Afriski

Lesotho's mountain resort

By June, the peaks around Afriski are ridged with real snow, and the lifts start running. Instructors teach first-timers to ski and snowboard, toboggans send people shrieking down the slopes, and snowball fights break out between runs. The resort sits between 3,050 and 3,222 metres — high enough that on a clear day, the cloud cover settles into the valleys below you, not overhead.

The rest of the year is fun too. You can hike or ride a mountain bike on quiet green trails, sit by a warm fire in the bar, or visit Basotho villages and ride ponies close to the chalets.