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| <html> | |
| <head> | |
| <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 3.0"> | |
| <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> | |
| <title>ADVENTURES FROM MALEALEA</title> | |
| </head> | |
| <body background="WB00516_.gif"> | |
| <div align="center"><center> | |
| <table border="0" width="86%"> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="100%"><b><p align="center"><img border="0" src="Malealea_Lodge.gif" WIDTH="503" HEIGHT="40"><br> | |
| <img border="0" src="malealea_pony_trekking_centre.gif" WIDTH="355" HEIGHT="40"></p> | |
| <p align="center"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000080" size="6">ADVENTURES FROM | |
| MALEALEA</font></p> | |
| </b><font FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2"><p align="center">Written by guests at Malealea, | |
| Ula & Nicholas Rabie.</p> | |
| </font><b><p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#663300">Malealea is a rustic | |
| lodge that caters for the adventurers. This includes pony trekking, spectacular hiking | |
| trails and 4 x 4 excursions to Bushman paintings, Waterfalls and the Pitseng Canyon | |
| experiencing Basotho culture and visiting villages.</font></p> | |
| </b><table border="1" width="100%" bordercolorlight="#FFFFFF" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="6"> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="5%" valign="top"><font color="#008000">1.</font></td> | |
| <td width="95%"><font face="Arial" SIZE="2" color="#008000"><b>JOBO ADVENTURE</b> </font><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">Start out at Malealea Lodge, drive for 3 km, follow the left fork at | |
| Likhohloaneng for another 3 km, until you go through "The Gates of Paradise | |
| Pass". A spectacular view of the "Roof of Africa". Follow this road for | |
| another 1 km and turn left. Following this road you will have a good view of the gorge on | |
| the right, snow capped mountains (in winter) and villages scattered around. Up to this | |
| point it is a very good all weather road.</font> <font face="Arial" SIZE="2">After 7 | |
| km driving on a plateau, you will reach the village of Ha Qaba. There are a few potholes | |
| and an average of 40 -50 km/h is advised. The road winds down to the Sekering, with a | |
| beautiful gorge on the left. 9 km from Qaba, the road makes a 180 degree turn to the river | |
| on the left. Follow this small two track road for 400m along the riverbank. Turn right at | |
| the poplar trees (good picnic spot) to cross the river. Here a high lift jack or a second | |
| vehicle would be recommended. Our Basotho Guide asked me the Million Dollar question, | |
| after being stuck in the river sand for 30 minutes, "Why do you go through the river | |
| if the bridge is just around the corner???" This is open to suggestions! Follow the | |
| road left up the escarpment on the opposite river bank. Follow the two track road straight | |
| into the village, Kakoanyane and turn left onto the "main road". Follow this | |
| road past the Ribaneng High School. When you have travelled 9 km from the river, the road | |
| will fork, take the left fork. Follow this winding road through villages for another 4 km, | |
| on the main road. Here you must take the right fork, the road is badly eroded and a 4 x 4 | |
| is recommended. As you follow the winding roads through the villages, remember the | |
| following code of makeshift flags, clolouring the landscape. Stop and sample, if you dare, | |
| the following goods:<br> | |
| 1 White flag - Beer made of Sorghum - recommended for a strong stomach.<br> | |
| 2. Yellow flag - Beer made of Barley<br> | |
| 3. Green flag - selling vegetables.<br> | |
| 4 Red flag - selling meat.</font><p><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">Follow the mountain pass, | |
| at times very steep and difficult. Not recommended for novice drivers. On your way up, | |
| don’t forget to absorb the beauty of the Ribaneng Gorge on the left and the Jobo | |
| Gorge on the right. The last 100 m being the most difficult, should only be done by very | |
| experienced drivers as there is no turn around point and a very tricky three point turn is | |
| required to follow the same route back down the mountain. I would advise your | |
| passengers to leave the car at this stage!!! When you get to the dead end on top, it is | |
| advised you take the 20 minute hike to the top of the mountain where a village, Jobo is | |
| situated with the most spectacular views of Lesotho you can ever imagine. It is this view | |
| and the challenge of the treacherous mountain pass, which makes this 4 x 4 route a must to | |
| any visitor in the area with the necessary experience. On your return home take the Qaba - | |
| Malealea 4 x 4 route.</font></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="5%" valign="top"><font color="#008000">2</font></td> | |
| <td width="95%"><b><font face="Arial" SIZE="2" color="#008000">4 X 4 ROUTE FROM QABA TO | |
| MALEALEA ACROSS THE LANDS</font></b><p><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">Follow the same route | |
| back to Ha Qaba. Turn right at Ha Qaba lodge and follow this road for 1.5 km and turn | |
| right. Turn right another 300 m further. Turn left 800 m further and left again 300m | |
| further. Turn left 400m on and 300m further across the river on the right and up the steep | |
| embankment. Follow this road for 1.6 km and turn right onto the main road to Malealea | |
| Lodge. Here you will have Mick & Di Jones welcoming you with a lovely hot shower, a | |
| good old bottle of Tassies and a scrumptious meal cooked by Aggie and Mantumeng. Sitting | |
| around a fire at night with travellers from all around the world, you can enjoy the | |
| peaceful tranquility and share a love for Africa.</font></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="5%" valign="top"><font color="#008000">3</font></td> | |
| <td width="95%"><b><font face="Arial" SIZE="2" color="#008000">BOTSOELA WATERFALL DRIVE.</font></b><p><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">2 leisurely hours return. ORDINARY VEHICLES, but spectacular for 4 x | |
