UK Edition
17 things you didn't know about Lesotho, the world's highest country
1. It just turned 50
Yes, it’s happy birthday to Lesotho, which reaches a half-century of independence today, having shrugged off Britain’s colonial overcoat on October 4 1966. In other words, it has been a sovereign state since just after England won the World Cup. Neither England nor Lesotho has seized football’s big prize since. Which of them will be first to break their dry run? Lesotho are currently ranked 150th best team in the world. Could go either way.
2. It’s land-locked…
In fact, Lesotho is a country within a country, surrounded on all sides by South Africa. Specifically, it lies around 300 miles south of Johannesburg – or 50 minutes by aircraft.
3. …but is in good company
Lesotho is not alone in being unable to see the sea. Africa has more land-locked nations than any other continent – 16 of the 45 members of the planet’s No Coast Gang, in fact.
4. It isn’t big. Sort of
Lesotho is the world’s 137th biggest country, although its 11,720 square miles of territory make it only just smaller than Belgium (which spreads its wings to 11,787 square miles) – and just a little bigger than both Albania (11,100 square miles) and Macedonia (9928 square miles). What is considered large in Europe tends to be viewed as small in Africa.
5. It isn’t big on traffic
Lesotho has one of the world’s smallest road networks – a mere 3,700 miles. Nonetheless, it has witnessed a huge expansion in the last half-century. At the time of independence, the only paved highway was the Kingsway – which linked the royal palace to the airport.
6. It sits in the clouds
There is a good reason for the short road network. Lesotho is very mountainous. In fact, it has the “highest lowest point” of any country. No other nation can claim a base altitude as lofty as Lesotho’s – 4,593ft (1,400m). It is the only independent state on the planet which exists entirely above 1,000m (3,281ft). Hence its apt nickname – “Kingdom of the Sky”.
7. It has a king
Talking of kingdoms, Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy. Letsie III is the guy at the top. He has been on the throne since February 1996 – although he also had a stint in the hot seat from 1990 to 1995, while his father was in exile. He was educated in the UK, at Ampleforth College in Yorkshire. He has three kids, including his heir, Prince Lerotholi.
8. It has only one Unesco site…
But this lack of vaulted company does not diminish the beauty of Sehlabathebe National Park, which was added to the World Heritage list in 2013 as the immediate neighbour of South Africa’s uKhahlamba National Park (which is also in the Unesco club). Together, the pair makes up Maloti Drakensberg World Heritage Site. Sehlabathebe offers steep terrain, Alpine tundra – and 4,000-year-old rock paintings by the ancient San people.
9. …but it may soon have a second
Thaba-Bosiu National Monument has been on Unesco’s “Tentative List” since 2008, and may yet be promoted. Located 15 miles east of the national capital Maseru, in the west of the country, it was here in 1824 that the founder of the Basotho nation, Moshoeshoe I, established a stronghold. He used this rock bluff’s elevation – it rears to some 394ft (120m) above the surrounding countryside – as a defensible fortress in his struggle against the rival Ndbele people. Unesco declares that the site “is valued as the national shrine, and it invokes a sense of identity for the proud nation Basotho.” Watch this space.
10. There are other national parks
Including Ts’ehlanyane National Park, the country’s largest – which spreads out as an elevated expanse of rocky wilderness in the Maluti Mountains. Truly off the beaten track.
11. You can ski there
No, really, you can. Lesotho is home to Afriski (afriski.net), a wintersports enclave – also in the Maluti Mountains – which hits a top altitude of 10,571ft (3,222m). Unsurprisingly, the downhill area is not vast – just a single kilometer-long piste. But it operates during the winter season (June-August) – and is a reasonable 4.5-hour drive from Johannesburg.
12. It has a wonderful waterfall
It may not have quite the height and power of Victoria Falls, but Lesotho’s own grand cascade deserves a few moments of your time. Maletsunyane Falls sees the river of the same name plunge 630ft (192m) near the town of Semonkong. Were it located in a better-known country, this site of splash and crash would be deemed a world wonder. By way of comparison, Niagara Falls – admittedly a harder, faster water feature – dips 167ft (51m).
13. It has a town with the evocative name of “Qacha’s Nek”
This sits on the country’s south-east border (with South Africa, obviously) – and is home to a Snake Park where, if you have the courage, you can see deadly cobras and mambas.
14. Landings can be bumpy…
Lesotho has 28 airports. Only three of them have proper paved runways. Hold on tight...
15. …and take-offs can be terrifying
If you opt to fly from Matekane Air Strip, in the south-west of the country, you may want to have a stiff drink before you step onto the plane, while praying that the crew have been imbibing nothing stronger than coffee. Here are some statistics. The runway is a mere 1,312ft (400m) long. The cliff-face plunge which waits at the end of it stretches to 2,000ft (610m). Cross your fingers, toes, legs and arms – and tell the pilot to put his foot down.
16. Obviously, this means you can fly there
And your best bet is Moshoeshoe I International Airport, the main air hub, which sits in the town of Mazenod, 10 miles south of Maseru. It offers daily flights to Johannesburg.
17. It’s easier to visit than you think
Several respected tour operators offer detailed jaunts around Lesotho. Cox & Kings (020 3811 0608; coxandkings.co.uk) is one of them. Exodus Travels (020 3811 3155; exodus.co.uk) is another.