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.

The Maletsunyane Falls, one hour's walk from Semonkong

Get in

By car

Semonkong is about 120km from Maseru. From Maseru, follow the signs to Roma where you will find the only gas station you will encounter during your oncoming trip. Also, there is a small Chinese grocery store to stack up on supplies, since Semonkong itself doesn't have that much to offer. Follow the tarmac all the way until you get there.

The journey takes about 3-4 hours. A 4x4 is not needed but smaller cars will struggle slightly on some of the uphills, just be confident and patient. You might not want to do it overloaded. Note that cellphone reception is limited. Semonkong lodge have a free shuttle every Tuesday and Friday from Maseru to Semonkong. They collect you at the tourist information in Maseru.

By minibus

Minibuses run from Maseru to Semonkong (and vice-versa) on a daily basis and leave from the major (and perhaps only) transit station in Maseru. The cost was M70, and the drive took 3.5-4.5 hours (April 2014). As with public transport in many countries of Africa, do not expect an exceptionally comfortable ride.

Get around

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

See

• The Maletsunyane Falls - 1 hour pony ride (or a longer walk) from the Semonkong Lodge, the highest single drop waterfall in Southern Africa at 192m. Above the waterfall, the Maletsunyane River in itself is nothing spectacular, which makes the discovery of the falls even more amazing! The scramble down the sides of the gorge is hard, but fairly safe and the noise and spray at the bottom by the pool is awe inspiring! Because no sun shines on the bottom, there is often snow down there, even in summer!

You can also go to the viewpoint by car: When you are about to cross the bridge to Semonkong, turn right and follow the signs to Maletsunyane Falls. Drive for about 9 km on a mysteriously good road until you see a sign pointing to your left (you can see the gorge on your left). Go onto the grass road for a while and you have a beautiful view over the entire gorge and the falls.

Do

• 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 (200m) according to the Guinness book of records. It also offers hikes to the falls (ranging from 2 hours to the top of the falls to 4 hours to the bottom of the gorge, both with guides) and elsewhere. Usual rates are about M30 plus M10 for every hour you walk, in total for small groups.
• The blanket presentation done by Masetho at her home is not to be missed if you're interested in learning about Basotho culture and the blankets you see every person wearing. M100 per person.

Buy

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

Eat

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

Sleep

• 1 Semonkong Lodge, Semonkong, ☏ +266 2700-6037, +27 51 933-3106, bookings@placeofsmoke.co.ls. Good comfy beds, friendly hosts, decent food, fantastic scenery! M1600 per night for a double room. Dorms also available. (updated Jun 2023)

Go next

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