Ha-Khotso rock art
The Bushmen in southern Africa were not only successful hunters – they also felt the need to capture their everyday lives for eternity and to scratch paintings in rocks. The drawings not far from the village of Ha Khotso north of Roma in the Kingdom of Lesotho are among the oldest on our globe. The exact age of this San legacy has not yet been determined – but some experts assume that the drawings are several thousand years old. These rock carvings are a popular travel destination during Lesotho tours and can be reached on a day trip from the capital Maseru.
The San people – nomads in Africa
The people in Lesotho call this place Ha Boroana – which translates as “The little San”. In a rock face that slopes sharply, you will find numerous well-preserved and sometimes even artistic drawings from everyday hunting. They were a tribe of nomads who skillfully adapted to changes in nature and moved with the stream of prey. The San can still be found in the south of the Black Continent – especially in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana and Namibia.
The drawings of a natural religion?
Many of the drawings that can be admired in Ha Khotso are astonishingly large – others are tiny. But they always show the San’s prey. These were especially antelopes and wildebeest. Scientists are still puzzling about what moved these ethnic primitive people to draw animals in many places. Some assume that they must have been animal gods – an indication that a kind of natural religion was already practiced by humans back then.
A footpath leads to the rock overhang
If you want to visit this remarkable rock individually, you should orientate yourself in the village of Nazareth according to the signs there. A footpath leads to a gorge and finally to the pictures on the rock. Not far from this site is the fortress of Thaba Bosiu, where only ruins and tombs remain of the former residence of the king.
Sehlabathebe National Park
untouched nature in the Maloti Mountains
Sehlabathebe National Park is a secluded park in Lesotho. It is located in the southeast corner of the small state on the border with South Africa in the Drakensberg. Together with the neighboring Drakensberg National Park, it forms a cross-border nature reserve. The highest peaks of the Drakensberg with an average of 2,400 meters are located in the Sehlabathebe National Park, where the Maloti Mountains are called.
Breathtaking natural landscapes
Sehlabathebe is Lesotho’s oldest national park, founded in 1969 by the country’s first prime minister and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to its impressive landscape, the sparsely populated park is a popular destination for study travelers and photographers. It enchants with endless grass steppes overgrown with colorful wild flowers and bizarre sandstone formations with caves, deep gorges and spectacular rock overhangs. In more than 60 places there are impressive ancient rock paintings by the South African peoples of the San.
The region is characterized by numerous rivers, crystal clear mountain lakes, rushing waterfalls and rock pools. The most important attraction in the park is the Tsoelikane waterfall, whose rock pool invites you to take a refreshing dip when the temperature is right. The wetlands are home to rich flora and fauna. In addition to rare bearded vultures and numerous species of birds, roebuck, gazelle-like oribis, wild cats, jackals, baboons and mongooses can be seen there. Far away from civilization, flocks of sheep graze on the vast grasslands. The shepherds are wrapped in traditional colorful woolen blankets and wear a pointed straw hat.
Excursions and activities
The park, which is difficult to access, is best explored by tourists on foot, on horseback or in an off-road vehicle. In the unique secluded landscape, hikes, riding excursions and climbing tours lasting several days are offered by various agencies accompanied by local guides. Some hut camps and well-equipped lodges are available for overnight stays. There is also the possibility of pitching a tent everywhere. The climate in Lesotho is moderately warm due to the altitude. In the winter months from June to August there is partial frost in the high regions.
Libya study trips and round trips
Libya is the fourth largest country on the African continent – however, about 90% of the area is covered by deserts, so that life primarily takes place within the 2,000 km long coastal strip on the Mediterranean Sea and in the oases spread all over the country. Otherwise, the landscape forms a plain that begins at the Tunisian border and extends to the Jabal Akhdar region, the more hilly Libyan inland, dune landscapes and karst mountains. A geographical peculiarity of Libya is that it is one of the few countries on earth that does not have a permanent river. In view of this, you can expect either a warm Mediterranean climate, which is ideal for a beach holiday – or there is an extreme desert climate, in which the values in summer are still around 26 ° C at night and in which there can be night frost in winter. Nevertheless, a tour through the Sahara is definitely recommended… preferably in the first few months of the year. Libya is also culturally interesting because the country looks back on a long history. The rock paintings in Acacus are probably the oldest evidence of civilization. Thousands of engravings adorn the rocky massif, which are estimated to date back to 12,000 BC. And were continued until the 1st century AD – which resulted in a unique writing of history that has long been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As well as the ruins of Leptis Magna and Sabratha from the Roman era. Libya offers you archaeological sites in the Mediterranean area of outstanding quality.
