Sani Pass is the only access to Lesotho on the eastern side. A tar road leads to the South African border control. The actual border, with the Lesotho border control, is a further 8 km away and at 2,876 m. It was soon clear why the South African border control is not on the border. The 8 km between the crossings is a single lane rough track, very steep with winding hairpins and only accessible in a 4×4 with a local guide.

Once on the Lesotho side of the border, the road leads onto a vast open plain, with small settlements and populations earning a subsistence living from sheep farming. Rather incongruously the road becomes new high quality tar. Paid for by the Chinese, we were told; part of the vast infrastructure spend reaching into all corners of Africa.

The views were well worth our “African massage” journey and early start. As well as a visit to a local village (a little touristy, but very few tourists and an important source of local income) we enjoyed a short walk and a pub lunch at the highest pub in Africa.

Lesotho is perhaps a geographers dream; some facts

• only country in the world entirely above 1,000 m; lowest point (in the west) is 1,400 m
• only country in the world with a hat on its flag (other than crowns)
• the largest of the three countries fully surrounded by another country
• home to the highest pub in Africa
• one of only three reamining African monarchies (the others being Morocco and Eswatini)

Lethotho means “kingdom in the sky”, justified by its mean elevation of 2,161 m.

The beginning of the 8km “no-man’s land”