Drive across the winding Sani Pass to Lesotho

Drive across the winding Sani Pass to Lesotho

The Sani Pass is considered one of the most dangerous mountain passes in the world. We decided to go to Lesotho on our overnight tour of Lesotho

Sometimes I am jealous of former discoverers - not a grandever like Cook or Magellan, but everyday travelers who went somewhere and have seen something that has not yet been covered by Lonely Planet or Atlas & Boots.

I imagine the sultry of old women with endless corridors of unexplored possibilities or China's Hallelujah mountains, foggy and abandoned, and remember how magical these times must have been.

In the age of travel guides and Google everything can be found. You can confirm your entire trip through a country without entering it. I enjoy the comfort of Tripadvisor and Google Maps, but I also long for real seclusion.

There were places where I tried this easier, probably purer way of traveling: on the Vulkan Erta Ale in Ethiopia, in Lac Abbé in Dschibuti, while camping on the island of Mafana in Tonga, when climbing the Nevis Peak in St. Kitts & Nevis and during trekking on Mount Yasur in Vanuatu.

These rare gemstones summon the romance of anachronistic trips. They give me the feeling of being the person I want to be: daring, carefree and a little careless. Sani Pass is one of these places.

Sani is located at the western end of the province of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa and is a mountain pass that Underberg in South Africa connects with Mokhotlong in Lesotho. The hairpin pass, which is described as one of the most dangerous in the world, begins at an altitude of 1,544 m and rises from 1,332 m to 2,876 m.

Sani Pass was built around 1950 and remains a challenging journey. With winding curves, loose gravel, steep slopes and hairpin bends, the Sani Pass requires careful care and practiced skills. Sometimes the slope reaches 1: 3. It has requested human lives under tricky conditions. In fact, one of the hairpins has the meaningful name "suicide curve".

alt = “The hairpin curves of the Sani Pass in Lesotho”> Vaiz ha; CC BY 2.0 The hairpin curves of the Sani Pass in Lesotho

After we had driven thousands of kilometers through Namibia ourselves, we didn't feel like trying the Sani Pass ourselves, so we booked a night tour to Lesotho and started with a local expert from Roof of Africa.

We broke up in the city of Underberg and drove 35 km along the Sani Pass Road to the South African border post. This itself is slow because a large part of the journey is on unpaved roads.

We showed our passports in border control and were allowed to continue. If you don't sit in a 4 × 4, you have to expect you to be rejected at this point.

alt = “Expect that you will be rejected if you do not have 4 × 4”> Atlas & Boots await you to be rejected if you do not have 4 × 4

After the border control, we started seriously with Sani Pass. Here the skills of our guides were really put to the test. The road scratched the wheels of our vehicle and tried its best to eliminate the grip. We made a way up, dragged and rubbed the tricky gravel.

somewhere along the winding passport became clear to me how beautiful this region is. I knew little about Lesotho before the trip and I admitted that I was expecting a dusty bowl of a country that was trapped like a fly in South Africa.

alt = “Lesotho is an inland of South Africa”> Google Maps Lesotho is an inland of South Africa

I introduced myself to parroted landscapes from yellow and brown and witnessed dwellings that adopted in the sun. What I found was one of the most breathtaking landscapes I've ever seen. Lush wrinkles made of velvet green rose like waves in a painting. The drama of this mountain pass, which leads to one of the least known countries in the world, was absolutely stunning.

We approached and climbed higher the better the view became. All in all, the Sani Pass is approximately 9 km from the South African border post to its equivalent in Lesotho, and yet it took us 90 minutes to master it - it is so important to drive carefully.

Around noon we reached the Sani Mountain Lodge, the home of Africa's highest pub. There we enjoyed lunch and a drink before we visited the highest point in the area at 3,240 m.

At this point, day trippers return for the return trip. Fortunately, we booked an overnight tour of Lesotho and were able to visit a local village where we were spoiled with a dance performance and a lesson over local customs.

In general, Peter and I more travel to nature and animal experiences as for cultural experiences (especially those with the participation of the audience!), But this was a fun distraction, especially when the local women asked Peter and congratulated when he said.

Outside, Peter smiled and said embarrassed: "One of us did his weight and that is clearly not you."

