Morija Guest HousesLesotho accommodation in MorijaDescriptionThe Morija Guest House can be seen from a distance before you arrive - if you know where to look. It's built from sandstone, cut directly into the rock, and with its thatched grass roof it blends into the surrounding environment perfectly. The house is built of local materials and the proceeds from the sale of the trees go to the Village Development Council, providing much needed resources. The self-catering Morija is fully furnished. The Main House has 8 bedrooms which comfortably accommodates 14 people and below the main house are a number of cattages, all built in the traditional style of the Basotho with thatched roofs and decorated walls, accommodating a further 12 people. The large dining room and lounge of the Main House can welcome up to 25 people, making it ideal for families, tour groups, retreats, meetings, corporate getways or small workshops.
Morija Guest Houses are an ideal base from which to explore the historical Morija with it's Museum and Archives, craft centre, development projects and local institutions, it is also an ideal base to explore Lesotho.
Please note that Morija Guest Houses does not operate as part of the Morija Museum, it is an independent accommodation establishment operating on it's own There is also a massive kitchen and living room, and extra space in the roof means that young people can use the house as a base while exploring the vicinity. For five years David, his wife Brigitte and their family lived in the house on the rock. In 1996 they left for Maseru, where they now live, work and attend school. But such a perfect setting could not go to waste, so the Halls transformed their home into a guest house. While living on the rock, one of David's aims was to inject funds into the local community. So in 1996 he joined forces with horse-owning Morija families to form the Morija Pony Trekking Association. 'The best way to view the mountains and the surrounding villages is from horse back, says Brigitte. 'You can reach places where cars never go and you always get a warm welcome from villagers. We ride as a family as often as we can. Somebody once said that "to ride a horse is to borrow freedom'; I couldn't agree more, and there can't be a nicer way to get away from it all.' The Trekking Association has grown steadily and can now accommodate up to a dozen riders for short or long treks. In 40 minutes the top of the rock can be reached on foot -- with a magnificent view of the Maluti mountains as a reward. The dinosaur footprints and sandstone caves on the mountain are also within walking distance. Skilled rock climbers open up new routes in the cliff face and test their skills on the 'world class' boulders below. The caretaker, Molifiayane Sekhesa, has been associated with the Guest House from day one. As a carpenter and builder he played a key role in putting all the pieces together, and he now makes sure that everything is ready for visitors. As secretary to the Pony Trekking Association he also arranges rides. Molifinyane is a fluent English speaker, and is always happy to introduce guests to the peculiarities of Sesotho language and culture. From Ha Matela you can see 45km north to the Berea plateau above Maseru. To the south, Makhoarane mountain, with its tree-covered slopes and giant sandstone boulders, towers above the houses. Small wonder, then, that the rock was a favoured haunt of San hunters who lived in the area until the late 1700s. While sitting on top of the rock they would fashion their stone tools, throwing the rejects over the edge. Remnants of these broken tools can still be found on the path below. In the 1860s and 1870s the rock was used to provide building sandstone for the Basutoland Teachers' Training College (now Thabeng High School). And for many years the rock was the preferred look-out of local shepherds; they could keep an eye on their flocks while enjoying a game of marabaraba, using a set carved deeply into the sandstone. In the l920s, it featured in Love at the Mission, a novel by South African writer Etheldra Lewis.
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