After Durban, I hit the road and headed west on my way to the Drakensberg region in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). After 3 hours I made it to Himeville, where I spent the night before my next-day adventure on the Sani Pass. With a climb of 4,370 vertical feet and a summit altitude of 9400 feet, it’s been said that the Sani Pass is the mother of all South African mountain passes. After experiencing it firsthand, I’d have to agree.
The Sani Pass
Connecting KZN and the landlocked mountain kingdom of Lesotho, the Sani Pass is not for the faint of heart (or those with a tendency for motion sickness). It’s a bumpy, twisting, turning and sometimes scary ride on a narrow dirt gravel road through the steep slopes of the Drakensberg mountain range. With that being said, the views are incredible and worth every minute of the ride.
4×4 Drakensberg Adventures
I took a 2-day trip to Eastern Lesotho with Drakensberg Adventures. Our group of 5 loaded into a 4×4 around 9:30 am and started our trek up the Sani Pass. At first it seemed easy enough, but the gravel road progressively narrowed and grew bumpier, jostling us around and giving us an “African massage” as our tour guide affectionately called it. In about 30 minutes we arrived at the South African border post, where we exited the truck to receive our passport departure stamps. There we learned we had another 2 hours before we arrived at the Lesotho border. This was where the fun began.
Khomazana River Valley
Waterfalls
We drove for about an hour, passing numerous waterfalls and expansive views of the Khomazana river valley. We also learned about the geology of the mountains, the native birds and animals, and the multitude of flora and fauna in the area. I took tons of photos, but as hard as I tried, my camera lens just could not capture the vastness and sheer beauty of the scenery. You really have to see it with your own eyes to appreciate the magnitude. We stopped for lunch around 11:30 am, taking in the views and enjoying the peace and serenity.
Me enjoying the view
Almost at the Sani Top
The last 30 minutes was the scariest part of the drive. We rounded a series of hairpin turns and steep climbs at the edge of the mountain. The gravel road was most narrow here, requiring 100% concentration and skill. At this point, I thanked myself that I’d had the good sense not to attempt this drive on my own. Our driver, who was born and raised in Lesotho, said he’d driven the Sani Pass hundreds of times so it was like second nature to him. He got us up to the final summit with no problem and we finally arrived at the Sani Top nearly 3 hours after we’d started. After a quick stop at the Lesotho border post to have our passports stamped, we were on our way to the Matsoaing village which would be our home for the next two days.
Check out this video by Mountain Passes of South Africa for a firsthand view of the ride.
Car wrecked on the Sani Pass
Have you driven or rode on the Sani Pass? What did you think? Share your comments below.
This sounds like a great trip! I’ve never been anywhere like this, but it sounds fantastic.
This is an amazing tour with lots of breathtaking views and just lovely terrain everywhere! It’s hard not to have a great time when you’re in such a beautiful place! I wonder what happened to that car though and how are the people in it.
It’s nice to get out and visit places. It’s nice to read about others doign it too, when you can’t do it yourself at the time. 🙂
WOW what stunning photos! thanks for sharing xx
This looks like a great adventure! I love mountains 🙂
Beautiful pictures. I love the waterfall.
Thanks, I like waterfalls too.
Wow! What an amazing place! The views! Absolutely beautiful.
The pictures don’t do justice to it. It’s fascinating.
Oh steep climbs, that’s kind of scare hihi 🙂 I admire you for being adventurous. Keep it up and enjoy life!
What a beautiful adventure! Looks like you had fun. I dream of going back to S.Africa. I had the best time.
Yes, I had a wonderful time too.
That looks like an amazing adventure that I’m afraid this scaredy cat will never dare try. I am so freaked out at the thought of that drive. I don’t think I could do it. You are awesome for getting out there!
wow this is amazing. i totally love the photos that you captured. very nice and thanks so much for sharing.
What an incredible place to have the opportunity to travel to. I don’t think I would be able to tear myself away from those lovely hills.
It was an incredible place, so peaceful and relaxing.
OMG! That’s absolutely beautiful! That looks like the place where they filmed lost. lol
This is like a trip of a lifetime I can’t wait to follow along with all your travel posts.
This looks like a fun adventure. Definitely more than just a “trip”.
I don’t know if I can survive that kind of trip or trek. You are so adventurous. I never could do those things.