Semonkong Lodge

Location :

• Anynomous

  04 June 2018

  This is a fantastic backpacker’s lodge. I had a VERY bad accident horseback riding here (shortened: if you go horseback riding, do NOT let them go faster than a walk) and once I alerted the lodge they sprang into action. They helped with basic first aid, gave me great advice on which clinics and hospitals would be good for what, hustled me into a truck that two of their employees quickly drove me all the way to the capital in, and stayed with me through my emergency room visit all the way until I could reunite with my travel companion. The lodge was a VERY big help and they really took a lot of effort to get me comfortable when dealing with this.
  Other Pros: beautiful, well-staffed, accommodating, dining is on-premises, lots of activities readily available like abseiling and daylong hikes and blanket ceremonies.
  Other Cons: Very little WiFi and very little heat, so manage your expectations accordingly! The helpfulness of the individual guides can vary.

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• Anynomous

  13 May 2018

  Lovely lodge with exceptional food. I was damn impressed at how tasty some of the dishes were (steak was incredible!). The reason I wouldn't give it 5 stars is because I felt the staff needed a little more support through training - they were lovely but at times it felt they were frustrated and stressed in certain situations. That aside, the activities that are offered here are brilliant (blanket presentation is a must), and the dorm rooms as well as double rooms were lovely, spacious and even come with their own fire. I'd recommend putting in another charging point in the dorm though (there's only one!).

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• Anynomous

  10 May 2018

  The location was beautiful and the food was fantastic!! It was great sitting outside seeing all the horses trot along the road and hearing the water running down the river. We stayed in the dorms and were comfortable. The fireplace didn't really work, causing smoke to come into our room and not out the chimney. The staff were great, but could use some training - they weren't bad, but I think were lacking professional training they desire.

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• Anynomous

  02 May 2018

  My partner and I enjoyed our stay at this lodge. We stayed here for 3 nights and it was relaxing and entertaining at the same time.
  
  We did the hour long hike and went up to view the waterfall, the amazing pub crawl and shopped at the local blanket shops.
  
  The staff here are lovely. Breakfast is rather late especially when you want to check out early or do an early activity.
  
  I enjoyed the daily tea and cookies every morning.
  
  Big enough rooms and very warm bedding made me sleep late everyday.
  
  Dinner was very limited but delicious, so I took care of my own dinner for the other 2 nights in the communal kitchen (rarely used by other guests)
  
  Firewood is provided free of charge upon your first night. Thereafter R50 per bag is charged.
  
  Overall lovely stay.

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• Anynomous

  01 May 2018

  Spent the night here before hiking to Maletsunyane Falls.
  
  We got here quite late in the night and the staff were courteous enough to wait up until 9pm for us to check in.
  
  Each room has a fire place and wood. Which helped a great deal as it had been snowing.
  
  Electricity supply is powered by the river and is pretty stable. We were informed by the staff though, that it might be disturbed if the water flow is low.
  
  Don't expect much from the menu. It's decent enough but best you leave your fine dining expectations at the Lesotho border.

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• Anynomous

  18 April 2018

  Spent the night here before hiking to Maletsunyane Falls.
  
  We got here quite late in the night and the staff were courteous enough to wait up until 9pm for us to check in.
  
  Each room has a fire place and wood. Which helped a great deal as it had been snowing.
  
  Electricity supply is powered by the river and is pretty stable. We were informed by the staff though, that it might be disturbed if the water flow is low.
  
  Don't expect much from the menu. It's decent enough but best you leave your fine dining expectations at the Lesotho boarder.

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• Anynomous

  04 April 2018

  We booked a camping spot for two days over Easter weekend but the heavy rains made the campsite a muddy mess. Rudi quickly upgraded is to a room at a discounted price and I cannot praise this guy enough for his great service. The restaurant and bar is nice and there's lots of activities. Take the hike to the waterfall and do a donkey pub crawl. This place is a jewel and well done to all the friendly staff members!

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• Anynomous

  29 March 2018

  An oasis in the area. The dirt road down to the lodge isn't for the faint hearted. Decent clean lodgings, good food at the restaurant, good service from the staff. Lots of activities to do - worth staying here for a few days.

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• Anynomous

  24 March 2018

  This is such a lovely little lodge in the middle of nowhere, if there is one thing on your bucket list then Semonkong is one of them.
  
  You are nestled along the road into one of the villages, this same road follows the river and all you hear during your stay in the gentle tap-tap-tap of the horses and donkeys going by, the river flowing past in the background and every now and then the laughter of children coming back from school.
  
  The rooms are more than ample enough to provide a nice stay, the restaurant has lovely food and can accommodate you in the evening and morning. And although we did not do any activities there is actually lots on offer for people stay an extended period.
  
