The most convenient entry point from South Africa, and the country's most sophisticated urban centre by far, Maseru is a good place to start exploring Lesotho. Apart from a few elegant colonial sandstone buildings, there's not a great deal to see here. All but one or two of the buildings burnt in the 1998 riots have been replaced by ambitious new concrete edifices which threaten to sterilize what is still a fairly characterful town. The pervading atmosphere is not hostile, and travellers will probably feel more comfortable here than in most South African cities. While most visitors pass through fairly quickly on their way to the more appealing countryside, if you're in town for a few days there are plenty of excursions into the hills and plateaus surrounding the city, including the one to Lesotho's most famous mountain, Thaba Bosiu, the so-called Mountain of the Night where the founder of the nation, Moshoeshoe I, ruled for almost fifty years.

 

Roma , less than 40km from Maseru along good roads, is the academic centre of the country, surrounded by beautiful sandstone hills and with an historic Catholic mission - the ascent from Roma into the Highlands to Semonkong, through several mountain passes, is one of the most striking in the country. Semonkong is famous for its mighty waterfalls, and you can visit another set, the Ketane Falls , by trekking westwards by pony from the delightful Semonkong Lodge .

Any car can manage the drive from Maseru along Lesotho's central route to the Basotho Pony Trekking Centre and the Mohale Dam construction site some way beyond. However, continuing further on over the epic Central mountain range requires a rugged vehicle that can handle the poor and rocky roads. Though the final destination of Thaba Tseka is unspectacular, the journey more than compensates, and from Thaba Tseka it is possible to continue along a reasonably good dirt road to Katse and its massive new dam.