Bela-Bela

The name means the water that boils, which is what the Tswana called the spring here long before the town existed: mineral water rising at around fifty degrees at a rate of several hundred thousand litres a day, in the middle of dry bushveld. The town grew around it as Warmbaths and was renamed Bela-Bela in 2002. The resort at the source is a large family holiday complex - hot mineral pools, ordinary swimming pools, waterslides, a hydro spa and chalets - and it is what most people mean when they say they are going to Bela-Bela. It is an hour from Pretoria on the N1, which makes it a standard weekend destination for Gauteng families and means school holidays are packed. Game lodges and reserves in the surrounding Waterberg bushveld are the other reason to come, and several are within half an hour.

History

Tswana people found the hot springs when they moved into the region in the 1800s, and the Voortrekker Carl Van Heerden set up the first farm here, called Het Bad. In 1873 the Transvaal government bought the land for a resort, the town was proclaimed a township in 1920, and it was renamed Bela-Bela on 14 June 2002 (Wikipedia, Bela-Bela).

What to look for

• The springs - mineral water rising at around fifty degrees in dry bushveld.
• The resort - hot pools, slides and chalets built at the source.
• The name - the water that boils, from the Tswana description of the spring.
• Waterberg bushveld - game reserves and lodges within half an hour.

When to go

April to September - hot pools make more sense in winter. A weekend, avoiding school holidays.

Things to know

The resort is a family waterpark, not a quiet spa - it is loud and crowded in holidays. Summer heat makes the hot pools unappealing. The town itself has little to offer beyond the springs. Day visitor numbers are capped in peak periods.

Nearby

The Waterberg reserves are north-west; Modimolle is north on the N1.