Africa, Lesotho

Written by Helga McLeod Monday, 01 March 2010 08:42

Lesotho is the mountainous African jewel known as the Kingdom of the Sky and sits a thousand plus metres above sea level with fantastic views from most holiday accommodation types. The Lesotho traveller finds clean air, huge skies and exciting rugged terrains, often seen from the back of mountain ponies which are for rent.

The African Basotho is proud and friendly, traditional in lifestyle and mostly inhabits the foothills of Lesotho. Lesotho and its people are unspoiled by tourism and if the visitor to this African country will find accommodation more restrictive bar a few wonderful guesthouses and private lodges.

Good Tip: For more hotspots, ask your holiday accommodation's front desk or your nearest Lesotho Info Centre after arrival.

Places to visit in this country that covers 30,355 square kilometres include Maseru�s Lesotho Cooperative Handicrafts � Basotho Hat where the visitor can shop for grass products, baskets and clay products. Other must-see venues are the Majiid Art Gallery, the Maseru Tapestries and Mats, Seithati Weavers, Berea�s Sesotho Design, Helang Basali and Leribae Craft Centre in Leribe.

Activities include skiing in winter and pony trekking, 4 X 4 adventure travel and hiking to The Kome Caves, The Maletsunyane Falls, The Mohale Dam, The Katse Dam, The Liphofung Cave, The Sanie Pass, The Ts�ehlanyane National Park and The Sehlabathebe National Park, Bokong- and Liphofung Nature Reserves.

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
All goods brought into Lesotho are subject to Customs control and baggage maybe subject to examination. Customs declarations are required upon arrival. False or incomplete declaration is an offence involving penalties, including forfeiture of any article.
Duty Free
The following items and quantities to a total value not exceeding M500.00 per person are allowed under rebate duty:
- 2 litres of wine per person, 1 litre spirits or other alcoholic beverages
- 200 cigarettes, 250 gm pipe tobacco, and 20 cigars.
- 50 ml perfume.
Any excess is charged import duty at a flat rate of 20%.
Visitors from Botswana , Namibia , South Africa and Swaziland , are not permitted to bring liquor into Lesotho .

Prohibited and Restricted Goods
Counterfeit coins or notes; dangerous weapons, including swords, cutlasses, bayonets, daggers, knives with cutting edges of 30 cm or more in length (excluding such knives as are ordinarily used for domestic purposes, agriculture or the meat trade); blasphemous material; indecent or obscene works or articles of an inflammatory nature such as certain pamphlets or posters.
Customs Officers and members of the Police Force give highest priority to drug detection and the legal penalties for drug trafficking are severe.
Domestic pets, livestock, seeds, bulbs, plants and trees may not be imported without payment of Customs and Sales Duty and are subject to quarantine restrictions.
Permits may be obtained from:
The Principal Secretary. Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security. P.O. Box 24 . Maseru 100. Lesotho

For all tourism related information, the visitor will find all they need from the Tourist Information Center, Maseru/Basotho Shield touristinfo@ltdc.org.ls or Tourist Information Office, Thaba Basiu touristinfotb@ltdc.org.ls
The Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) also proves extremely helpful. They can be reached on P.O. Box 1378, Maseru 100, Lesotho, Southern Africa. Emailed on ltdc@ltdc.org.ls, while the web address is www.ltdc.org.ls

Whether you travel in Lesotho for its friendly people and warm accommodation, natural scenery or pony tracking - make sure to soak up every moment as you will want to return.

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