Sani Mountain Escape

A charming lodge in a really beautiful place. Rondavels are very atmospheric, with a working fire place. Nights are cold but there was a hot water bottle which stayed warm the whole night (no idea how that’s possible…). Food was a disappointment though - especially the lamb main for dinner which was like a piece of rubber. The drive down to South Africa is fun. You don’t need a 4x4 when conditions are dry, but definitely need high clearance.

Nice Place also for Backpacking. Staff is very helpful and friendly. Also Knowledge about other Places to Travel to. Great Coffee. Great Views. In the afternoon very crowded die to daytours from SA coming in, so Food and Drinks take Kinder than in the evening or in the Morning

A nightmare!!!! Inaccurate directions and poor communication led to us missing our reservation, and having to hitchhike up a mountain because there was no taxi service at the border as they said multiple times there would be. They agreed to give a refund, but have been running Me around the ringer since. 8 months later and still no refund.

Important to know: I stayed in the Sani Top Backpacker. During the day this place is full of people, but when all the day tourists leave it is beautiful up there. Easy to explore. I had the backpacker's for myself which was nice. The kitchen is well equipped. The only issue there was were frozen pipes and therefore no running water. But there was a filled water tank which was enough for myself. My room was small but the bed was comfy and warm; so enough for me. The staff was really nice and helpful. They helped me to figure out my route the next day as I was travelling independently and without a car through Lesotho. My evening I spend in the pub with guests from the lodge. We gathered around the fire and had a good night.

Where to start.... they gave us wrong information how to get up there. We ended up missing the reservation because they told us we could just park at the border and take a taxi from there. Now I've spent 5 months trying to get our money back for their mistake, and they continue to ask for my BANK ACCOUNT AND ROUTING NUMBER instead of refunding to my card, and say that they are unsure why I'm uncomfortable providing this information via text

On arrival we had to complete forms for each person before being taken to our rondavel. We had booked Double rooms and two rooms were Twins so staff had to come in and remake the beds. Bar was warm and festive. Dinner was for 7pm and we eventually sat down just before 8pm. Food was good, chicken soup was very good. Salads - to me was unnecessary on an ice cold night, but others enjoyed it. The roast and veggies were lovely, sadly the pork chops were dried out but i think the problem was the bain-marie was far too hot. Breakfast was average - once again the bain-marie was too hot. Staff were friendly; For the price we paid we definitely expected a better experience, thankfully the views made up for everything else.

Wonderful experience. Gracious people. Good food and drink. Warm and cozy rooms. Just a great place to stay for a night or two. Wood burning stove id a great job of heating the room. Hot water, and I mean hot, tubs added to bed by staff. Highly recommend.

Growing up in the area meant frequent trips up the Pass. However, this time was a little different. Surprise #1: On arrival at the entrance, you are slapped with a R50 per person entrance fee. Surprise #2: It is not deductible off your food bill. So immediately you need to R50 to whatever you’re ordering. I totally understand the probable reasoning behind this entrance fee, but it would be reasonable to assume that if one chose to eat a meal etc and not just abuse the toilet facilities, that this would be deducted off your bill. In the 20+ years of going up the Pass and to the Lodge, this was a first in terms of entrance fees. Surprise #3: Food is expensive and below average. Hot drinks aren’t hot (and yes I understand the physics of boiling points at altitude etc etc). Surprise #4: The bill. Average breakfast plus the now R50 pp gate entrance and you’re looking at some serious notes. So for a family of four, R1000 won’t leave you with much change! I think they’ve fallen well into the trap of tourism. Covid dealt everyone a blow, but making up for it through expensive food and drink is offsides. Visitors are better off packing a picnic, driving a little further and enjoying the views elsewhere (for free).

Visit in May 2022, my third time down and up the pass ( 2x MTB bike, 1 x hike) starting from Lesotho, and first time in the lodge. It must be a logistical nightmare managing this isolated place, but we were satisfied with the rondavel and the services. However we came prepared knowing how things work here. They actually never confirmed our booking, so I had to give them a call in the morning from Maseru, which was sufficient for us to head reassured to the Sani pass and find a smiling receptionist upon arrival . My guess was that credit cards might not be working, so we loaded the wallet with reliable Madiba bank notes, which was the right choice and which I recommend. Prices were OK for a two single bed rondavel, including breakfast and a three course dinner. Previously we had been free camping in that area, but in May it is freezing up there, so the lodge with the woodstove in the rondavel was more than welcome. A bit of a fright every morning because the outside gas water heater wasn't working, while in the evening it did. I guess it's a matter of properly maintaining the burners, we were offered another unit but decided to take a shower with a cup and a bucket with hot water, as I mentioned, we were prepared. I am still surprised that many people travelling from the South African border are afraid to adventure further in Lesotho, so on weekends lunch time, the place is very crowded, but evenings with the fireplace in the pub are a great mountain experience, and Vodacom Lesotho is working perfectly well up there. Overall a very nice place and nice service which matched our expectations. We are definitely coming back.