Perched on the banks of the Mokhotlong River, MOKHOTLONG , whose name means "place of the bald ibis" (although they are rarely seen these days), began life as a police post in 1905. Slowly, the post evolved into a trading centre for the Highlanders of the region, but remained cut off from the rest of Lesotho for years, with radio contact only established with Maseru in 1947. An airstrip was constructed in 1948 and a rudimentary road link built in the 1950s, but Mokhotlong continued to get the bulk of its supplies by pony from Natal, via Sani, for a long time afterwards. Even today it feels remote, with locals usually riding into town for a shop and a drink on ponies, resplendent in their blankets.

 

Not much happens in town, which is dominated by hurriedly built and decidedly plain breeze-block buildings that compare unfavourably with the immaculately constructed dry-stone-walled dwellings of the surrounding countryside. On Tuesdays things liven up a bit, when Mokhotlong has its livestock sales. Or you can pick up decent cassettes, or just listen to the music blasting out from the Mamolibeli Music Shop on the main road at the western edge of town near the Senqu Hotel . But otherwise, you'll find little to buy except for fast food from a few stores near the bus stops in the centre of town.

There's no public transport to Sani from Mokhotlong, but there are two daily buses that stop at Butha-Buthe, one leaving at around 6.30am and the other at 8.30am. Plenty of buses and minibus taxis run short distances, including the 15km or so to the Molumong Lodge , often marked in the direction of "Ha Janteau".