Plan your trip
GETTING THERE
Sehlabathebe is roughly 2½ hours’ drive from Matatiele in the Southern Drakensberg through the Ramatseliso’s Gate border post (8am – 4pm). The pass up to the border is gravel with concrete reinforcing on the most graduated bends. The road to the entrance of the park is gravel. The trip is doable in a sedan but a high-clearance vehicle is recommended, and you’ll need a 4x4 in the park. The park fee is R30 pp, payable at reception.
STAY HERE
Sehlabathebe Lodge is planned to be fully operational by the end of April 2018. Set on a hillside overlooking the park entrance, it comprises self-catering family units, double rooms and six-sleeper dorms. There is a restaurant but, at the time of writing, not yet permanently stocked and staffed. If it’s not operational, ask the rangers to open the two self-catering rondavels adjacent to the reception building. They’re clean, comfortable and share a communal kitchen and bathroom. From R250 pp. +266-6253-7565 Jonathan’s Lodge Campsite is set on the lawns outside the defunct lodge. There is no electricity and no demarcated stands, but this is the place to overnight if you’re completely self-sufficient and want to experience Sehlabathebe at its finest hour (sunrise). There are rustic ablutions and, being a stone’s throw from an armed outpost, safety is pretty much guaranteed. From R80 pp. +266-6253-7565 Resthaven Guest House is in Matatiele and a good option for those just wanting to spend the day at Sehlabathebe. Rooms are clean and fresh, beds comfortable and the food is great. It’s the kind of place you can gather, whether it’s your thoughts, things or crew, and makes a great base for exploring the region. Rooms from R420 pp sharing. resthaven.co.za
DO THIS
See the rock art with a guide. There are estimated to be more than 130 sites in the park, with San art that dates back around 4 000 years. Some paintings feature therianthropes (part human, part animal), believed to have been created by shamans while in a trance. Ask your guide to also show you the shepherd’s hut and kraal, built into the sandstone formations. Guides from R40 pp. Enquire at the park’s reception. Walk to the rock pools and formations. Trails are not clearly marked – more of an amble than a formal trail – but there are some real gems just out of eyeshot of Jonathan’s Lodge. You’ll stumble upon sandstone arches and outcrops and glistening, still pools. Get to Sehlabathebe on horseback. Khotso Lodge & Horse Trails, just over the border in KZN, offers a guided three-day trip. You’ll need your passport but it’s a unique way to arrive in Lesotho, via the single-track Bushman’s Nek Pass, to experience this region’s beauty (it can be done in reverse too). R5 900 pp including meals. khotso.co.za