Malealea

The Malealea Valley is situated in the South-Western Part of Lesotho in the Thaba Putsoa Mountain Range.

Half way between Maseru and Mafeteng you turn off the main tar road and start heading out of the lowlands into the foothills of the Maluti Mountain Range. You climb up to about 2000metres above sea level and enter the "Gates of Paradise" a magnificent view of the mountain range in the distance. Malealea is the perfect destination to visit to begin your tour of Lesotho.

The Malealea Pony trek center is the most established organization of its kind in Lesotho and pony treks and hikes can be arranged from 1 hour up to 6 days - even longer specialized treks can be tailor-made. About 100 individually owned horses and 40 experienced guides are organized in an association who then take visitors on short or long day rides or overnight pony treks or hikes. Bushman Paintings, Rockpools, waterfalls and gorge walks are plentiful.

The area is great for Mountain Biking - there are bikes for hire but you can bring your own gear you can head off on your own and explore as much as you want of the spectacular countryside. Due to the twenty years of existence of Malealea Lodge, the local area and residents have also been able to reap some benefits. Local Development projects such as school infrastructure, tree planting, vegetable farming, soil erosion reclamation, handicrafts, local museums and dam building are evident. A visit to these sites is well worth the time and the cultural interaction.