Getting To Malealea Lodge By Public Transport
From Bloemfontein
The safest way to get to Malealea by bus is to catch the Translux, Greyhound or Intercape to Bloemfontein. Check timetables with the bus companies. You will need to catch a taxi from the Bloemfontein tourist office where the bus drops you off to the Bloemfontein Central Bus Station. From there you can catch a minibus/Interstate bus to Maseru.
Minibuses leave all day long from Bloemfontein but be prepared to wait while the minibus fills up before you leave.
Avoiding Maseru
To avoid Maseru, take a minibus from Bloemfontein Central Bus Station to Wepener Taxi Rank. From Wepener Taxi Rank, take a minibus/taxi to Van Rooyens Hek Border post. Make sure your passport is stamped at both, the SA border post and the Lesotho border. Take a minibus on the other side of the Lesotho border to Mafeteng/Maseru. Ask the local people where you should get off to change minibusses to catch the one going to Malealea. They are very friendly and helpful. Make sure you do get off at Motsekua junction (26kms north of Mafeteng) in order to catch the minibus taxi
Accommodation in Bloemfontein
Should you need to overnight in Bloemfontein, we highly recommend Aloe Guest Rooms
Tel/whatsapp: +27 76 830 9679
Email: aloehellobloem@gmail.com
From Maseru
After crossing both the South African and Lesotho border and getting your passport stamped on both sides, you will need to catch a taxi (the cars with a yellow stripe in the middle – usually called a 4 plus 1) from the Lesotho border to the Maseru taxi rank. At the taxi rank, you can ask the local people for directions to the taxi rank for mini-buses that go to Malealea in the direction of Mafeteng. There are direct minibuses that go to Malealea but if none are available, then take the first minibus that goes past Motsekoua (which is about 50km south of Maseru and 26km north of Mafeteng). Get off that minibus at Motsekoua and wait for the next Malealea minibus - the local people will help you with this - just ask.
Accommodation in Maseru
Kick4life
Tel: +266 28320707
Email: bookings@kick4life.org
Public Transport from Kokstad to Malealea
There are plenty of taxis that travel between Kokstad to Matatiele to Qacha's Nek. You can also use this route if you are coming from Durban. There is an Interstate Bus service who run a daily bus service (except Sundays) leaving Pietermaritzburg station at 6.15 am and arriving at Matatiele at about 12.30 pm. It leaves Matatiele at 12.45 pm and arrives at Kokstad at 1.15 pm and returns to Pietermaritzburg at about 6 pm. It takes a full day from Qacha's Nek to Malealea. There are many taxis that go to Quthing from Qacha's Nek and from Quthing there are many taxis that go to Maseru. You need to get off the taxi at Motsekuoa junction (26kms after Mafeteng). Malealea is 33 kms from Motsekuoa and there are taxis that you can get from Motsekuoa to Malealea. If you arrive at Motsekuoa after dark, it's best to overnight at Morija Guest house - (10kms North of Motsekuoa).
Accommodation at Qacha's Nek:
Anna's B&B and Guest House - Tel: +266 22950374, Email: annasb&b@leo.co.ls
Public Transport from Malealea/SaniPass/Jhb/ Durban (written by a traveller on 19 July, 2016)
Mini bus from Malealea to Maseru - Maseru to Butha-Buthe - Then Butha Buthe to Mokhotlong - then Mokhotlong to Sani
There is indeed a bus at 6AM bus from Mokhotlong. I'm not sure if it was supposed to leave at 6AM, but it left at 6:35AM in part because there were so many people in line. I say a bus because it was a true bus--not a minibus taxi. I would suggest people considering taking it to arrive early to get a seat, since the bus was PACKED, with many people standing the entire journey. It cost 128 rand and arrived at the final bus rink in Mokhotlong at around 4:15PM.
Minibus taxis from Mokhotlong to Sani, I am told, run from 8AM-11AM. However, since I took the minibus on a Sunday, when there are fewer travellers, the 8AM bus didn't fill up until around 9:15AM, so left later. It cost 110 rand. Although Lonely Planet says that the bus runs from Mokhotlong to Underberg, after going through the Sani Pass, about 1 km away from the Sani Lodge, the minibus stopped, and then another minibus from Underberg took us in the Underberg direction. I was told the driver might charge another 35 rand, but that didn't happen. I arrived in Underberg around 1:30PM.
The minibus taxi from Underberg to Pietermaritzburg cost 95 rand and left from the same taxi rink as where the minibus from Sani Pass dropped us off. Easy transfer. I think it took around 1.5-2 hours.
There were lots of minibus taxis from Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg (6 hours, 250 rand) and to Durban (45 minutes, 55 rand). I wanted to see a bit of Durban, and then took an overnight bus back to Johannesburg on Sunday night, arriving early Monday morning. There was no need for an advanced reservation; every single bus company had seats available for night buses to Johannesburg.
Private Transfers
From Bloemfontein
Bush Junkies Safaris
Contact: Tony Horn
Tel: + 27829530737
Email: Tony01@jhb.stormnet.co.za
From Maseru
Bakubung Shuttle Tours
Contact: David Tlali
Tel: +266 5911 1939
Email: mpinaneb@gmail.com