Last Updated on February 12, 2024 by Travelationship
Lesotho was the 1st of a handful of failures we experienced while in Africa. Our travel isn’t perfect, and we learn new things every time we travel. Our huge mistake in Lesotho was a crude reminder that we need to always pay attention.
The Issue: We didn’t get stamped upon entering Lesotho and didn’t even realize our problem until we tried to exit.
How did we make such a dumb mistake?
We let our fatigue get the better of us. We arrived in Johannesburg, picked up our car after quite a hassle, and planted ourselves in our hotel room for a short rest before heading out on the road toward Lesotho. Originally, we had planned to visit Swaziland and continue to the South African coast onto Lesotho from the east side. At the last minute, we changed our plans. We thought since we had a car, we should travel at a slower, more leisurely pace through central ZA.
What should have been about a 7-hour drive turned into about 12 hours. The day was a stress-filled disaster. The traffic delays and the horrible road conditions made for a day full of frustration. Our rental car was teeny tiny and was swallowed up by the enormous potholes all over the road. We stopped a few times to ensure the tires were still inflated and no major damage was done to the car. On top of it, the view on N1 and R708 was blah, to say the least. There was very little to keep our attitudes on an upbeat note.
Lesotho Fail #1
We could not have been more relieved when we finally made it to the Maseru Bridge. As we crossed the bridge, we complained about how tired we were, how excited we were to get out of the car, and how we couldn’t wait to get dinner and some drinks. All the while completely spacing the building to the right at the end of the bridge and the guy waving us past the entrance. We checked before our visit and ensured we would need to stop at immigration and get stamped. We knew we had to get stamped, but we didn’t. Instead of even thinking to stop and question the gentlemen’s keep-on-moving waves, we proceeded to the hotel.
Fail #2
I couldn’t tell you what I thought of Lesotho because we didn’t venture past the hotel – Fail #2. We stayed at the Maseru Sun. The staff, the grounds, and the food were lovely. We were so exhausted from the drive that we only wanted to lounge around and relax. I would recommend staying there if you are on the West side of Lesotho. I would love to return to Lesotho, snowboard, and visit the different parks. Don’t let our experience deter you from visiting.
Our Reckoning
When it came time to exit Lesotho, an officer waved us out of the exit line and asked to see our passports. As we handed over our passports, it dawned on us we didn’t get entry stamps. Sh*t, what does that mean? What happens now? The officer, now bent over and pushing his head and arm through our car window, started yelling at us. He stopped just short of calling us total &^%$*(& idiots but pretty much called us arrogant, selfish, and rude for entering his country without permission.
We apologized profusely over and over and begged for assistance. He asked why he should help us, and we explained we made a really dumb mistake. The officer continued to yell at us about being arrogant Americans and then stopped and said he would get his manager. He headed off with our passports, and I got really scared.
We had entered the country illegally. We had no cash to give the officer, although he had not indicated that he wanted money from us. I had noticed the US Embassy gate on the way to the border, so I knew where to run if needed. After about 10 minutes, he returned with his manager. The new guy yelled and insulted us; they both yelled at us then the original guy handed over our passports and said, “Good luck getting back into South Africa!”
We Head For No Man’s Land
We thanked both of them several times with multiple apologies thrown in. As we headed to get our entry stamp, I started to freak out that something more would happen. We got up to the window, which was taller than me, so the employee couldn’t even see the top of my head. I had no idea what he asked me, and I kept asking him to repeat himself. I think he annoyed by me, stamped my passport, and sent it flying out the window at my head.
Lady Luck was on Our Side
Once we reached the ZA side of the bridge, we both started screaming, “WTF just happened!” Come to find out later, we are not the only ones who have experienced the Lesotho stamp issue. Our responsibility was clearly to be aware of where the immigration office was and the hours. It was clearly our responsibility not to let a guy wave us through the entrance without stopping to ask questions. It was clearly our mistake for letting fatigue and stupidity get the better of us.
If you are going to travel to Lesotho and enter via the Maseru bridge, please take note the run-down building on the right is the immigration office. I question if there were any clear turn signs at all. But that does not matter; it is your responsibility to know. You must stop even if someone stands at the entrance waving you to move on. Since then, we have been advised that the entry stamp issue is a common problem in Lesotho. It is unfortunate how rude the officer was at the border, but I suppose he gets sick of foreigners making such a dumb mistake. Be sure to research the times and crossing locations.
The Moral: Don’t let fatigue or stress cloud your decision-making EVER. There is no way to be 100% mistake-free, but when faced with a difficult situation, be calm and respectful to those involved.
Matt’s Two Cents
This is a story of a major travel failure. The responsibility lies all on us; we were the travelers. It was our responsibility to know what we needed to do and when. Too many times, simple incidences like these turn into stories of how I spent that year in a foreign jail. We were very fortunate in this encounter. The “I didn’t know” or “I am sorry” card doesn’t always cut it. Learn from us. Do your research, and don’t let fatigue or confusion take over.
Logistics
Lesotho has transitioned to an eVisa system. It is still difficult to find any information about Lesotho online.
The RSA/Lesotho border crossings all require you to stop, get out of your car, get stamped, then get back in and go through the crossing. This means getting out twice, whether going to or from Lesotho. The guy that waved you through probably assumed you had already done this, although technically he should have checked your passport to be sure you had. Glad it worked out in the long run.
Too bad you didn’t have time to see more of the country, as Maseru and Maseru Sun are not indicative of Lesotho’s beauty or culture (or apparently hospitality for you two!).
Ohemgeee. This whole situation would’ve ended my ability to continue without fear and anxiety. Oh wait, I did get detained by the Mexican military once because I entered the country via car on a Sunday when I couldn’t get a tourist card… but I still travel too! Yeah, it sucks when you’re tired and things just don’t happen as they should, our own fault or somebody else’s. I do think it’s weird that you were just able to proceed away from the plane without doing customs.
Driving across the Mexico border always was a crapshoot. We were driving from South Africa to Lesotho and back.
Thank you so much for sharing! I lived in Malawi 30 years ago and my family took me to a road trip to Lesotho. It doesn’t look like anything has changed at all.
Hi Doria- Thank you for the support. We would love to visit Malawi.