Bethel Business and Community Development Centre

Lesotho


For travellers (and particularly families) looking to relax in the Lesothan countryside and immerse in permaculture, it's more than worthwhile to venture out to this technical school and learning centre started by a visionary expat in 1993. The school offers a few charming chalets and a good restaurant, along with mountains of expertise in environmental science.

The place runs exclusively on solar power and with its biodigestor cleans thousands of litres of wastewater a day. There are welding and woodworking workshops, and courses in cooking, hospitality and electrical engineering, all of which serve to educate the nation's young people. It's a wonder to see it all in action, and to witness the sheer diversity of plants and trees that thrive on the campus, which was built on soil once thought to be barren.

Although previously the centre was difficult to access, a bridge constructed in 2016 just north of Mt Moorosi, across the Senqu (Orange) River, has made visiting far more convenient. Another lesser-known stay in the vicinity is Moorosi Chalets, a few rondavels on the other side of the bridge, tucked into their own private valley.