Lesotho, known as 'the Kingdom in the Sky' is landlocked and contained within the middle of South Africa.  Lesotho is incredibly beautiful, has mountainous country and is plentiful in natural resources and sites. The country offers majestic mountain scenery, a proud and traditional community, endless hiking trails, and the unique opportunity to explore remote areas on Basotho ponies. Lesotho is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 meters or 3,300 feet in elevation; 80% of the country lies over 1,400 meters. Due to its altitude, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer thunderstorms. Maseru and surrounding lowlands often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. Winters can be cold with the lowlands getting down to −7 °C (19 °F) and the highlands to −18 °C (0 °F) at times. Snow is common in the highlands between May and September; the higher peaks can experience snowfalls year-round.