Transportation in Lesotho

Travelers to LESOTHO in Southern Africa might tell you about the "rugged" transportation in the tiny kingdom. In some ways, they are correct. The only transportation by train is a mile long and only found in the capital, Maseru. Meanwhile, eastern and southeastern Lesotho has several roads in decent condition, but many are unpaved and can be dangerous to travel on due to the mountainous and hilly terrain. In fact, automobile accidents are a leading cause of deaths among the Basotho people. Fortunately, there are more paved roads in western Lesotho connecting many cities and towns; some of these are visible on Google Maps' Street View. Most highways only have two lanes, although there are some four-lane highways near the capital. Some highways are marked by A and then a number, such as A11 for example. There are some green diamond-shaped highway signs, but not all A highways have signs. Most highways connecting to South Africa have border checkpoints; a visa is not necessarily for residents of specific countries (such as the United States; see other sources for details) unless the trip/vacation is long, but a passport is required from everyone. Small and private airports are scattered across the country, and Moshoeshoe I International Airport southeast of Maseru provides connecting flights to Johannesburg, South Africa. Rivers such as Caledon and Senqu (Orange) and tinier streams are found in all parts of Lesotho, and are in most cases capable of providing transportation for residents.