Warmwaterberg Spa — Hotel in Swellendam Local Municipality

Our family of four spent the long week-end there and thoroughly enjoyed our stay in a caravan - Anyberg. Yes, some of the cabins, caravans, toilets & wash up facilities are showing wear & tear from years of regular use but much of the establishment has been upgraded and you can see they are continuing along that path. Anyway you are not paying for a up market experience, but the chance to enjoy the absolute peacefulness & beauty of the environment.

Despite the age the standards of hygiene were excellent with facilities kept clean & ordered, dustbins emptied regularly, lots of loo paper & pools being emptied and refilled every 2-3 days. Once the power in our zone went off and they swiftly had it restored. Maintenance seemed a call away.

Only had supper at the restaurant once, but compliments to the chef & those serving the tables as the food was fresh, delicious & healthy in portion. My daughter tested the milkshakes they are know for and was full of smiles. The shop, restaurant & games area are well laid out with table tennis & a pool table and all close to the hot springs baths.

The 1.8km & 6.1km hikes up and around the property provide breathtaking views and a stillness hard to imagine. Let it be known though the 1st 2 km's of the long hike are uphill on loose stones so wear closed shoes & take your energy drink before departing. :)

The baths area contain a large cold pool, a very warm pool, a warm pool, and then a small lukewarm kids type shallow pool. There are a few tables, chairs & a couple of deck chairs around the wood type decking surrounding the pools. Wood type decking is softer on the feet than paving, warmer (a plus in winter) & is safer if a child falls or bumps the edge. For those who want to soak peaceful you need to choose your times carefully as the children delight themselves in the warm water experience. Despite Mom's & Dad's trying to contain their splashing, noise & consideration for the those relaxing they don't always get it right.

What I enjoyed about the springs was the type of people who were visiting - generally considerate & friendly. My children both made new friends and had a ball playing in and around the lawns of the establishment.

I know people have testified to the healing power of the waters and how true it is I can't say BUT I met a gentleman who came their with very sore hips from sitting to much which he swears were 100% at the time of our chat. I ran the 6km hike on Saturday and I'm no trail runner and am a recreational runner who runs 4 to 5kms -2 to 3 times a week around our estate so had some pretty sore legs & ankles when I returned. The next day I took the route on again expecting to walk most of the way with a ouch, ouch here & a ouch, ouch there and yet I completed it in the same time as the day before which definitely points to the hot springs doing something good for my legs. In conclusion we will surely be going again & most certainly in winter as temperatures were moderate (expected it to be much colder given the location) & there was very little wind. Give the...

This place should have a 5 star rating, since the natural hot pools and their inherent mineral content is outstanding,but unfortunately, it is not run to its full potential due to the following reasons:

I stayed in two different rooms, one smaller wooden chalet and one bigger one - both of them had water damage all over the walls (due to improper building materials used - cheap materials) , as well as black mold all over the showers. The bathroom flooring had holes in it, reminding me of a prison scene in Asia. The lounge suite looked like it came from the 80's , which, style wise, is fine, however it also looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the 80's too. Let's not mention the hideous bedding and old pillows - please, if you're reading this - bring your own bedding.

The guest service needs improvement: I changed rooms from a single room to a larger chalet the next day, to meet my family. I was told to "wait by the pools" between 10am - 2pm and was reprimanded when I handed in the keys slightly late. There was no consideration about the inconvenience of moving all my items, food items which needed refrigeration (I had to lug my food items to the shop plus pack all my luggage in my car while I waited) plus having to wait 4 hours in between room changes. There weren't many guests there at the time, so, I believe an exception could have been made in order to make me feel welcomed.

The pools and natural beauty are outstanding, so a day trip would have been far better, however day visitors are not allowed, so you're locked into the above circumstances.

I hope an investor sweeps in to save the day, even if there was a 20% upgrade, it'd do this place wonders.

Ps: sorry I didn't post any photos to back up my claims, however you'll see it for yourself when...

Peace, Tranquility, Zen. My third trip proved as enjoyable as the previous two. The panoramic views over gently rolling hills against a backdrop of majestic blue mountains is awesome. The facilities are rustic, basic and affordable for most; the timber cabins are clean, tidy and adequately equipped. A few more plug adaptors would not go amiss and a kitchen bin, but the friendly staff sorted these out for us very quickly.

The pools are lovely and it is an added pleasure having the showers right there to rinse off and dress warmly. The ablutions will soon be getting a revamp. Just the once there was what appeared to be bits of sunscreen lotion floating in the water - there should be instructions to shower before entering the pools.

Loved the glorious peafowl who roosted above us in the trees, are very tame, posing obligingly for photos. The ginger cat, Kumon, visited us and makes herself quite at home on one's lap.

The walks along the escarpment are lovely and not arduous for reasonably fit people. Stunning views, plants and stones. The shorter walk (yellow route) is strewn with broken glass near the end and should be cleaned up.

The drive from Hermanus is a visual delight with bright yellow canola fields and the dramatic clefts and cliffs of the Tradouw Pass (excellent tea stop), just before Barrydale, which has its own unique tourist attractions. All in all, worth every penny.... oops, cent. I...