Alt = "View of Lesotho vom Sani Pass"> Views of the Sani Pass

Under a rapidly changing sky, we met our guide again (also called Peter). Dark clouds opened and we found ourselves in a sudden flip. This destroyed our plans to see the sunset from the Black Mountain, so instead we made our way to our accommodation in the Mantsebo Guest House.

I wrote about the general view earlier that Africa is a homogeneous unit. I know that Ethiopia is different from Mauritius, unlike Namibia, and unlike Egypt, but Lesotho really blew my guess. This country with green summers and snowy winters was not my idea of ​​Africa.

alt = “On a hike in Lesotho”> Atlas & Boots on a hike in Lesotho

Soon after the hike we started our second crossing of the Sani Pass, this time in relegation. We bumped, scraped and pushed down in centimeters and stopped once to help a driver stuck on the way up.

Peter, our guide, took over the driver's bikes and laboriously helped him out of the predicament. When he returned to our vehicle, he noticed that he could see the concern in the driver's eyes. Sani Pass is not a trip or a joke. It represents a real and clear danger.

alt = “Sani Pass represents a real danger”> Atlas & Boots Sani Pass is a real danger

However, the conditions of the Sani Pass can change. Chinese construction companies are supposed to pave the street in 2019, a step that meets resistance. Local tour operators have complained that the attractiveness of the Sani Pass is in its rough condition and that an asphalt, smooth road that is accessible to all vehicles would dampen its attractiveness. That's right, but of course the street must first serve the locals. Progress must not be hindered just to please tourists.

Nevertheless, it is sad that this is the nature of progress. It makes life easier, but no matter who helps, where it makes everything a little more boring. Rare gemstones like Sani Pass are becoming less and less, which is why they are so special when you actually find them.

Sani Pass in Lesotho: Tips

• You can drive the Sani Pass yourself, but we recommend that you take a guide due to the conditions. In any case, you need a 4 × 4.
• consider to stay longer than a day trip, as this flows more into the local economy.
• The border control points for South Africa and Lesotho close at 6:00 p.m. So plan enough time to complete the passport (it took us 1.5 hours with an experienced tour guide, but with a few photo stops).
• don't forget to pack your passport. Lesotho is a country that is independent of South Africa and you will not receive any entry if you don't have a passport.
• If you would like to go pony rides, check whether this is booked if it is not available.
• Pack layers and warm clothes. Lesotho is high and the temperatures can vary.

Sani Pass in Lesotho: The essentials

was: drive over the winding Sani Pass from South Africa to Lesotho.

Where: We stayed in the Mantsebo Guest House in the picturesque village of Thabang in Mokhotlong. Named after the royal regent 'Mants’bo Amelia Seeiso, the first and only woman who ruled Lesotho, the guest house consists of a number of rustic, straw -covered accommodations in the middle of an enchanting property.

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Atlas & Boots

The rooms are clean and functional with their own bathroom and access to community kitchens. We ate in the hotel's restaurant, which mainly serves western dishes (book your meal in advance). There is no internet, but that only contributes to its unconventional charm.

When: The best travel time for Lesotho is spring (September to November) and autumn (February to April), but the weather can be changeable in any season. Expect rain in summer (December to January) and snow in winter (May to August).

like: We visited Sani Pass on the Lesotho overnight tour of Durban with Roof of Africa.

The price is 5,250 tsar ($ 380) per person and includes the transfer from and to Durban via Wild Routes, a personal guide for the duration of the tour, a robust 4 × 4 transport for the Sani Pass, accommodation in Lesotho, all activities and all meals (including non-alcoholic beverage per meal). The collection in Durban takes place on day 1 at 6:00 a.m., return to day 2 at 5:00 p.m.

The price is pretty high for a tour with an overnight stay, but remember that you visit one of the least seen countries in the world.

If you are already in Underberg, you can choose the Lesotho overnight Tour from Underberg (3,750 tsar / 270 USD per person) who leaves Underberg on day 1 at 9:00 a.m. and returns to day 2 at 1:00 p.m.

We flew from Cape Town to Durban. Book flights at the best prices via Skyscanner.

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Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swasiland is a comprehensive travel guide for Lesotho, ideal for those who want to explore both the most important sights and choose fewer roads.

main picture: Vaiz ha; CC by 2.0

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