| 4's<b>.</b> A morning drive past the Botsoela waterfall and circular route through remote | |
| villages back to Malealea. Road is quite good and not really 4 x 4 , but magnificent | |
| scenery. The road hugs the side of a mountain, also a hand-built road. Drive back towards | |
| the "Gates of Paradise Pass". Take the right fork at 3 kms from Malealea Lodge. | |
| Continue for 14.1 kms and leave the vehicle at the bottom of the pass. En-route the 14.1 | |
| kms do not take the road going straight, but turn sharp right to go down the pass. To get | |
| to the top of the waterfall look out point, hike downstream for about 500m on the right | |
| side of the stream. Hike over the small stream and continue around the top of the gorge to | |
| the far point. This is the best view of the waterfall and Botsoela stream gorge. The first | |
| view of the waterfall is not the best one. From here, on the left hand side of the stream, | |
| you can see the path going down to the waterfall, if you wish to join the pony trekkers. | |
| Continue the drive from the waterfall up the pass for about 5 kms until you reach the view | |
| point.</font> </p> | |
| <p><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">Walk up a small hill to view the panoramic scene of | |
| Malealea and it’s valleys. Either backtrack to the lodge with views in opposite | |
| directions or: Continue on a circular route taking all the left turns, until you are back | |
| at Malealea via "The Gates of Paradise." This will take about 2 ½ hours.</font></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="5%" valign="top"><font color="#008000"><b><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">4:</font> | |
| </b></font></td> | |
| <td width="95%"><font face="Arial" SIZE="2" color="#008000"><b>MAKHALENG BOAT CROSSING</b></font><p><font face="Arial" SIZE="2"><b>4 x 4 drive or Evening Sundowner Special<br> | |
| </b>Test your 4 wheel drive by going to the top of the Makhaleng river.</font> | |
| <font face="Arial" SIZE="2">Turn sharp left outside the wooden gate of the | |
| lodge, go past the woolshed on the left, past the Makheteng School on the right and about | |
| 300 m further take the right fork. Keep right and follow all the right tracks until you | |
| drive to the top of Gorge.</font></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="5%" valign="top"><font color="#008000">5</font></td> | |
| <td width="95%"><font color="#008000"><b><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">A FULL DAYS DRIVE</font></b> | |
| <font face="Arial" SIZE="2"><b>TO MALETSUNYANE WATERFALL or Overnight stay at Semonkong.</b></font></font><p><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">This route is over magnificent mountain passes. 150 kms one way.<b> </b>Take | |
| the road to the Botsoela Waterfall, taking all the right turns until you get to the | |
| tar road. Turn left and continue to Semonkong. 3 ½ - 4 hours. At the weir near Semonkong | |
| turn right to view the Maletsunyane Waterfall & Gorge. Stay over at the Frasers Lodge | |
| or return to Malealea via Roma. This route is longer in kilometres, but quicker in time. 3 | |
| - 3 ½ hours.</font></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="5%" valign="top"><font color="#008000">6</font></td> | |
| <td width="95%"><font face="Arial" SIZE="2"> </font><font color="#008000" face="Arial" SIZE="2"><b>A FULL DAYS DRIVE PAST MPHARANE, MOHALESHOEK, QUTHING</b>,</font><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">(Dinasour footprints, Ellenbergers cave house.) Continue along the | |
| Mt. Moorosi Road and up magnificent passes to Mpaki. This road overlooks magnificent | |
| sandstone gorges. Return along the back route via Letsies lake, Mokoaes valley rejoining | |
| the road at Mt. Moorosi.</font></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="5%" valign="top"><font color="#008000">7</font></td> | |
| <td width="95%"><b><font face="Arial" SIZE="2" color="#008000">SCENIC DAY DRIVE TO THABA | |
| BOSIU, MASERU, MORIJA MUSEUM & ARCHIVES.</font></b><font face="Arial" SIZE="2">Take | |
| the road to the Botsoela Waterfall as in 1c and continue through Basotho villages until | |
| you get to a T-Junction. From here take all the right turns until you reach the tar road, | |
| where you turn left and eventually pass through Roma - 2 ½ hours. Continue about 8 kms to | |
| the Thaba Bosiu turnoff. Turn right until you get to the Thaba Bosiu information office. | |
| Guides will take you up the historic mountain, Thaba Bosiu, and explain in detail the | |
| history of the Basotho Nation - 1 hour hike. Continue to Maseru along the back road - 25 | |
| kms. Obtain information at the LesothoTourist Board Information Centre in the main street | |
| of Maseru opposite the Basotho Hat building. En-route back to Malealea, turn off at Morija | |
| and visit the Museum & Archives.</font></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| <tr> | |
| <td width="100%" valign="top" colspan="2"><font face="Arial" SIZE="2" color="#008000"><b>ALL | |
| AROUND MALEALEA ARE 4 X 4 TRACKS INTO REMOTE VILLAGES WAITING TO BE EXPLORED. </b>Malealea | |
| Lodge can arrange Basotho companions or Professional Guides to accompany you around | |
| Lesotho on a camping trip introducing you to the local chiefs, ensuring that you are well | |
| looked after. You may camp privately or enjoy the hopsitality of the local villages. In | |
| Lesotho it is etiquette to introduce yourself to the headman or local chief. WE encourage | |
| you to pay a small fee for your stay in his area. More often than not, he will send | |
| someone to guard your campsite. </font><p><font face="Arial" SIZE="2" color="#008000">Malealea | |
| can tailor make your trips to suit your requirements. eg, really remote areas camping in | |
| Basotho villages or lodge to lodge. Shorter trips and backtracking to Malealea. </font></p> | |
| <font FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2"><p><font color="#008000"> </font></font></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| </table> | |
| <p> </p> | |
| <p align="center"><a href="Default.htm">Return to Malealea Home Page</a></td> | |
| </tr> | |
| </table> | |
| </center></div> | |
| </body> | |
| </html> |