morija – Roma – Semonkong
We'll start with the most important meal of the day: breakfast! With our batteries fully charged, we'll go to Sotho to see prehistoric art at the San Rock Art Paintings. These cave paintings are found inside the Echo Caves.
Next up, we'll continue to Morija, where we'll sit down for a delicious lunch before visiting the Morija Museum. Visible from the museum, we'll also see the King's Palace!
Then, we'll leave Morija behind and head to Roma. No, not the Italian capital, but instead, a town in Lesotho that shares the same name. To end the day, we'll head to our lodging in Semonkon for dinner and then tuck in for the evening.
Day 4: Semonkong
Enjoy free time on this day of relaxation in Semonkong, complete with breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided at the hotel. With the day's activities up to you, we suggest a pony ride through the breathtaking Maletsunyane Waterfalls. Take in unparalleled views!
Day 5: Semonkong – Drakensberg Mountains
Once we're fueled up for the day with a strong breakfast, we'll head out toward the Drakensberg Mountains to take in spectacular landscapes of the southern African mountain range.
We'll pause halfway through the route to enjoy lunch before continuing on to see the dams in the interior of Lesotho. One of the standout dams is the Katse Dam, where we'll stop to take pictures of this immense structure.
Then, we'll end our 5th day saying goodbye to Lesotho to dive further into South African territory, where we'll have dinner at our lodging, staying the night at the feet of the Drakensberg Mountains.
Day 6: Drakensberg Mountains – Sani Pass - Underberg
Like we do each morning, we'll start with a hearty breakfast and then head out straight for Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, where we'll take in breathtaking views of basalt mountains and golden-sand hills.
After admiring the unparalleled beauty of this natural monument, we'll cross back into Lesotho via the Sani Pass to visit the Sani Mountain Lodge. Here, we'll find the highest bar in all of Africa! Settle in and enjoy a drink at 2,874 meters (9,429 feet) above sea level, where we'll also enjoy lunch.
Then, it's back to taking in stunning panoramic views of the Drakensberg Mountains before heading back to our South African hotel of Underberg for dinner and a good night's rest.
Day 7: Underberg – Saint Lucia - Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park
We'll pick you up from the hotel after breakfast and head to the coastal town of Saint Lucia, where we'll also enjoy lunch!
After lunch, we'll hop on a boat for a tour of the Saint Lucia estuary, where we may even see hippos and crocodiles. As we wrap up our tour, we'll head back to our accommodation north of Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, where we'll enjoy dinner and rest up for the night.
Day 8: Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park
After a filling breakfast, we'll start our day by heading to a Zulu reserve, where we'll meet locals of the tribe.
Then, we'll try our hand at spotting wild rhinos, lions, leopards, buffalos, and elephants while on safari through the northern part of Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park! With luck on our side, we're sure to catch a glimpse of the Big Five in Africa's oldest natural reserve.
We'll conclude our thrilling day with a delicious dinner at our accommodation in the northern part of the park and head to bed.
Day 9: Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park– Durban
After having our final breakfast, we'll pick you up from your hotel in Hluhluwe Imfolozi with enough time to make it to Durban Airport for your flight. See you next time!
Accommodation
The tour includes 8 nights of accommodation with breakfast at one of the following 3-star hotels:
- Maseru, Lesotho (1 night): Botleng Guest House or similar
- Malealea, Lesotho (1 night): Malealea Lodge or similar
- Semonkong, Lesotho (2 nights): Semonkong Lodge or similar
- Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa (1 night): KarMichael Guest Lodge or similar
- Underberg, South Africa (1 night): Bayside Lodge or similar
- Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park Southern region, South Africa (1 night): Guest Lodge or similar
- Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park Northern region, South Africa (1 night): Umkhumbi Game Lodge or similar
