Branching off from the Mokhotlong road, 5km before the town, the rough gravel-and-dirt road to SANI twists its way in spectacular fashion for nearly 60km along the Sehonkong River, peaking at the Kotisephola Pass (3240m) before dropping to 2895m at Sani Top . There are plenty of rewarding hikes from Sani Top, including the twelve-kilometre one to Thabana Ntlenyana (3482m), the highest peak in the region, which is walkable in a day if you start early enough, and the tough but stunningly beautiful forty-kilometre Top-of-the-Berg walk to the Sehlabathebe National Park, which takes about four days.

 

Although the descent from Sani, down the dramatic, hairpin-bend-filled Sani Pass, is just about possible in an ordinary car, you'd be much better off with a 4WD, and certainly the ascent of the pass from the South African side is not recommended without one. An ordinary saloon car could make it up, but this requires the rare collusion of perfect, dry conditions and a good driver. During the winter, the pass is frequently blocked with snow, and rain can often render it very slippery during the summer, so ring the chalet or lodge (see below) in advance to find out conditions.

The only public transport from Mokhotlong to Sani is the occasional minibus taxi. Otherwise you'll need to hitch, in which case you should make your way to the junction off the Mokhotlong Road as early as possible, or better still, arrange a lift in Mokhotlong the day before. From the South African side, Sani Pass Carriers (tel 033 701 1017, or 083 555 5059, sanipasscarriers@wandata.com ) have scheduled links between Sani Lodge (see below) and Pietermaritzburg, Durban and Kokstad. At Kokstad it meets the Baz Bus (tel 021 439 2323) travelling between Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

The border is open daily (8am-4pm), and there's accommodation on both sides. On the Lesotho side is the popular Sani Top Chalets (tel 082 574 5476 or 033 702 1158, ; camping & dorms: up to R100, doubles with dinner and breakfast: R200-300). The setting is superb, with commanding views of the mountains, and it makes much of its claim to be the highest pub in Africa. It's recommended for the views and the hearty food on offer at lunchtime, while in the evenings you can drink in front of the fire or sit on the balcony and watch the sunset over the mountain tops. In winter, if there's enough snow, skis and boots are for rent, and at other times you can take an overnight pony-trekking trail with a guide. You can sometimes make use of the transport which runs regularly between the Chalets and Himeville, although it's also possible to hitch a lift or hop on one of the 4WD taxis which ply the route. Some way down the pass, on the KwaZulu-Natal side, is the excellent Sani Lodge , where Russel Suchet, the owner, has an extensive knowledge of Lesotho and will help organize transfers and tours up Sani Pass and beyond.