MOHALE'S HOEK , a short distance from the little-used Makhaleng Bridge border post (daily 8am-6pm), is a rather bedraggled little town, but with one of the best hotels in the area and some interesting sites in the surrounding hills, including some well-preserved dinosaur footprints . Mohale was Moshoeshoe's younger brother, appointed to look after the area by the king as part of his bid to wrest control of the district from chief Moorosi. There are still quite a few of Moorosi's Baphuthi clan here though, whose language is in some ways closer to Xhosa than Sotho.

 

If you desperately need to do some banking, you'll find the Standard and Nedbank banks more efficient than most banks outside Maseru, although changing money and traveller's cheques can still take a long time. These are located on the main street, perpendicular to the main road through town. Otherwise, there's nothing to see or do here, but there's an excellent drive/walk to the Mokhele Mountain , about 10km east of town. Travel a short distance south on the main road to the little village of Mesitsaneng, and then head 7km east along a rough dirt track to the Maphutseng Mission . Just before this historic French mission, which once hid locals in its roof from attacking Boers, turn right down a smaller track, and you'll see a plateau to the right a short walk away, where you'll find some dinosaur footprints and an inscription marking their "discovery" in 1959.