Maseru

Situated along the north-western border of South Africa, Maseru is the only city in Lesotho, and also the capital of the country. The streets of thisLesotho is known as the “Kingdom in the Sky” and Maseru acts as a convenient stop-over point from which to stock up before heading out to explore the rest of this beautiful country. As one of the last truly rural destinations in the world, Lesotho offers travelers the opportunity to experience spectacular mountain-cliffs, vast horizons and endless hiking trails. While Maseru is most loved for being the perfect base from which to explore Lesotho’s wonders, it does have a few things worth seeing in and around the city, including The Lesotho War Memorial, and the Helang Basali Craft Centre in the St Agnes Mission, where you can see some of the world’s finest tapestrieThere is not a huge deal to see in Maseru, as the city is essentially a base for expeditions and travels deeper into Lesotho. It is a city of many ethnicities i.e African, Asian and European, etc all come together in this vibrant area of hills and valleys. The architecture of this city has strong contradictions with thatch huts and concrete office blocks working together to create a prosperous business community.

The Mokorotlo. One of the country’s most monumental buildings, the Mokorotlo is the traditional hut built in a modern sophisticated style, it is a virtual museum where you can learn more about the cultures and tradition of the friendly Basotho nation.Thetsane is worth having a wander around on a weekday – two kilometres south of Maseru on Pioneer Road (past the Pope’s Podium) are a cluster of factories that churn out t-shirts and jeans for numerous US chain stores, including Children’s Place and Gap (if you’ve ever bought an Old Navy top chances are it was stitched together here). The chaotic hustle and bustle of Thetsane contrasts sharply with the slow pace of life elsewhere in Lesotho, and it’s a fascinating place to see what African industrialisation looks like.

Lesotho National Museum: A museum that holds traditional sculptures and a wide range of traditional art and historical artifacts devoted to Lesotho’s history.

Maletsunyane Waterfalls, one of the highest single dropping waterfalls in the Southern Hemisphere, plummets 192 metres into a spectacular gorge creating clouds of spray visible from afar. Semonkong Lodge offers you the chance to explore the magnificent scenery and culture of Lesotho. The Lodge together with the local community provides ponies and guides for day trips to the Maletsunyane Falls

Transportation to Maseru for aviation there is Moshoeshoe Airport. There are a few daily flights from Maseru to Johannesburg operated by Airlink. For buses you can use interciy express, greyhound or translux to Bloemfontein or intercape to Ladybrand and then take a shared taxi to the Maseru bridge border crossing.

The shared taxis leave when full throughout the day, but I recommend leaving early in the morning to avoid any unexpected surprises. From Ladybrand to maseru bridge it takes about 20 to 30 minutes. From maseru bridge you get another shared taxi to central Maseru.

Accommodation Being the capital of the country, Maseru offers loads of visitor accommodation for those who would like to stay over. There are bed and breakfasts, guest houses, self-catering units, hotels, guest lodges and many more to choose from. The list is endless there is Avani maseru, avani Lesotho resort and casino, city stay, etc

Healthcare in the event of any mild or serious illness there is Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital and maseru private hospital. For over the counter medication maseru has numerous pharmacy all across.

Food and beverage: the most popular beverage is ginger drink or locally known as Khemere. To prepare it you need to boil about 2 liters of water with 1 kilogram of brown sugar, 50 grams ginger powder, 12 grams tartaric acid, and 12 grams cream of tartar for about 30 minutes in an uncovered pot. Dilute with about 8 liters of cold water, leave overnight, and serve chilled. Some people add pineapple pieces or store-bought fruit concentrates. This drink is served at family gatherings and special events. It is also locally produced commercially.

One of the most popular dishes is Likahare for bigger animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs, the tripe and intestines are thoroughly cleaned and cooked with water. When it is soft and almost ready, you remove it from the broth and cut it into smaller pieces. Then return it to the broth and season with salt. Cook until the broth turns into a thick gravy. It can be enjoyed with Papa, Samp, or bread, especially steamed bread

The shopping malls are nestled in the beautiful mountains of Maseru. There full beautiful and scenic with nice modern architecture.

Located just 4km south of downtown Maseru. Maseru mall is easily accessible by car. There is a huge car park with a KFC in front of the complex. For pedestrians and users of public transport to get there is very problematic. Only Shoprite and Game have branches. Banks, restaurants, hairdressers and many stores selling all kinds of goods including some international brands are numerous. Be prepared to walk a lot as the one-storey structure of the complex is rather spread out.

Pioneer Mall It might look small from the outside, but it’s actually a big Mall once you inside. It’s on multiple levels with plenty of parking, both underground and open outside parking. It’s one of the biggest mall in Lesotho. It’s location is downtown maseru.

Other Attractions in Lesotho.

The village of Malealea is also worth the visit, with its ancient San paintings hidden in rock shelters, it’s one of the gems of Lesotho. The best way to experience the spectacular landscape is to take a guided ride on a pony. Malealea is advertised as ‘Lesotho in a nutshell’ and that seems about right. If you don’t fancy the trip there, you can always arrange pony trekking from the capital, MaseruTop attractions of Lesotho include

Sehlabathebe National Park which is remote, rugged and beautiful. The park is perfect for hiking, bird-watching and contains unusual rock formations and mountain flora. The person who penned the words “getting away from it all” had this place in mind.

Statue of Moshoeshoe in Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village is a monument to Moshoeshoe I, a larger-than-life statue that looks out over the whole village, its circular landscaping and paths, its museum, traditional village, amphitheatre and chalets. From the entrance, you approach the monument along a cement path inset with bare footprints so you feel as if you’re symbolically walking in Moshoeshoe’s footsteps.

Important Notes

• Minimum passport validity should be three months.
• Check visa requirements depending on your passport.
• Need a yellow fever and COVID-19 vaccination cards.
• For currency you can use South African Rand and Lesotho loti both pegged 1:1.