| Moorosi Chalets and the QWDT |
Southern and remote Lesotho - an exciting new destination from Malealea LodgeWigbert Vogely of DED, Quthing Wildlife Trust and Malealea Lodge, are in partnership with the Quthing District Communities to promote Tourism in this unexplored and beautiful area of Southern Lesotho. Malealea is a good base to start your Lesotho Tour, staying 2 - 3 nights with all the Malealea attractions.
These packages can be linked with Northern Lesotho Lodges for a wonderful Lesotho holiday!
Senqu River ValleyGuided walks of various durations along the gorges of the Senqu River. Tough and strenuous (no trails) but rewarding because of its beautiful scenery and rich avian fauna ( Rameron Pigeon). Ha Liphapang – tours and activitiesBushman Paintings in the Tsatsane Valley (+/- 3hrs hike or horse ride from Ha Liphapang) : You will have a journey back in time. Stunning rock art gives you an idea of the long vanished bushman culture. Mystical creatures give witness of the bushman spiritual world and the numerous painted animals give an impression of the once rich mammalian fauna of southern Lesotho.
Guided Walks of various durationsAccommodation:
Self-driven, guided tours to the Letseng-la-Letsie areaLetseng-la- Letsiethe Lake of Letsie is located at approx. 2400m a.s,l, in the heart of the Southern Drakensberg. The scenery is stunning and Bearded Vultures and Cape Griffon can be seen frequently. In summer this place is teeming with White Storks. Even the Vaal Rhebok occurs here. Tours from Moroosi Chalets:
Note: For this tour you will require a 4x4 or at least a vehicle with a good ground clearance Ha Tlhaku – day - & overnight tripsHa Tlhaku is located in the beautiful Qhoali River Valley. This village is a horse rider’s heaven. Several tours ranging from 1 to 10 hours are offered to explore the scenic landscape of Ha Tlhaku. The horses are well mannered and ideal for first time riders as well as for experienced horse( wo)men. A vulture restaurant (feeding place) will be established in the near future. You reach Ha Tlhaku, coming from the Mooosi chalets, in about 1hrs time. You can make up your mind whether you just want to go on a 1-day’s trip or whether you want to stay over and enjoy cultural life and true Basotho hospitality.
Development of Eco-Tourism in Quthing, LesothoA Projects Synopsis by Quthing Wildlife Development Trust (QWDT)
Contents :
1 - IntroductionLesotho is a landlocked country, entirely surrounded by South Africa. Lesotho’s economy is mainly based on the export of textiles and water. Agricultural products supply exclusively local markets. The majority of goods are imported from South Africa. The destruction of the environment due to heavy erosion is eminent throughout the country. Tourism as such is still a developing business. The District of Quthing is located in the south - western corner of Lesotho. Three major towns can be found in the district, Moyeni (Quthing), the district capital and administration centre of the district, Mt. Moorosi and Mphaki. Scattered villages and settlements are located all over the district. Like most parts of Lesotho, Quthing is a mountainous district with altitudes ranging from 1200m in the Orange River Valley to 3015m a.s.l. (peak of Thaba Ntso). Major parts of the district being in altitudes above 2000 m. Steep, grass covered mountainsides, cliffs and deeply carved river valleys characterize the region. 35 Species of mammals are occurring in the district area or are likely to occur (Ambrose, 2002), amongst them Val Rhebuck, Caracal and African Wild Cat). 134 bird species, e.g. Bearded Vulture, Cape Vulture, Bald Ibis (Vogeley 2005 I), 11 reptile species and 13 species of amphibians have been found.9 species of fish are likely to occur (Ambrose, 2002). The economy is mainly based on agricultural products. Maize and sorghum being the most common crops. Low precipitation (600mm) and chronic shortages of rain lead to drought conditions, which are not conducive for agricultural activities and put a sustainable production at risk. These conditions put the livelihoods of people in Quthing on very slippery ground. The problem of erratic rainfalls is compounded by the unwise use of rangeland in the area, where these are systematically being robbed of grass cover, leading to their degradation and soil erosion. The assault and encroachment on wetlands minimises their ability to retain water and means the little rain in the area is lost as run-off. 2 - Background of Quthing Wildlife Development TrustThe Quthing Wildlife Development Trust (QWDT) has started in 1988 as the Wildlife Society Lesotho. Concerned locals, mainly with the aim to protect the endangered Bearded Vulture in the Quthing District, have founded this society. In 2000 the Wildlife Society has changed its name to Quthing Wildlife Development Trust. The Trust has been officially registered in the same year. With the expansion of its working fields from sole conservation to sustainable use of the natural resources the number of members has increased from 15 in 1988 to more than 1300 in 2003. The members represent all social levels: farmers, traders, civil servants