Maseru to Leribe, Butha-Buthe and Oxbow

Teyateyaneng (''Rapid Sand''; pop. 14,000) is a busy little town, the commercial center of the Berea district. It is famed for its knotted carpets.Beyond the town the road runs over the wide plain between the Caledon River and the Maluti Mountains, passing large fields of maize.

The little town of Leribe/Hlotse (pop. 10,000), founded in 1876, has some industry. The name Hlotse (''Dead Meat'') is said to have been given to the town because travelers crossing the river threw pieces of meat into the water to distract the crocodiles.The oldest building in the town is the Anglican church (1877). It is worth paying a visit to the Leribe Craft Centre, originally established by Anglican women missionaries who taught the Basuto women the craft of weaving. Here visitors can see (and buy) a variety of craft products (e.g. ponchos).From Leribe/Hlotse there is an attractive excursion through beautiful scenery to the Katse Dam, where there is a hotel.

The little town of Butha-Buthe (pop. 7,000) is probably so called (the ''place where people settled'') because it was here that Moshoeshoe united the Basuto peoples in 1823. It is a scattered assemblage of offices and shops. The picturesque little market hall is in the shape of a typical Sotho straw hat.

The road from Butha-Buthe to the frontier crossing at Joel's Drift runs all the way at heights of above 2,300m/7,550ft. The road to Oxbow, which branches off this road to run east, is one of the most magnificent in the whole of Africa. It runs through the valley of the Hololo River, passing a series of extraordinary sandstone formations. There is a climb of 760m/2,495ft to the summit of the Moteng Pass (2,835m/9,302ft).65km/40mi from Butha-Buthe, at an altitude of 3,000m/10,000ft, is the New Oxbow Lodge, a good center for fishing, walking, pony trekking and skiing (best months are June to August).

Mokhotlong (''Place of the Baldheaded Ibis''), chief place in Lesotho's remotest district, is a good base for walks and pony treks into the Drakensberg and along the Mokhotlong River. It is essential to take a guide (information in the local hotel).