With so much of the world left to explore, at this point in my journey, I am not keen on revisiting places. I feel like the clock is ticking faster than ever. 2015. 2016. 2017. 2018. 2019. Five years have passed in the blink of an eye. Halfway to my goal, staying on track is key. But, there are exceptions to every rule. I promised my grandmother that I would take her to South Africa. Visiting the country had been a dream of hers for quite some time. I could not say no, even if South Africa was going to be a repeat for me. However, that did not mean that I could not add other countries to our itinerary. Going on a safari was at the top of my grandma’s list. Checking off Lesotho was at the top of mine. So, I had to get creative. While planning this trip, I allocated three days to visiting Cape Town and four to Vilankulo. That left me with only three days to squeeze in a safari and a trip to the Kingdom of Lesotho. Strategically, Durban was the best choice—close to Lesotho and near a notable game reserve.
While U.S. passport holders do not need a visa for the Kingdom of Lesotho, many other nationals, including Polish citizens, are required to obtain a visa in advance. I was actually very surprised to learn that my grandma needed a visa.
Lesotho introduced an e-visa system back in 2017. The application process is quick and easy. However, the visa is expensive. A single-entry tourist visa costs $150 USD (a multiple-entry tourist visa costs $250 USD)—that is a lot of money to pay for only a few hours in the country. To avoid paying for the visa, a fellow traveler recommended I reach out to Thaba Tours. Using that company, he was able to enter Lesotho without a visa for the same day trip. Thaba Tours confirmed, and noted that my grandma would only have to pay an additional $14 USD at the border to enter the country for the day. While this option would save me money, I was not up for paying bribes or risking getting my grandma in trouble.
I decided to bite the bullet and apply for the visa online. In addition to providing your passport and a recent photo, required documents include: travel itinerary; invitation letter requesting your presence in the Kingdom of Lesotho or hotel reservation; bank statement/evidence of funds to cover your expenses; and immunization card showing a current yellow fever inoculation—none of which my grandma had. Since the Sani Pass day tours from Durban only spend a few hours actually in Lesotho, I could not provide any of the required documents besides my grandma’s passport and photo. Fortunately, the official visa website has support staff that actually reply to messages and answer phone calls. Gasp. From my experience, such communication is not common across most embassies and consulates. I submitted my grandma’s application without the required documents and her visa was issued within 72 hours.
Prior to arriving in South Africa, I booked the ‘Sani Pass Day Tour from Durban’ with Country and Coastal Touring for our last day in South Africa [see post: Cities and Safaris: Cape Town to Durban]. Early that morning, we left Durban and made our way to the town of Underberg, where the Sani Pass begins. The Sani Pass is the only road (pass) linking the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal to the landlocked country of Lesotho. Known for its scenery, the pass itself has become a tourist attraction.
Upon arrival in Underberg, we transferred into 4×4 vehicles and traveled up the pass, exiting South Africa at the bottom and entering Lesotho at the top. Unfortunately, the dense fog prevented us from enjoying the scenic landscape.
Our time in the mountain kingdom was limited—we only had a few hours in the country.
Once in Lesotho, we visited a village and had lunch at the highest pub in Africa.
After lunch at the Sani Mountain Lodge, we made our way back to Underberg and then completed the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Durban for our last night in South Africa.
