For some more adventure and a chance to visit another country, our family of four went for a drive over the Sani Pass into Lesotho. This mountain pass, not very well known by most in the US, is a big tourism draw for South Africa. The Sani Pass is a winding dirt road that takes drivers up and over the Southern Drakensburg Mountains into the very small country of Lesotho (pronounced Le-soo-too).
Driving the Sani Pass
It can only be driven in a 4×4 vehicle. Since we had rented a Toyota Corolla to tour South Africa, we booked a tour through Major Adventures.
This excursion is an all day event. We met our driver, Elliot, at 9:30 am, the start of our adventure, in Underberg. When we did this (September 2014) Underburg and the Southern Drakensburg Mountains were in the midst of unusually cold temperatures. We awoke this morning to temps of 33° Fahrenheit and the Drakensburg Mountains received a light dusting of snow overnight. In Underberg we shopped at a discount clothing store, buying four bright and colorful yellow and green hats to keep us warm.
Elliot drove the four of us as well as two young ladies from Paris, France to the Sani Pass. Leaving from Underberg, it didn’t take long until we were traveling on dirt and gravel roads, heading up and into the beautiful Drakensburg Mountains.
Just a short ways into our drive we arrived at the South African border post. Getting through Customs and Immigration was a quick, painless process and our drive continued. For 8 km we drove up the Sani Pass in “No Man’s Land,” as we had stamped out of South Africa but hadn’t yet stamped into Lesotho.
Views of the Road
Driving up the Sani Pass was a wild experience. We were driving on narrow dirt roads along the edge of the mountain. There were no guardrails and at many places the road was only wide enough for one car to pass. After traveling through many hairpin turns and stopping along the way for photos, we arrived at the top of Sani Pass and the country of Lesotho.
Welcome to Lesotho
Elliott took our passports to get processed in Lesotho while we took photos from the mountaintop. It was still very chilly, but the winds had calmed down and the sun helped to warm us up. We all really loved our crazy hats.
Visiting a Village in Lesotho
Before lunch, Elliott drove us a few more kilometers to a small Lesotho village. Here we learned about the mud huts, how they were built, and got to taste some bread. The bread was delicious and the hut was surprisingly warm. It has very thick walls made from mud and cow dung and the roof was made from thatched grass. A family would live in and share three huts, one for cooking, one for the husband, and one for the wife.
Highest Pub in Africa
We ate lunch at the Sani Pass Lodge, home to the highest pub in Africa. We ate curry chicken and sandwiches and drank Maluti Beer, a Lesotho brew. After posing for a few more photos and signing earthtrekkers.com on the wall it was time to drive back down the Sani Pass.
Back on the Road to South Africa
Going down was more fun than going up. Even though we were driving on the edge of the mountain we never felt unsafe. We felt like we were in very good hands with Elliott. Cars do occasionally go over the side, the most recent being a taxi van just a few weeks ago. I saw the crumpled up remains of the van sitting outside of the Lesotho Immigrations building.
At 4:15 we arrived safely back in Underberg, South Africa. Our amazing drive over the Sani Pass into Lesotho was over, and it was a fantastic experience!
Our Tour Company
We highly recommend using Major Adventures for a tour up the Sani Pass. Making our reservation was very easy, they accept Master Card and Visa, and they run a very professional operation. Elliott, our guide, had nine years of experience driving the Sani Pass. He was a wealth of information about the history of Underberg, the history of the Sani Pass, and the Lesotho people. The four of us learned a lot more about South Africa than we were anticipating on taking this tour. This was an unforgettable experience for our family.
Kruger National Park, the largest national park in South Africa, and one of the largest parks in the world, is South Africa’s premiere safari destination. Spanning 200 km from north to south and 50 km from east to west, Kruger is home to the Big Five (elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, lion, and buffalo) as well as […]
Driving the Garden Route of South Africa is an amazing journey. Not only is the scenery gorgeous but the opportunities for action-packed activities are almost endless. Feed an African elephant, walk a cheetah, ride an ostrich, go whale watching, hike amazing Robberg Peninsula, and even go shark cage diving if you dare. South Africa is […]
The Drakensberg Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, cut through the eastern portion of South Africa. The mountain range starts at Blyde River Canyon, located just west of Kruger National Park, and heads southward, through the smaller country of Swaziland, and ending near Lesotho. For four nights we stayed at the Umzimkulu River Lodge in […]
iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Africa, is located just north of St. Lucia, South Africa. We spent several days in St. Lucia, using one of these days to tour the park. This was a huge change in scenery from where we have been, as we were now staying on the […]
The Garden Route, a stretch of coastline along the southern coast of South Africa from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, is home to a huge number of game reserves and animal sanctuaries. These animal sanctuaries, similar to zoos, offer opportunities to get up close with their animals. Our animal encounters with the elephants, lemurs, ostriches, and […]
The city of Johannesburg was our arrival point in South Africa. We had one day to spend here before traveling on to other places. Now we were a party of six, as Kathy and Valerie, our Moms, arrived in Johannesburg on the same day as us. They will be traveling with us for over two […]
The hike around Robberg Peninsula is rated as one of the top things to do in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. It is a 9 km hike around a peninsula jutting out into the Indian Ocean. On this hike we climbed up and down the rocky coastline, hiked past a colony of seals, and wandered on […]
South Africa Travel Guide For a country that is pure fun to visit, look no farther than South Africa. There are not many countries in the world that offer such a wide range of things to do and see…stunning beaches, metropolitan cities, safaris, hiking, beautiful landscapes, world-class dining, wineries, animal encounters, and historical sites. If […]
Chobe National Park in Botswana is the place to go to see African elephants. We spent the most amazing three days here on safari. During the day we took boat trips on the Chobe River and went on game drives in the park, searching for elephants, lions, giraffe, and numerous other African animals. At night […]
Cape Town is an excellent destination for families. There is the perfect blend of adventure activities, history, and culinary experiences to keep each member of the family happy. Cape Town with Kids Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Take the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain for unforgettable views over Cape Town. It helps […]
The Cape of Good Hope is a popular excursion for visitors staying in Cape Town, South Africa. It is a beautiful spot, with unpredictable weather, baboons that will boldly try to raid your car, and adorable penguins playing in the ocean. If you are traveling to Cape Town, don’t miss this amazing place! What is […]
There are so many life-changing places in the world to visit. Some are magical, some are ancient, and some are just downright gorgeous. All will have you wistfully dreaming about them before you arrive. After you visit them, they become a part of you, forming lifelong memories and altering the way you see the world. […]
One of the most popular questions we get asked is how much does it cost to travel around the world. This was our biggest question too, before we decided to take a big trip like this. It costs a lot less than you probably think. Traveling long term, several months or longer, costs a lot […]
Julie is the main author for Earth Trekkers. Hiker, foodie, photographer, and triathlete, Julie loves traveling the world in search of new experiences and then sharing them on this site. Her goal is to make your travel planning process easier and to inspire you to visit new places.
Comments 4