Teyateyaneng

Teyateyaneng, usually shortened to TY, is the main town of the Berea district and has become the country's weaving centre: several workshops there spin and weave mohair from the angora goats kept in the highlands into tapestries and rugs, worked on upright looms with designs drawn from Basotho life and from the landscape. The workshops sell directly and visitors can watch the looms. The name means place of quick sands, after the river that runs past the town, and the workshops sit close to it on the road north out of Maseru.

What you actually see

• The mohair tapestries - the woven work the town is known for across the region.
• The upright looms - the frames the weavers work on in the open workshops.
• The angora connection - the goats kept in the highlands that supply the fibre.
• The workshop sales - the pieces sold directly where they are made.

When to go

September to April is the milder season. Workshops keep weekday hours. Weekends are quieter and some close.

Honest expectations

Workshops close at weekends and hours are irregular. Large pieces are expensive and awkward to carry. The town itself has little else for visitors.

Nearby

Maseru is south, and Hlotse is north.