The Maletsunyane Falls drop about two hundred metres in a single unbroken ribbon, and they do it in a canyon so remote that the sound of the water is the first thing you notice. The river runs across a high plateau of grass and sandstone, reaches a lip of rock, and falls into a deep, curved gorge of dark cliffs, where mist and spray rise in the air. The village nearby is called Semonkong, which means place of smoke, a name that comes from the cloud of spray that hangs over the falls.
Adventure tourism has put the place on the map. A famous abseil, billed as the longest single-drop commercial abseil in the world, takes people down beside the falls on a rope more than two hundred metres long, and a few operators run pony treks to the gorge and surrounding villages. The Basotho ponies, small, sure-footed horses bred for the mountains, are the best way to see the highlands at a gentle pace. Evenings in the village are quiet, with woodsmoke in the air and the sound of dogs and cattle in the distance.
The road from Maseru is a long and rewarding ride. It climbs from the lowlands into the Maloti on a mixture of paved and unpaved sections, over passes with wide views of bare hills and deep valleys, and through villages where people herd animals along the road. The surface can be broken and washed out in places, so ride carefully and plan for a slow day. Rain can arrive at any time of year, thunderstorms in summer are violent, and winter frost and snow are possible, so pack for all conditions.
Nako, a larger settlement about forty kilometres away, is the nearest sizeable place, but services are modest. Semonkong has a basic fuel supply, at best, so fill the tank in Maseru and carry a spare if you can. The lodge near the falls and a few guesthouses provide meals and beds, often with a fire in the evening. Bring cash in maloti, a good torch, and warm clothes, and leave plenty of daylight for the return, because the road is not one for the dark.