Bucket List: Pony Trek – Malealea, Lesotho, Africa

There less words and more pictures in this post. It’s taken me a while to sort through the photographs from our trip to Africa in July this year. And before I could share our adventures,  I had to tell the story of what took me to Africa; a hard, yet beautiful story to tell.

I look at these pictures and remember one of the best days in Lesotho: the pony trek in Malealea. You see, there’s a realisation of a dream come true for me here. The dream of adventuring and sharing incredible experiences with my kids.  Amazing!

The Road to Malealea

After spending time in the orphanage in Lesotho, our family party headed out to Malealea.  The air was cold and crisp.  Lesotho, a land-locked country in Africa, is often called the Kingdom of the Sky by virtue of its mountainous and rugged terrain, ranging in altitude from 1,400 meters to 3,480 meters.  In Winter, temperatures can plummet below zero and it snows in some parts.   I noticed, as I looked out of the car window that there aren’t many trees in Lesotho.

Gates of Paradise, Lesotho

On the road to Malealea, we stopped at the Gates of Paradise.  When I stood there, with the mountains towering behind me, I felt a rush of exhilaration and a hunger to experience more of the natural world in this way.

Malealea Pony Trek Centre

If you ever plan to go to Africa, I absolutely recommend THIS goes on your bucket list! Do it! The Malealea Pony Trek Centre is fabulous. There’s a coffee shop, traditional (but comfortable) rondavel huts to stay in, and of course, the pony trek. It’s very family friendly place.

Pony Trek

I thought the girls (10, 12) would get tired after a few hours, but they loved every single second of the six hour pony trek/hike to explore bushman paintings and the Botsoela waterfall.  The terrain is often very steep and rocky, and you have to trust your horse to know what to do and the path to walk. Ah, and the reward at the top. What a view!

Botsoela waterfall

Miss 12 found an interesting footprint near the water’s edge.

Bushman’s Painting

It was nice to stretch our legs as we went to three different caves to see bushman’s paintings and to hear the stories behind the drawings from our guide.

Way back when I first became a mother, I could have never imagined the joy of adventuring and experiencing amazing things with my kids.  I’ll be looking for more opportunities to make these sorts of life-changing adventures happen.

Adventure on.

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