Things to Do in Maseru in April

Start at 5:30 am when the plateau is still cold enough to see your breath. By the time you reach the top the sun lifts over the Maloti and lights up the sandstone cliffs the Basotho call 'Mountain of Night.' April air is crystal after the previous night's chill - you can see the Caledon River glinting 300 m (980 ft) below and trace the road all the way to Ladybrand.

April is the last month engineers run the dam wall tour before winter maintenance. The 2-hour drive crosses the 2,820 m (9,250 ft) Moteng Pass, where you'll likely see the first snow patches on the north-facing slopes while the valley below is still warm enough for lunch outside.

Rent a steel-frame road bike and follow the back road through Ha Khotso village: jacaranda blossoms carpet the tarmac in late April and the smell of cow manure and peach orchards drifts across the saddle. The 25 km (15.5 mi) ride ends at Morija's 1843 mission station where the first Sesotho Bible was printed - inside the museum you'll see the original press still smelling of ink and kerosene.

Late-afternoon light in April turns the concrete mall into a reflector. Walk the 1 km (0.6 mi) pedestrian spine to the Basotho Hat building, stopping at sidewalk braai stands where boerewors fat sizzles onto coals and vendors sell ice-cold ginger beer out of dust-covered coolers. Inside the Hat craft centre, mohair scarves feel almost weightless - good for the cool evening you know is coming.

The riverbank trails dry out just enough in April - reeds rustle gold and the water smells of algae and wet sandstone. From the back of a Basotho pony you can ford the shallows and watch shepherds guide sheep across the border ford. The sun drops behind the Free State hills and turns the sky the colour of a bruised peach.