Safety in Lesotho

Overall: In rural areas Lesotho is one of the calmest countries anywhere, and people are pleased to see visitors. Crime is minimal and the real danger comes from the landscape and the weather.

In the capital: Take care around the Maseru bus station, where pickpockets operate. Do not wander dark side streets after dark or display expensive equipment.

Mountain weather: The climate is unpredictable, and a clear morning can turn into freezing rain within half an hour. Always carry warm layers and a waterproof, even when the valley is baking.

Roads: The main cause of incidents is road condition. Avoid driving after dark, when people and livestock frequently walk on unlit highways.

Water: Do not drink tap water in the towns; buy bottled. Mountain streams look clean but must be boiled, since there is grazing land above almost every one of them.

Dogs: The main animal hazard is the herding dogs guarding flocks. If you meet them, avoid sudden movements, do not run, and wait calmly for the owner to appear.

Lesotho is a mountain kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa, the only country in the world lying wholly above 1,400 metres. Tourists are few and deception as an industry does not exist.

Maseru. Pickpockets and theft from cars. Nobody walks at night, but the level is markedly lower than in South Africa.

Taxis. Shared minibuses are the local transport. A foreigner is better off with a car.

Pony trekking. The country's main tourist activity: riding local Basotho ponies through the mountains. Arranged through lodges, with quality depending on the organiser. Check the equipment and the condition of the horses.

Crafts. Basotho wool blankets and hats are genuine and of good quality. Haggling is moderate.

Currency exchange. The loti is pegged one-to-one to the rand, which is accepted everywhere.

The Sani Pass. The famous road from South Africa is four-wheel drive only, and South African rental firms often prohibit it by contract. Check.

Roads are the subject. Lesotho is mountainous with steep hairpins, gravel and passes. The Sani Pass rises to 2,876 metres, and the road is unsurfaced in places and unguarded. Passes close in winter because of snow. Four-wheel drive is essential for most of the country.

Photography. Military installations, police and the royal palace are off limits.

Drones. Permission is required.

Drugs. Lesotho is a cannabis producer and one of the first African countries to legalise medical cultivation. But recreational use and purchase remain illegal.

Same-sex relations have been decriminalised.

Herders. In the mountains you will meet herders in blankets with staffs. Photograph only with permission, usually for a fee.

Driving on the left. Livestock on the roads and fog in the mountains.

Altitude is the defining factor. The whole country lies above 1,400 metres, and the passes and plateaux rise beyond 3,000. Altitude sickness is unlikely, but breathlessness on exertion and poor sleep on the first night occur.

Cold. The main underestimated risk: winter (June to August) in the Lesotho highlands brings sub-zero temperatures, snow and blizzards. People have frozen to death. Warm clothing is essential even in summer, because nights and passes are cold year-round.

HIV. Prevalence is among the highest in the world.

Vaccinations. Hepatitis A and typhoid. There is no malaria in Lesotho — the altitude excludes it.

Water. Safe in Maseru; boil stream water in the mountains.

Healthcare. Weak. Anything serious means evacuation to South Africa, usually Bloemfontein. Insurance is needed.

Lightning. Lesotho has among the world's highest lightning frequencies. In a mountain storm, get off exposed ground immediately.

Emergency numbers: 112 or 123 for police.

Lesotho sits mid-table in Africa on corruption, and police are generally correct with tourists.

Checkpoints. These occur on the roads with document checks.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates issued. English is official alongside Sesotho.

Maseru at night. Travel by car.

The political situation. The country has been through periods of instability and military intervention. It is calmer now, but the news is worth following.

Mountains. Rescue services in the familiar sense barely exist. Tell your lodge your route before heading out.

What actually matters. In Lesotho the danger comes from the mountains, the cold and the roads rather than from people. The country is among the calmest in the region, and its chief asset is the landscape and pony trekking.

Emergency number is 112.