When you join the Sani Pass Day Tour into Lesotho, you leave the picturesque town of Underberg (around 09h30), driving along hilly, green landscape to the foot of the mighty Southern Drakensberg Mountains. We travel in 4X4 vehicles for 2 hours and 30 minutes, up the Sani Pass which starts at 1544m and rises 1332 vertical metres to summit at 2876m. The zig-zagging gravel mountain pass with steep slopes, was constructed around 1950, and it never fails to thrill. The road is a steep gravel road and by South African law only 4x4 vehicles are allowed on the road. As you curve through hairpin bends up to the summit you will have extraordinary views down into the valleys with crystal clear waters, wildflowers and unique bird life. You are in for a fun and heart-racing trip! Stopping at breathtaking view sites along the Sani Pass and the two border posts i.e. The South African Border Control and Lesotho Border Control. [Need a valid passport]. Once at the Top of the Sani Pass we enter a country rich in culture and charm – the Eastern Highlands of Lesotho are remote, rural and locals face harsh living conditions.
We visit a local Basotho Village or the Sani Top Church and interact with the local Basotho folk (and shepherds) who are independent and friendly. There will be ample opportunity to take photographs of the iconic Lesotho conical straw hat and maybe get a beautiful and decorative woven bowl made by the women there. Your experienced mountain guide will fascinate you with stories of Lesotho and its incredible people - the hardy mountainous Basotho folk.
The Basotho Pony can be seen and is an integral part of life for the local population and can be traced back from that of the Cape horse, which formed the foundation stock. The first horses appeared in Lesotho around 1825, captured from the Zulu and later from the Boers. Traditional sweet homemade bread (and beer when available) is offered on request.
We enjoy lunch at a local venue available on the day of your tour –and get to catch our breath and take in the magic of the mountains!
You wind down the Sani Pass after lunch and this cultural experience and arrive back in Underberg around 15h30 depending on the wildlife spotted along the way.
