Founder's fav's · South Africa and Lesotho
Malealea
Mountain villages, ponies and gravel, and the Gate of Paradise on the way in.
Malealea is a village at the end of a road in the Lesotho mountains, with a lodge that's become the base for pony trekking and walking. The road in goes through the Gate of Paradise pass, and the sign isn't lying.
On the 2016 trip we sat in the evening and listened to the village choir. Then it rained so hard the next morning that we had to wait a day for the track to drain. Nobody complained.
Plan a trip hereOpens the planner with Malealea as your finish. Set where you start and how many days, and it works out the route, fuel, night stops and weather.
Get there
- Flights to Johannesburg ›Compare fares into JNB
- Hire a car ›Pick up at Johannesburg airport
- Places to stay nearby ›Within about 40 km
Some of these links pay OneTrackMind a small fee if you book, at no cost to you. It's what keeps the planner free.
Good to know
- The lodge arranges pony treks and village walks.
- The last stretch is gravel and can be muddy.
- Fuel in Mafeteng or Maseru.
Places change. Check opening times and conditions before you go.