Lesotho can be reached via several routes and options. Here is an example, from Johannesburg to Maseru.
From Johannesburg it is not difficult to get to Maseru. There are several options, depending on your comfort level, the time you have and the sense of adventure you want to experience.
1. Shared taxi - local transportation
Option 1 is to take a shared cab from Johannesburg. There are several large cab ranks in Johannesburg, many are in Dowtown, the largest is in Soweto. From there it is no problem to find a cab.
How do I get there?
The easiest way is to take an Uber to the Park Station (see map below). I listed multiple taxi ranks at the map, but park station and Wanderers Taxi Rank are the most common ones.
Here you will drive the huge amount of white minivans that connect the whole country and even go to neighboring countries. It may not be easy to find your way around this chaos, but after you create enough commotion anyway you will quickly find the right cab by asking. Ticket is 330 Rand per person. Plan on the cab not starting until it is full. Maximum waiting time is 2 hours, or if you are lucky and there are already more people in it just shorter.
The ride is pleasant and without any problems, the driver takes the highway and stops only two or three times, which allows you to move forward quickly. If you started at noon, you will reach the border in the early evening. From here on there is no more network connection. Border crossing is fast and uncomplicated. In Maseru itself you can decide where you want to get off, give the driver a sign and then leave the cab.
NOTE:
The way back is very similar. But, there is the possibility to take a normal cab to the border crossing, cross it on foot and then take such a shared cab back to Johannesburg behind the border. Price is the same, 330 Rand, waiting time must be included. In Johannesburg, the final stop is then again parking station.
2. Facebook Group: Find a Driver
I thought this option would be the cheapest and easiest. In this case, I was completely wrong. Surely it depends on the driver himself, I had no luck.
First, the driver himself determines the price, in our FAlle he wanted 450 Rand, which is higher than the normal cab. In addition, he changed several times the departure times, so you could not rely on punctuality. He picked us up from home and we started the trip.
There is the highway, direct way to Maseru or side roads where you don't have to pay tolls. These side roads are in much worse condition with numerous potholes and bumps. In addition, this detour takes + 4 hours, in my case it was 10 hours until we reached Maseru. Presumably, it can also go quite differently, and if you catch a good driver you can save the waiting time from the shared cab. On the other hand, you can't be sure with the private driver.
Border crossing is not a problem either, in Maseru the driver can drop you off directly at the desired place. This can be an advantage especially at night, since there are only a few call cabs in Maseru, especially at night this could be a problem.
3. Rent a car in Johannesburg and drive yourself
A good option if you want to be flexible and independent. Depending on the offer, the rental cars in Johannesburg cost around € 20 per day. In addition, one should calculate about 400 Rand for the gasoline filling for the way there. In addition, the tolls of the highway are added, these are about 100 Rand per car.
Perhaps the biggest problem, or the biggest cost is the border crossing. If you want to drive into Lesotho, this must be indicated to the car rental company in South Africa and you have to pay extra fees. These can also differ per provider. As a rule, however, these are about 550 Rand (see chart). When you add it all up, car rental is not one of the cheap options unless you are a group of people and can split the cost. Furthermore, I recommend having a good insurance as the road conditions in Lesotho are pretty bad and scratches or major damage to the undercarriage can happen quickly.
Want to learn more about Lesotho and its attractions? Then click on this link here!