# Head in the clouds at the Maliba Lodge @Lesotho

For my birthday, my partner whisked me away for the weekend, to a charming little lodge in the middle of the green mountains of Lesotho.. I was not familiar at all with this little part of Africa, still untouched for the most part by tourists, but that was really worth the detour, with its dreamlike landscapes and unique mountains… So we found ourselves in the Maliba lodge, the one and only 5 star resort in the country…

During 3/4 of the route which connects Johannesburg to Lesotho, we asked ourselves where exactly we were headed …We traveled non stop through rather rural and boring landscapes consisting essentially of fields and cattle.. It became really interesting, however, when we began to see a glimpse of the first mountainous silhouettes of Lesotho.. And it was more and more beautiful when we crossed Tsehlanyane National Park..

During the road to the lodge, we came across some farmers in plastic traditional costumes and boots, on foot or horseback, cows, donkeys, guinea fowl, groups of children in their school uniforms, who waved and and made us smile, women carried their babies wrapped in a sling on their backs with umbrellas to protect them from the rather overwhelming afternoon sun.
The whole of this with the background of green landscapes and mountains which stand out against the perfect blue sky…

The Maliba Lodge :

When we arrive (finally) at Maliba , the first thing that stands out is the sublime, astonishing and breathtaking view.
The place is surrounded by mountains and nature that has a beautiful energy, soothing and pleasant..

Placed strategically in front of this beautiful invitation, and in complete Zen mode to make us forget the last long hours spent on the road, is a wooden terrace, equipped with sofas. We want nothing but to sit, relax, read a book, contemplate the nature, the sky, the mountains, even to meditate, sleep .. Or to go to have a walk along the river below..

Upon discovering the entrance of my room I cannot help but thinking of the Lord of rings .. The 5 rooms that there are at the lodge, look exactly from the Shire, in the film. They are in fact traditional round huts with thatched roofs, which we see everywhere in this country.

The inside of these adorable huts is extremely spacious, comfortable and cosy, with a four-poster bed, an enormous bathtub, a private terrace, where you can sit and have breakfast, whilst admiring the breathtaking panoramic view…

Awesome ..

And an absolute must, is to light a fire in the little chimney grate, to finish the evening on an extra romantic note, in the house of the hobbits… I loved it !

Ps: yes we are in Africa, but we are also as high up as 2500m and the evenings are fresh;)

Of course aside from reading, dreaming, cuddling by firelight, resting and meditation, there is an enormous choice of things to do and see… But I had only one wish, to mount the beautiful horses from the lodge and go and discover our surroundings …
The horses are pampered and taken care of at the lodge, and they do not work, they are at liberty in the mountains, where they are free to gallop around at pleasure… It is always so lovely and refreshing to see happy and healthy animals :-)We were lucky, our guide was great and very competent with the horses (thanks Daniel!).. He accompanied us during our excursion with a manner specific to him of taking off at a gallop..

Ah yes the usual heel does not work on these horses here, to get them started .. Daniel puts his hand in the air, holding a small branch and shouting  ” Aîe Aîe ” ! It works !!!

I however opted for a little pull of the reins and a little “« Aîe Aîe «” and off we went !

The landscapes were sublime, the horses soft, gentile and extremely well behaved. The tracks were steep but the horses seemed used to it, and they adapted easily to the stone covered paths and into the rivers…. And to finish a fast gallop whilst crying out “  Aîe Aîe” .. An absolute pleasure ! But the show’s main attraction which made this excursion even more special, was two small free foals who accompanied us during the outing by playing and galloping around us , while we rode their mothers. Magic!!

For horseback rides, all combinations  are possible, you can do a short trip (1-3 hours) or longer treks for several days … Just ask the hotel in advance and they will organise with one of the guides from the lodge.. And for those who prefer to stay on dry land and love trekking, walking and nature, they will be thrilled.. There is something for all tastes, a little walk lasting an hour, or a day excursion, here also, anything is possible..

Another nice activity than we loved: bathing in a natural swimming pool not far from the lodge .. The ideal spot to sunbathe and cool after a few hours of walking or riding on horseback  .. The place is magnificent and the water is not too cold .. we can even picnic there .. Here also, it is enough to ask, and the staff will prepare a packed lunch on a table with a parasol and tartan rugs .. but it is nicer and more authentic to settle down on the rocks in the middle of the river…

We also did 2 steps of the Community Tour and it was rather interesting .. Maliba proposes this tour for those who wish to learn a little more about the local culture .. Even if it is rather a touristy activity, we learn quite a lot of things about the traditions of the country, and you are also doing a good deed, because the lodge puts back the money from this activity into the premises that we have visited, for the people we met…

Visiting the inhabitants of the sandstone village, we discover for example how the Basothos look after themselves, or how the government tries to collaborate and combine new medicine with the bone setters of the villages, who still prepare and use potions, using voodoo or reading the bones of animals .. We also discover how these happy people live, that remain very attached to their traditions, culture and who practice still enormously their ways, in spite of the evolution of society. So you should know that if you want to invest in this village of Lesotho, you would have to pay  at least 1500 rand or 2 goats .. or 3 sheep .. for a small hut (rondavel )

A romantic diner under the stars  ..

For my birthday evening, they had prepared a dinner for me ( vegetarian of course) with lots of little candles, and a huge fire on the terrace of the private lodge… All of this with the mountains surrounding us and a simply sublime star filled sky..  you can imagine my face!!!

Simply breathtaking…

Oops ..

The only slight drawback which I could find was at times the service, and the meals..

Concerning the service, (but it this is true for the majority of Africa in fact) it is necessary to be very very (very very) patient sometimes, and to adapt to the pace of the country 😉 and especially make sure you have been understood..It happens very often that the waiter tells you ” Yes Yes ” by smiling, but in fact he has not understood you at all.

 And if you ask carefully for some muesli, sandwiches, for some orange juice, you find yourselves 45 mins later with a cheese board for example, without understanding how exactly he was able to interpret that.. In short.. the waiter then leaves and comes back 45 minutes later ( again) with only the muesli..and so on …

Or then he may bring you 20 rounds of toast with only 1 small knob of butter which covers hardly half one piece..

Try to be patient, breathe, smile and stay calm .. (not easy sometimes ..) I speak from experience 😉

So just keep that in mind if you have a planned excursion, or if you are pressed for time, be organised and allow for more time! And be zen, because it can sometimes be irritating, especially when you are pressed for time…Having said that, you can find some good waitressing in Africa, but this kind of passive attitude, lack of re-activity, and especially the slowness of the service is rather recurring.. As for the meals, they were good but not amazing .. Coming from a 5 star establishment, I expected something more distinguished and different..

Nevertheless, these young “clinkers” did not spoil my weekend in this paradise, which remains one of my best Birthday memories ever…

And to repeat myself .. I seriously passed a simply magnificent couple of days. It was a dreamy weekend, extremely agreeable, super romantic and authentic, just as I like, in an idyllic setting in true nature..The best!!! I will come back with pleasure to this cocoon like place in the middle of the mountains where we feel so good 😉

More infos about Maliba here  ..