"Lesotho's roads: not for the faint hearted!" Top 5 Page for this destination Lesotho Warnings Or Dangers Tip by CatherineReichardt

Let's start with the positive: Lesotho is the perfect place for a challenging, fascinating yet relatively affordable road trip.

Lesotho offers the highest mountain pass in Southern Africa (the Tlaeeng pass, at a literally breathtaking 3, 275m above sea level), the only vehicle pass over the Drakensberg (the highest mountains in the region) and stunning mountain scenery that will appeal to those eager to get off the beaten track. It is relatively untouristed, which means that you'll get to experience something that few other tourists to this part of the world get to see, and it's fairly inexpensive to boot.

Lesotho has a reasonable network of roads, and quite a number of them can be negotiated in a conventional vehicle without 4 wheel drive (4WD) provided that the vehicle has good clearance to avoid sump busting boulders and potholes. However, this is not the case for all roads, and potential travellers need to check road conditions in advance as even 'main roads' (as indicated on the map) can often be in poor condition - ask local people for advice, as road conditions can deteriorate fairly rapidly after major storms, for example. It is also important to note that a road that is indicated as a tar road on a map isn't necessarily better than a dirt road: a badly maintained tar road that has deteriorated to the point where it is little more than a series of potholes interspersed with tar is much harder on a vehicle (and its passengers) than a moderately well maintained dirt road.

Roads in the mountains can be extremely twisty because of the need to accommodate the steep topography and may often seem like an endless succession of hairpin bends (that's 'switchbacks' to you North Americans). This can be particularly dangerous if you meet a large vehicle coming in the opposite direction around a 'blind' corner, so make sure that you keep an eye out for oncoming vehicle on the sections of road that allow visibility ahead. Also be sure not to drive too close to the edge as the road surface tends to 'fret' in this area as a result of erosion due to ice and water, making it easy to slip off the edge.

Lastly, be sensible. If you hire a 4WD vehicle, make sure you know how to engage the 4WD and how to drive the vehicle in this mode - it's amazing how many people don't and, if this is the case, then you've just wasted a great deal of money on hiring a vehicle whose advantages you can't benefit from. If you're not an experienced driver under these conditions (and particularly if you don't have 4WD), strongly consider travelling in a convoy with two vehicles, so that the other vehicle can seek assistance if one gets into trouble. Always keep your cell (mobile) phone charged so that you can call for help - but be sure that you know who to call in case of emergency (usually the hotel/lodge you're travelling to is the best idea). And (particularly in winter) make sure that you have food, water and warm clothing with you just in case you get stuck and need to wait for help to come.

Otherwise, fortune favours the brave, so happy driving (and may the loathesome Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear never discover Lesotho)!