Visas
UK citizens can enter Lesotho without a visa for stays of up to ninety days, American citizens for stays of up to 180 days, and Australian and Canadian citizens for stays of up to 14 days.
UK, American, Canadian and Australian citizens can all enter Eswatini for stays of up to 30 days.
For UK, US, Canadian or Australian citizens, you will not need a visa to enter South Africa if you are staying under 90 days.
You should ensure that your passport has at least six months’ validity after the end date of your trip. We also strongly recommend that your passport has a minimum of two blank pages next to each other (per country visited) – on rare occasion it may lead to problems with visas and immigration authorities if it does not.
Health and vaccinations
We are not medically qualified and so we recommend that you speak to your doctor or nearest health professional for advice concerning recommended vaccinations. However, there are no compulsory vaccinations needed to enter either country. For more advice on vaccinations you can also visit https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries.
When to go
Eswatini is a tropical destination that is typically warm throughout the year, with two distinct seasons, the dry and the wet season. The dry season here falls between May and September and is the best time of year for wildlife, hiking, and cooler temperatures. The wet season here is best for birdwatching, between October and March, and it is much warmer during this time. Lesotho is a slightly cooler destination due to its altitude, but still warm for most of the year except for during winter between June and August, where temperatures can drop, particularly at night, and snowfall is not uncommon in the mountains.
Insurance
It is a condition of joining our tours that you have suitable travel insurance in place, and we cannot accept travellers without insurance. All policies differ in terms of what they will cover, but as a minimum you need medical and health cover which will cover you for the whole time that you are away. Most policies will also include cancellation cover, which will cover you if an unforeseen circumstance obliges you to cancel your trip. We recommend that you obtain your insurance as soon as you book your trip.
Please note that government travel warnings often affect the validity of your travel insurance, and you should check this with your insurance company.
Money
In Eswatini the currency is the lilangeni / emalangeni, which is tied to the South African rand. The rand is legal tender in Eswatini, but note that emalangeni are not convertible outside Eswatini. Most ATMs in Eswatini accept international cards.
Lesotho’s currency is the maloti, also tied to the South African rand which we would recommend taking with you. Credit cards are of limited use and outside of the capital it is difficult to exchange money, so it is best to bring enough cash with you.
Local conditions
When travelling to some of the destinations we offer you need to bear in mind that things won’t always work here as we’re used to them working at home. Travelling in underdeveloped and untouristed destinations requires both patience and a sense of humour. There may be problems with infrastructure, attitudes may be different, and maintenance may not be as high a standard as we would always like, but this is very much part and parcel of travelling in such a place. We aim to resolve any issues as quickly as possible, and thank you for your patience.
Travel advice
We keep a very close eye on the travel advice issued by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office so that we can keep you up to date with any warnings. At the time of writing the FCO does not advise against travel to Lesotho or Eswatini.
This relates to advice from the British government – other nationalities need to check the stance of their own governments.
Please note that the information contained above is highly susceptible to change, and while we endeavour to keep up to date we recommend that you use this as a guide only. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
