The mountain Kingdom of Lesotho welcomes you. Our location is unrivalled. Semonkong Lodge is right on the edge of the Maletsunyane River, encircled by basalt mounds that melt into green mountainscapes dotted with traditional Basotho huts connected with a network of horse pathways. Africa’s second highest single-drop waterfall is walking distance away and can be reached on horseback, mountain bike or along a 4×4 route.
Nature reigns supreme in these parts of southern Africa. The lack of light pollution (especially after lights out at 10pm daily) reveals the starry canvas of the Milky Way, making it ideal for naked-eye stargazing. Nature’s soundtrack lulls you to sleep with the burble of the river and awakens you with a symphony of song from more than 250 bird species found in the Lesotho highlands.
Semonkong Lodge offers a range of Lesotho accommodation options, catering to solo business travellers, couples, friends, families with children, and larger groups. The lodge has a camping site, self-catering dormitories, fully-equipped kitchens, and en-suite thatched rondavels built from stone with fireplaces. Whether you’re looking for a ‘fishing lodge’, a 4×4 expedition or MTB adventure, or simply want to disconnect from the city life, allow Semonkong Lodge to be your antidote to reality.
Our spacious, en-suite accommodation is built in a traditional manner from local stone and sustainably-sourced thatch from the Semonkong community. It offers a balance of understated, rustic elegance complemented with Shweshwe accents for a pop of colour, and large photographs of Basotho people. The airy, en-suite bathrooms include large hot showers and toiletries.
Semonkong Lodge is comfortable, rather than fancy (we are located in a remote part of Lesotho’s highlands, after all) but we make up for it with genuine Basotho hospitality to ensure you have the perfect Lesotho holiday. We pride ourselves on serving our guests from our heart – and with heart. No ask is too big for us, we’ll always do whatever we can to make it happen.
With countless repeat guests, who have been with us since we took over Semonkong Lodge from the Fraser Trading Company in 1990, we must be doing something right. Some have honoured us by saying that Semonkong Lodge is one of the best places to stay in Lesotho. Our winning formula is about combining untouched natural beauty with exciting activities, coupled with a community-driven ecotourism model to conservation and long-term economic sustainability.
Check-in: 2pm until 8pm
Check-out: 10am (if you’re partaking in our activities, a late check out may be organised provided the room has not been booked)
Minimum booking: Long weekends and busy holiday periods, particularly over Christmas and Easter, require a minimum booking of three consecutive nights.
Semonkong Lodge rates: All our rates are quoted in Lesotho loti (LSL), which is equivalent to the South African rand (ZAR). All prices are inclusive of 15% VAT.
Book your stay at Semonkong Lodge for a Lesotho holiday to remember
Semonkong Lodge has a small campsite on the banks of the Maletsunyane River that accommodates tents and camper vans. It can cater for up to 20 individuals, depending on the size and number of travelling groups. The camping site has a braai (BBQ/grill) area, three-pin plug points (that are on from 8am-10pm daily), and ablutions with hot showers. Campers are always welcome to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner or to crack open a cold beer at our Duck and Donkey Tavern.
Our self-catering accommodation consists of two, large en-suite rondavels (each with their own fireplace) that sleep 6 and 8 people respectively. Both of these dormitories have bunk-beds (without child-friendly bars on the top bunk) making them ideal for backpackers or large groups. While linen is provided, we ask you to please bring a towel.
Our self-catering dormitories share a spacious, fully-equipped communal kitchen that includes a small dining area. If you choose not to self-cater, we always welcome you to our on-site restaurant, whether it’s for a meal, an al fresco sundowner, or a pre-packed lunch (with enough notice) to take on your onwards journey.
Semonkong Lodge has 25 en-suite rooms and rondavels that are built across three levels. Each one includes two- and three-point plugs. Three communal kitchens, with adjoining dining areas, are available to guests staying in our en-suite rooms and rondavels.
Lower level: Rooms 1-12 are on the lower level closest to the restaurant, bar, adventure activity hut and parking. They vary between twin and double beds; two of these rooms sleep 3 people with a combination of a double and a single bed. Eight of these rooms have built-in fireplaces.
Upper level: Each of the five rondavels on the upper level have fireplaces. Two of these include a double bed and a bunk bed (without a child-friendly bar on the top bunk) making them suitable for families with older children, and share a fully-equipped communal kitchen between them. This is also where our two en-suite, self-catering dormitories are located.
Third level: The seven en-suite rondavels situated on the third level of Semonkong Lodge offer an elevated view of the Maletsunyane River below and Semonkong town over the ridge. Each have their own fireplace, as well as a wooden, thatched gondola with outdoor furniture that is perfect for a page-turner and as a look out spot to see our colony of southern bald ibis that nest on the cliff face opposite our Duck and Donkey Tavern.
Even though we are deep in Lesotho’s highlands, you will be able to access the outside world during your Lesotho holiday, if needed. While we wait for Starlink to become available in our area by late 2024, until then we rely on satellite internet. At times the weather may affect the signal connectivity and its strength, but it usually suffices for emails and audio VoIP calls. We recommend registering a local Vodafone SIM card (using your passport) and buying airtime (calling credit) and/or data in Maseru. You can ‘top up’ your airtime and/or data in Semonkong town.
The Duck and Donkey Tavern is a fully-licensed bar and restaurant serving a selection of generously-sized, home-cooked meals infused with Basotho heritage and a touch of South African influence. No matter whether we’re making a slow-cooked oxtail stew or a delicious vegetarian meal, we always prioritise using locally-grown ingredients, such as wild moroho (spinach), beans and potatoes. Whatever we cannot buy off the back of a donkey from our Semonkong community, or grow organically in our small herb and vegetable garden, is supplemented during our regular trips to Maseru.
At an altitude of around 2 200m, we only have an average of 90 consecutive frost-free days each year that sometimes requires our two female chefs to get creative with what they have on hand. Guests rave about the liphaphatha (the freshly-baked flat bread) that’s delivered to our kitchen each morning by two women from Semonkong Town. Over time, we’ve become known for it. Because we’re always thinking about sustainable tourism, whatever remains is incorporated into our secret bread pudding dessert.
You’ll glean fascinating stories about Semonkong Lodge’s early days from the walls of our bar that’s enclosed within the structure of an open-plan Basotho rondavel. It connects to our modern, shweshwe-styled coffee shop that serves our signature coffee brand from Colombo Coffee.
If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know when you book your stay at Semonkong Lodge.