and local chiefs as well as foreigners and local institutions (e.g. schools). An executive committee that is elected every three years during the course of an annual meeting manages the trust. The Trust finances itself through membership fees and donations. Besides a small office in Quthing, QWDT owns three buildings in the Quthing River Valley. Furthermore QWDT has been given land titles for certain areas with the purpose to conserve these. All activities of QWDT are conducted freelance and voluntarily by the members of the local groups. The executive committee coordinates them. Currently QWDT is in the process of forming an independent sub-trust, which deals exclusively with tourism development and management. The QWDT is supported with personnel, infrastructure and finances by the German Development Sevice (DED) since 2003. 3 - Aims of QWDTWith the background of a progressive destruction of natural resources, the decrease in agricultural productivity and the loss of income generating possibilities in the rural areas the projects of QWDT are aimed at: Conserving the natural living conditions
4 - Project SitesHa Liphapang / Sebapala (S 30 27’ 41.6”; E 28 0’ 14.3“) : The region around the little village of Ha Liphapang is in terms of tourism development probably the most attractive area in the Quthing district. The rugged and wild mountainous area with its two rivers (Sebapala and Tsatsane) and 9 waterfalls, its exceptionally diverse fauna, including rare species such as Bearded Vulture and Cape Griffon (Vogeley 2005 II) and flora (Wild Bamboo, Spiral Aloe) is most attractive for nature loving people. Spectacular and well preserved bushman paintings (9 sites have been recorded so far, Vogeley 2005 III), according to some experts the most beautiful in Lesotho, are another attraction to this area.
The long proposed vulture restaurant (vulture feeding place) is finally going
to be established by early 2006, as financial support is going to be Ha Thlaku (S 30 9’ 16.2”; E 28 14’ 27.9”)
: The region of Ha Thlaku is a high altitude zone with all of its area above
2000m a.s.l. .
Moorosi Chalets / Mt. Moorosi (S 30 13’ 48.1”; E 27 54’ 8.5”): The Moorosi chalets are located close to Mt. Moorosi, along the Quthing – Qacha’s Nek road and embedded in the scenic Quthing River Valley. QWDT owns three buildings in this area, which have been – with the financial support from the DED - maintained, furnished and turned into tourist facilities. A fully equipped campsite had been constructed. A chalet manager as well as two watchmen have been employed by QWDT. After some difficultiesthisplace is now running successfully and serving as a gateway to the destinations described above.
Fossil Footprint Site, Lower Moyeni (S 30 23’ 44.1”; E 27 41’ 20.8”): This site, which is located in Lower Moyeni, Quthing town, displays a layer of sandstones with fossil footprints of several dinosaur species whose age are estimated to be around 200 million years ( Prasad 1982). Two houses had been constructed in the past to host a small exhibition. QWDT has turned these empty buildings into a small tourist information centre, displaying a small exhibition about the Quthing District. Along with the tourist information centre a successfully running arts- and craft market has been established in these buildings. 5 - Tourism strategy of QWDTand marketing conceptMarketing will be a crucial issue and consequently one of the major activities of QWDT to foster tourism in the region. A single village - especially in the beginning - will lack the strength, the knowledge and the possibilities of marketing, which QWDT is providing – either by itself or in cooperation with local or foreign tour operators. The marketing strategy by QWDT is going to be done in 3 steps: Step 1: Flyers are put out at the border posts, the tourist
information offices in Maseru and Ladybrand (SA), the Basotho Hut in Maseru,
the museum in Morija, the Caledon Nature Reserve and, of course, the Dinosaur
Museum in Lower Moyeni. Signboards along the main road, indicating the tourist
destinations have been put in place. 6 - Other activitiesSeveral villages have expressed their wish that QWDT is supporting them also in other fields of conservation. Most important for the villagers in this respect were issues of afforestation, soil erosion and eco-sanitation. Currently QWDT is exploring the possibilities of harvesting traditional plants, that are growing in the district and which are of interest for the international market, e.g. Aloe ferox and Gwara. 7 - ConclusionThere is not only the need but also the willingness of many villagers of the region to change things to the better. People are very committed and literally ask for “action”.
8 - SummaryThe Quthing Wildlife Development Trust has been registered in 2000. It is the aim of the trust to conserve the biological diversity of the Quthing District, Lesotho and to foster the sustainable use of the environment with special regards to eco-tourism. QWDT has successfully implemented running eco- tourism projects in four locations in the Quthing District. 9 - Literature
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