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TravelTips24 : Africa : Southern Africa : Lesotho : Semonkong

Semonkong

Semonkong is a small town in central Lesotho. In Sesotho, Semonkong literally means Place of Smoke, which is a reference to the huge 200m Maletsunyane Falls which is close to the town.

Travel to Semonkong & Visa Requirements

By car

4x4 is realistically the only way to get in apart from hiking or ponytrekking, which is inadvisable without a very reliable guide. If it hasn't been raining you can make it in a saloon car, although you wouldn't want to do it in your own car, with a hire car however...

Semonkong is 120 km from Maseru, follow directions from Maseru to Mafetang, then to Roma, before heading to Semonkong. Journey is about 3 hours in a 4x4, 4 hours + in a saloon.

Semonkong lodge have a free shuttle every tuesday and friday from Maseru to Semonkong they collect you at tourist information in Maseru. Maluti Treks a tour operator has bus from Durban to maseru on tuesdays and fridays as well as tailor made tours to Lesotho vist [1]

Tours & Getting around Semonkong

Semonkong is small enough for it to be possible to get around by foot.

Semonkong attractions and sightseeing

  • The Maletsunyane Falls - 30 min walk from the Semonkong Lodge, the highest single drop waterfall in Southern Africa at 192m.

Semonkong city tours

  • Semonkong Lodge offers short (~1 hour) and long (overnight) Pony treks and 4x4 rides through the area. They also offer abseiling next to the waterfall, and bill it as the highest commercial abseiling point in the world according to the Guinness book of records.

Semonkong souvenirs & shopping

Although there are some shops which sell basic footstuffs, there's not much in the way of other shopping!

Semonkong Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • Semonkong Lodge serves alright food in its bar/restaurant. It is a bit pricey though!

Semonkong nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Semonkong cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

  • ☎ +266 2700-6037 or +27 (0)51 933-3106(bookings@placeofsmoke.co.ls), [2]. Good comfy beds, friendly hosts, decent food, fantastic scenery!From 75 LSL.

Get out

  • Maseru - Lesotho's capital, and the country's hub
  • Malealea - the other big tourist destination in central Lesotho

This page was last edited at 23:24, on 18 March 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Nick Roux and Tim Sandell and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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