Passport/Visa Requirements: Citizens of Canada and the U.S. need a passport, sufficient funds and proof of onward passage. A yellow-fever certificate is required if you're arriving from an infected area. Reconfirm travel document requirements with your carrier before departure.
Population: 1,802,000.
Languages: English, Sesotho..
Predominant Religions: Christian (Roman Catholic, Protestant), Animist..
Time Zone: 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+2 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
Voltage Requirements: 220 volts.
Telephone Codes: 266, country code;
Lesotho's currency is the loti (plural: maloti; abbreviation: M). It is tied to the South African rand. Although South African rands are accepted everywhere in Lesotho, maloti are not accepted in South Africa, so don't get stuck with too many of them. Maseru is the only place to exchange foreign currency. Most hotels and lodges require payment in cash. There is an ATM in Maseru.
Tip 10% for good service.
At lower elevations (5,000 ft/1,525 km), summer day temperatures are in the 70s-80s F/23-32 C, dropping to the 40s-50s F/5-15 C at night. In the winter, average temperatures are at least 10 degrees F/5 C colder in the lowlands and much colder in the mountains, with snow and sleet common around the higher peaks. Lesotho can be visited year-round, with April and October particularly pleasant. Watch out for thunderstorms and heavy mists in the summer months (December-March).
Moshoeshoe Airport (MSU) is 11 mi/18 km southeast of Maseru. Roads from Durban, Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, South Africa, lead to Lesotho. Roads within Lesotho are generally very good and well marked near major towns but are very rugged in the mountains once off the main routes. Rental cars are available only in Maseru. Cars are driven on the left. Inexpensive, crowded buses serve all the major towns and travel destinations. Taxis are also available, but they are generally more expensive and less comfortable than the buses.
Tourist Offices
Lesotho Tourist Board, P.O. Box 1378, Maseru 100. Phone 266-2231-2896. Fax 266-2231-0108.
Lesotho does not have tourist offices in Canada or the U.S.
Lesotho Embassies
Canada: Contact the embassy in the U.S.
U.S.: Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho, 2511 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20008. Phone 202-797-5533. Fax 202-234-6815.
Embassies in Lesotho
Canadian Consulate, L.N.D.C. Development House Building, Block D, Fifth Floor, Kingsway Street, Maseru. Phone 266-2231-6435. Fax 266-2231-4187.
U.S. Embassy, 254 Kingsway St., Maseru West. Phone 266-2231-2666. Fax 266-3331-0116.
