AfriSki

Afriski Mountain Resort sits high in the Maloti mountains of northern Lesotho, part of the great Drakensberg highlands, at an altitude that makes it one of the loftiest resorts in the Southern Hemisphere. It is one of just two ski areas in the whole of southern Africa, and that rarity is central to its appeal. The skiing itself is modest in scale, focused on a single main groomed run served by lifts and sustained through the season by extensive snowmaking, since natural snowfall in the region is unpredictable. What Afriski lacks in size it makes up for in atmosphere and scenery: vast, treeless highland vistas, crisp thin air and the genuine thrill of a ski day on the African continent. It is a destination as much for the novelty and the setting as for the runs.

Go for the sheer improbable joy of skiing in Africa, a bucket-list novelty set amid some of the continent's most striking highland scenery. Afriski suits adventurous travellers, families and beginners looking for a fun, low-pressure introduction to the snow, as well as anyone touring southern Africa who wants an experience quite unlike anywhere else. It is about the story, the setting and the atmosphere as much as the vertical.

High in the Maloti, Afriski enjoys the cold, clear, frosty nights that make snowmaking possible through the Southern Hemisphere winter, supplemented by occasional natural snowfalls that can briefly transform the surrounding peaks. The core of the season sees the main slope reliably covered and maintained, framed by often sunny days and dramatic highland skies. The landscape is bare and elemental, and conditions hinge on the cold snap continuing, but the resort's investment in snowmaking keeps the skiing going when nature alone would not. It is a short, intense highland winter with a real sense of occasion.