“No, it’s always windy here,” says the man behind the counter at the Thanda Tau filling station next to the N3, about 40 km north of Warden. “When I leave home in the mornings, I put rocks in my pockets so that I don’t blow away on my way to work.”
It’s December 2018 and we’re on our way to East London from Pretoria. But instead of going straight to the coast, we’re going to drive seven passes high in the mountains of Lesotho and the Eastern Cape.
Get in and hold tight!
High times in Lesotho
We make our way to the Peka Bridge border post south of Ficksburg. Wheatfields shimmer like a golden carpet in the late-morning sun. We sail through the border post and head to Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. It’s impossible to cut through Maseru quickly – roll down your window, accept the traffic jams and take in the cacophony of hooting minibusses and bleating goats.
We’re looking for a filling station with a credit card machine. At the third station without one, the petrol attendant assures us we have no need to worry. “You will meet many garages,” he says.
Five filling stations later we leave Maseru behind, traveling south-east. After about 100 km on the A5, we turn off to Ramabanta Trading Post and drink a Maluti lager on the stoep. Baboon’s Pass is on the other side of the valley – at 2 689 m in altitude, and as rutted as they come, it’s one of Lesotho’s most infamous 4x4 passes. I wonder why anyone would drive it of their own free will. From a distance, it looks more like a footpath, better suited to mountain goats.
We reach the village of Semonkong at 5 pm. The Maletsunyane River cuts through a green valley west of town and tumbles over a cliff a few kilometers further. Semonkong means “place of smoke” and is named after the misty spray caused by this waterfall.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2019 من go! - South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2019 من go! - South Africa.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Rolling out the big guns
If you're still scanning the horizon for a Chinese automotive invasion you're looking the wrong way. It's already happening, and the new GWM Tank is the off-road spearhead into the highly lucrative and hotly contested lifestyle market.
TAKE A HIKE
The beautiful agony of Tienuurkop
Time out in Dullies
A long weekend in Dullstroom is just long enough to make you realise you need to spend several more weekends here! There's food, drink, art and action in abundance. Here's your guide.
Gallivanting in the Galápagos!
The Galápagos Islands are on many a traveller's wish list. They were on Hanlie and Vivian Gericke's too, even though the price of visiting made their eyes water. Was it worth it? Read on...
BURCHELL AND THE COUNTRY OF THE BUSHMEN
How many times have you driven through a landscape and wished you could have seen it centuries ago? In 1811, the English artist and explorer, William John Burchell, travelled through South Africa. Join us as we follow in his footsteps.
Long live the Hibiscus Coast
The KZN South Coast is a national treasure. It's still the place to go if you want a classic seaside holiday complete with warm waves, cold beer, soft serve and good vibes. Here's your guide.
The island at the end of the earth
Imagine adlace-with the cleanest air arid:the clearest seawater, where_no human.oranimabwants to:harm you: A placewhere the climates balmy. year-round:-with a sekrhistory ahd wwild scenery. A place like this:exist8” and it’s called St Helena.
A day on the road
You never know what the road will bring. Toast Coetzer heads south on the N1 and discovers South Africa.
The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
Sabie is onthe Drakensberg escaromentialongMpumalanga’s famous Panorama Route. Want a weekend away surrounded by forests and waterfalls? Here's wnat you need to know.
