Bethulie in South Africa - in the footsteps of the Boer War

Bethulie is a small town in the centre of South Africa that has much more to offer than we first realised. The Royal Hotel Bethulie is a genuine and special gem, filled with 120,000 books. What's more, the owner, who is the author of numerous history books, can tell you about the sometimes gruesome history of the Boer War and its infamous concentration camps.

Car journey from Johannesburg to Bethulie

We drove from Johannesburg to Bethulie, in the car borrowed from our South African friends. The journey took almost 6 hours. First, it took a little while just to get out of the Johannesburg metropolitan area.

Then we drove through the countryside, through deserted natural areas and past small towns. There was only one stop, at a petrol station, where we could refuel, eat a hamburger and use the toilets. In the afternoon we arrived!

Bethulie in South Africa

Bethulie is a small town, where you will find farmers raising sheep and other livestock. The name Bethulie (formerly Bethulia) was given by French missionaries in the 19th century and can be related to the biblical town of Bethulia and the "Book of Judith", which is not part of the Protestant Bible, but exists as an appendix.

Bethulie is located in the Free State province in the centre of South Africa, between the Vaal and Oranje rivers. The province has its origins in the Republic of Oranjefristaten, which was formed in 1854 by Boers, i.e. Dutch farmers. They left the Cape during the 'Great Trek' in the late 1830s when the British invaded.

Today, there is both a white and a black population here, and yes, the blacks do have a much longer history in the area than the whites, although it is often less well documented. In fact, the San people (formerly known as Bushmen) were the first to populate the area.

Royal Hotel Bethulie in South Africa

We had our GPS set to "Royal Hotel Bethulie", recommended by our South African friends. But where would we find a "royal" hotel in this small country town? The GPS led us to a large white house with no signage. We rolled down the window and asked a black man at the courtyard entrance, and he confirmed. Yes, this was the Royal Hotel Bethulie.

We were the only guests that day, but the British-South African owner told us there would be a birthday party in the evening. Two couples from local farms were coming for dinner. Did we want to attend? Yes, but of course we did!

The owner by the way, Anthony Hocking, is an author and has written no less than 38 historical books. Today he is in his 80s, but you wouldn't know it. The energy flows around this man who, in addition to being extremely knowledgeable about history, is also a great storyteller.

There is no doubt that he likes books. The charming hotel is decorated with 120,000 books.

Sometimes it feels like being in a library, rather than a hotel. Every corridor and every room, and there are many, has books from floor to ceiling.

There is one exception, by the way. In one of the rooms there are not books but LP records, 80,000 to be precise.

Our room at the Royal Hotel Bethulie

So, how did we stay at the Royal Hotel Bethulie? Thank you for asking, excellent! We had a large room, a nice bathroom, coffee and tea and, of course, plenty of books.

Why is it called "Royal Hotel"? Well, there's no royal history here, the hotel has just always been called that, and Anthony hasn't wanted to change it. However, there is a kingdom right next door, the Kingdom of Lesotho, so maybe they could invite some royalty here on occasion?

Guided tour in Bethulie - in the footsteps of the Boer War

Anthony asked if we wanted to go on a guided tour in the footsteps of the Boer War, and of course we did. He first took us to a large open field where there's really not much to see apart from an unfinished monument, but if you know your history, you know that things happened here.

The Boer War, which was actually two wars in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was triggered by a conflict between the Boers and the British. It was gold and diamond deposits that attracted the British to South Africa, but the Boers did not like these 'uitlanders' (foreigners) and would not grant them citizenship. Fighting became bloody and many people lost their lives.

But it wasn't just guns that killed. The women and children of Boer families were rounded up by the British into large concentration camps. Here more than 27 000 Boers, and almost as many black Africans, faced death, often from starvation and diseases such as typhoid fever and dysentery. One of the largest concentration camps was located right here, in a field next to Bethulie.

Today there is a memorial site a short distance from the field, where you can see headstones of several of the deceased.

Our visit to the smaller town of Bethulie proved to have a lot to offer, and we left with a little more understanding of some of the dramatic events in South Africa's history. If you're ever in the area, don't miss the Royal Hotel Bethulie!

More to see in the neighbourhood

About three hours from Bethuli, you'll find the incredibly charming resort of Nieu-Bethesda, which is surrounded by mountains and offers everything from art and fossils to nice restaurants and cosy guesthouses. You can also continue down the coast in the direction of Porth Elizabeth and Jeffrey's Bay, or travel northeast in the direction of Johannesburg.