16 Reasons To Visit Afriski Lesotho Part 1
Posted on July 2 2019
These posts are made up of a list of 16 of our favourite Reasons To Visit Afriski Lesotho: from the sheer beauty, the snow, skiing and snowboarding, to the delicious food and spicy gluhwein!
I originally thought this would be one post, but with so many photos to share, and reasons why you should visit, it morphed into two posts…(Check out 16 Reasons To Visit Afriski Lesotho Part 2)
Here we go with 16 Reasons To Visit Afriski Lesotho Part 1:
#1 THE DRIVE
The drive from Durban to the South African/Lesotho boarder is just lovely, and don’t even get me started on the picturesque, rustic beauty of the drive once you get into Lesotho! It’s a kind of beauty that I have never seen anywhere else, totally unique to this little Kingdom. (Pictured below)
We stopped off in Clarens for lunch, it was the perfect stop-over, and if you haven’t been there, I highly recommend you do, it’s so artsy and quaint…Check out my post on 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Clarens.
#2 THE SNOW
There aren’t many places in South Africa (or the whole of Southern Africa for that matter) where you can experience snow. Sadly they hadn’t had their first snow of the season at Afriski while we where there, but when this whole place is covered in a few feet of crisp white snowflakes, I believe it’s magical!
#3 THE EUROPEAN FEEL
I honestly felt like I was on another continent! The look of the buildings and wood-cabins at Afriski, the crunch of ice underfoot, the crisp, clean mountain air and rolling hills all make you feel like you’re far, far away from the norm.
#4 THE GLUHWEIN AT GONDOLA CAFE
Ah yes! The Gluhwein deserves its very own mention. You’re a little fatigued from the drive, you’re shaking off some stresses and strains from the week, beginning to relax, it’s COLD, and you walk into Gondola Cafe at the bottom of the ski slopes and someone offers you a cup of warm, spicy, citrusy, semi-sweet red wine. Just say yes.
Little side note – I loved the gluhwein. Michael, not so much. But everything was available so we all win.
#5 THE SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
I know, I know, this would be first on most peoples lists when it comes to Afriski. And rightly so, but I was super impressed with the look and feel of the place, what can I say. Mid July is the official start of skiing season at Afriski, in fact the weekend we were there, the ski instructors had just arrived to start their season.
Winter Activities include:
- Ski school
- Skiing and snowboarding
- Tubing and bumboarding
- Adults snow park
- Kiddies snow park
- Monster rollers
- There is a large rental shop where you can rent all your gear, and a smaller shop where you can buy ski clothes, sunglasses and other bits and bobs.
Plus, the resort is open all year round with Summer Activities like:
- Hiking
- Mountain biking including enduro and a full-on bike park
- Fly fishing
- 4×4 trails
- Monster rollers
- Abseiling
- Adventure land for kids!
#6 THE ACCOMMODATION
There is a wide selection of accommodation at Afriski, from single bedroom and bathroom units for one or two people, to large chalet-style houses, the smallest of these sleep 6 and the largest sleep 11 people. All accommodation is in very close walking distance to the restaurant, cafe, shop, and slopes. Although, I must admit, it was far too cold for us at night to walk to and from the restaurant, so we still hopped in the car!
#7 THE BURGERS
Gondola Cafe Serves some of the most impressive burgers around! They don’t take hunger lightly – they are feeding worn out skiers and snowboarders just off the slopes, ravenous for something tasty and filling…And they don’t disappoint. The burger we ordered came in a large, fresh burger bun, topped with two massive and super-tasty beef patties that had been cooked in bbq sauce, with tomato, lettuce, gherkins and avocado, with a side of crispy fries.
I’m not the biggest burger fan in the world, but I was well impressed – this burger was tasty. And they have quite a substantial list of burgers to choose from. The cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and also serves alcohol.
#8 SKY RESTAURANT
At 3222m, Sky Restaurant is the highest restaurant in Africa!
Here we go again with the European ski resort feel – think relaxed Austrian vibes. I loved sitting in the restaurant at meal times and taking in the beauty of the mountains, dams, and snowy slope outside. All while cozy and warm, and filling my belly with deliciousness…More on that in Part 2!
Sky Restaurant has several lovely fireplaces and central heating so it’s always toasty, I made a B-line for the fireplace every time we walked in from the cold. There is an upstairs area which is really nice in the evening and this is where we had dinner on our last night.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their menu is family friendly, the food was very good. I was happy to see they had many healthy choices and they even had a few vegetarian and vegan options.
Check out Afriski’s website for more info on accommodation, activities and events.
If you enjoyed this post, you won’t want to miss Part 2 of my 16 Reasons To Visit Afriski Lesotho! You might also like 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Clarens, and Pros And Cons Of Driving Sani Pass.
Don’t forget to PIN this post for future reference!
Thanks for reading and if you’re planning a trip to Afriski or Lesotho, or have been there many times, let me know your thoughts on the resort and the country, I’d love to hear from you!