  I know the owners don't normally see this but WIFI extenders through to the upper rooms would have been nice, just to post pictures and stay in touch with friends.

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• Anynomous

  08 February 2018

  The food at this place is insanely unbelievably and shockingly good.

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• Anynomous

  14 January 2018

  We camped there for 5 nights, which we really enjoyed. the restaurant serves great meals, but are very much over priced for the quantity that you get. they do seem to over charge for some of they activities aswell. The camp sites are very small. A family with 2 tents would have to take 2 camp sites and would have to park there car in the parking lot. There are 5 camp sites, but 1 is not really useable.
  They do seem to make up a couple of rules as they go along, as their fishing rules. they charge for fishing even if you don't take a guide, which doesn't seem right. you get a fishing licence in Lesotho, which gives you right to fish anywhere. You can also take 4 fish a day, Semokong request that it is only catch and release in "their" waters, which I can respect to keep up the fish population for all to enjoy.
  Some of your fishing fee goes to cleaning up the river, which clearly does not happen to often down stream from the lodge. I did see a guy half heartily cleaning the river up stream
  The staff is awesome and always ready to help, which really makes the stay more pleasurable.
  Would I go back, hell yes. the positives way outweigh the negatives.

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• Anynomous

  05 January 2018

  Really nice place, great views and fun activities, such as the donkey pub crawl and horse riding. The fly fishing was also good. The food at the "duck and donkey" is tasty, however service is painfully slow, and the food is a bit pricey.

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• Anynomous

  11 December 2017

  Excellent place in the heart of the Mountain kingdom of Lesotho. A place not to be missed

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• Anynomous

  02 November 2017

  Lovely place and extremely helpful staff! We had a minor accident and got fantastic help from the owner. Highly recommended.

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• Anynomous

  29 October 2017

  A real gem of a place to stay in Lesotho. Rooms are excellent, food is 1st class and activities on offer are awesome.

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• Anynomous

  05 October 2017

  Great place to visit, spectacular scenery

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• Anynomous

  13 July 2017

  great way to experience other cultures and the place itself, it’s so lovely. I would definitely go there again.

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• Anynomous

  10 June 2017

  Nice place to stay. Friendly and helpfull staff. Camped here January 2106.

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• Anynomous

  09 June 2017

  Very interesting rustic and comfortable. Good food too.

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• Anynomous

  22 April 2017

  We stayed 2 nights at the campsite. It's pleasant if it isn't fully booked, otherwise there is nothing to separate you from your neighbors and I couldn't even tell how many camping spots were supposed to have there. There is a communal table under a small lapa, 2 braai areas facing each other, light and electric plugs that only work during the night. You have to climb up some stairs for toilet, shower and for water points which can be a bit annoying after a while, for cooking, etc. The camping area faces the river, which is quite nice but all this peaceful atmosphere was absolute erased at 8am when one of their employees started using a electric chainsaw for cutting wood 2 meters away from our tent. The Lodge is also perfect for visiting the magnificent Maletsunyane Falls!

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• Anynomous

  21 April 2017

  When I have been with the German airport engineering company way back in the eighties the resort didn't really exist. We have come in by a sort of "flying doctor". For lunch we have been flying to a a popular restaurant in the republic nearby, whereas streets are wide and allow landing of a Cessna.
  The airport offers ticketing, has radio for pilot communication, a meteo garden and a waiting hall.
  This airport is located rather high elevated within the Lesotho mountains.
  One runway is gravel, one is asphalt.
  
  I believe the ressort lodge offers great service.
  I have read about the interesting tours they offer.
  
  One good day I will be back... 😊

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• Anynomous

  12 April 2017

  Stayed here in Nov 2014, fantastic place, nice people and plenty to do.

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• Anynomous

  12 March 2017

  Overall good accommodation and interesting gift shop, really nice location in the village

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• Anynomous

  20 February 2017

  It was great! Clean, friendly and cosy with a surprisingly good cuisine. But you pay for what you get (a specially when considering the economical location)

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• Anynomous

  14 November 2016

  Perfect place to stay. The village is poor, but with some money you spent at the local store, wil do good. The logde is from high quality! 5 stars. Including the restaurant.
  Must see: the waterfall.

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• Anynomous

  18 August 2016

  You don't get more a Lesotho feel than at this lodge. This is also home to the longest commercially operated abseil (204m). Accomodation is rooms to camping, all overlooking a rushing river, which more than anything adds to an awesome experience for nature lovers like me. Other activities to look forward to are pony rides into nearby villages, hiking. Try the restaurant if you want a different kind of sandwich with traditional bread. An awesome experience one may need to repeat often. Thanks to the manager who is also familiar with the roads in the area or towards the lodge.

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