Mokhotlong

Mokhotlong sits at around two thousand two hundred metres in the eastern highlands and was for most of its history the most cut off town in Lesotho, reachable only on horseback until a road was pushed through in the 1950s, which is why it was known as the loneliest place. Wool and mohair are the district's business and horses are still working transport. The Sani Pass and Thabana Ntlenyana are both within reach.

History

A police post first brought people to this part of Lesotho in 1905, and the settlement grew into a trading centre for the highlands; radio contact with Maseru came in 1947 and an airstrip and a road followed in the next few years, though supplies still came by pony trek up the Sani Pass (Wikipedia, Mokhotlong).

The main sights

• The high setting - a town at around two thousand two hundred metres in the mountains.
• The isolation history - reachable only on horseback until the 1950s.
• The wool and mohair trade - the district's business, worked from the surrounding highlands.
• The working horses - the animals still used as transport across the district.

When to go

November to March is the summer season. Winter brings deep snow and roads close. Nights are cold at this altitude in any month.

What to expect

Roads in and out cross high passes and close in snow. Facilities are basic. The altitude and cold catch out visitors arriving from the lowlands.

Nearby

Sani Pass is south, and Thabana Ntlenyana is southeast.

Key facts