Spotlight

Two entries already on European hot spring visits in the European Natural Soaking Society. More to follow.

Topical

Hot on the heels of the last update's weird and wacky hot spring and sauna experiences come's Estonia's sauna car! Follow the link and watch the clip.

I do not know if this applies to the sauna car, but in Japan you can visit a hot spring and earn airmiles!

Regional

Seldom do we see such good work in (re-)seeking hot springs in Southeast Asia, most prefer the over-trodden paths. However the blog entry 

'Unearthing Timor-Leste's Hidden Gems - Marobo's Natural Hot Springs 

by  Barry Greville-Eyres and Francisco Carlos de Araujo is a real gem by itself: 

'On a short descent we encountered ruins and remnants of what was supposedly spa or resort styled accommodation, at a picture-perfect location, surrounded by a labyrinth of ridges and valleys. Despite conflicting reports on the origins of the development - some sources attribute it to Japanese occupation forces during WWII (1942-1945) others to the Portuguese colonial occupation-era pre-dating WWII - its highly likely that local Timorese villages were instrumental in the construction of the associated infrastructure.

Much toil and backbreaking effort must have gone into the construction of the access road; distinguishable accommodation units; hundreds of metres of retaining walls; hot water diversion, distribution and drainage systems; the main bathing pool (approximately 25mx15m); an ablution facility and individual external mineral or mud baths.  Although the facility is now clearly abandoned, it still remains an important part of Timor-Leste's natural heritage and a potential drawcard for both domestic and international tourists'.

 It also lists a short overview of all Timor-Leste's hot springs. 

'A parting shot of Marobo's natural hot springs - 

yet another of Timor-Leste's hidden gems'.

Foreign control? Locals in Sabah state, Malaysia are worried that their natural wonders are being privatized. 

Always this never ending story: private ownership of public lands results in entrance fees / profiteering possibly exclusion of certain groups of persons (based on income) or public control by public organisations which (in Malaysia) don't seem to be interested in the public interests. The essence of the freemalaysiatoday article (7 June 2012):

'Ranau STAR division chief, Jalibin Paidi, said the transfer or takeover of the management of money-making Kinabalu Park or parts of it as well as the popular Poring Hot Spring near here had become a hot topic among people in Ranau and they want to know the truth'.

More worrying is the emphasis on foriegn control as if this makes non-public control worse ... 

Note also that the article mentions that all of this is rumour, hot air thus ...

The mud baths of Thap Ba (Nha Trang, Vietnam) now have a local competitor / imitator. Read more on the Thap Ba Soaking in Southeast Asia entry.

In the same area, Waterfalls of Southeast Asia reports that the famous Yangbay waterfall park, will soon expand, to include a (natural) hot spring ... 

Meanwhile in Los Baños, the Philippines, the gamble is on big-business tourism, so states inquirernews (30 May 2012): 

'The master plan also includes setting up a cable-car system along the Makiling terrain, rehabilitating the heritage sites in the town’s poblacion, and renovating the local spa and hot spring resorts'. 

More of the same thus?

Another entry on the Pinatubo hot springs:

'According to tour organizers, most of the resort’s clients are foreigners, with Koreans in the majority since it was developed by a Korean investor married to a Filipina. The resort also provides employment to indigenous Aetas, the original residents of the area, who were displaced during the volcano’s eruption.

With smoke billowing out from mountain crevices, natural pools and waterfalls sprouting from the dry earth, and oddly-shaped geologic formation, the terrain looks almost prehistoric.

It’s almost surreal to see modern amenities instead. Like in most developed resorts, there are several bathrooms and changing areas near the pools, with alert attendants handing out fresh towels to newly-arrived guests. Picnic huts, paved stairways and cement banisters made to look like wooden logs, have been carved from this mountain of stone and soil.

I dipped my foot gingerly into one of the hot pools and immediately retreated as the heat pierced through my skin. I moved to another pool where there were more people and found it relaxing in a feverish sort of way. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead as my body slowly adjusted to the temperature. The heat of the pools really seeped in and soothed one’s aching muscles in no time'.

A great entry on an as-of-yet not-on-this-site-listed hot spring: Bogyah hot spring, neatly nestled in the Hapao rice terraces, Luzon, the Philippines. A great blog entry:

'When we got to Bogyah Hot Springs, there were locals relaxing in the hot spring. I did not mind, this was their place and I was happy that while dipping on the hot pool I get to know some bits and pieces of their life'. 

Note end line: 

'Let us not change Hungduan [where Bogyah is located] , let it change us'. Too ture.

Travelfish have added a section on the Dieng plateau, Java, Indonesia: 

'The main attractions in Dieng are the numerous temples and the geothermal area around Kawah Sikidang'.

Less local

More money being thrown around (or away?):

'GOCO Hospitality is working with Sanli Guo Yuan to develop the Xiangshan Hot Spring Wellness Center, a 6,000 sq,m. facility with an onsite natural hot spring, located 30 minutes outside Ningbo, China'. 

The cost will be only $US 25 million. For this: 

'The Xiangshan Hot Spring Wellness Center will offer exceptional wellness programs that are results-oriented and address the health concerns of the modern Chinese consumer—beauty enhancement, weight loss, detoxification, stress relief and ageing well. Benchmarked against leading thermal facilities internationally, Xiangshan will set a new standard in design aesthetics and service quality, seamlessly blending Western and Eastern wellness modalities'.

 Continuation of soaking vs geothermal energy dilemma:

'... opposition from local hot spring operators is stalling proposed large scale geothermal development in the Prefecture of Fukushima'. 

So reports the thinkgeoenergy.com last month. Seeing how the nuclear plant nearby which should be one of the most regulated industries went haywire, how is one top believe assurances from companies? Take for instance a recent entry on the soakersforum which mentions hot springs being sucked up ...

More  energetic activity in the region. $11.5 have been allocated to the Tawau, Sab ah, Malaysia project, no soaking opportunities? The Leyte, Luzon, Philippines geothermal plant will cash in (read privitize), with global energy prices at a remaining all-time high. Then there is news on Sulawesi (potential) and elsewhere on the Philippines (Kalinga).

Banjar hot spring, Bali, Indonesia (source)

Mud on our mind

Tiermas, Navarra, Spain: natural geothermal spring and mud bath: better than a soak? By Patrick_22_b:

'Tiermas Stuwmeer met zwavelbronnen bij ruïnes van oud dorpje'

Popular

Hot on the heels of Soaking in Southeast Asia's blog on Thap Ba hot spring (Nha Trang, Vietnam) I got to wondering what would the basis of this hot spring's success. Some suggestions in that blog were:

• ease of access,
• high degree of visits by tourists and
• many potential domestic visitors.

But these do not seem to be the key.

Elsewhere Soaking in Southeast Asia read that the rate of foreign visitors versus nationals was like 40:60, a fact which in itself is not so surprising. However on most visits to hot springs in Southeast Asia, I was the only foreigner. So why so many foreigners?

The only reason why, could be due to the difference in tourists nationalities (many Russians) and/or the potential to take a mud bath.
Yes, mud. Essential to the Thap Ba experience is a mud bath. While in Nha Trang, tourists will go out of their way to take a mud bath, a highlight of their holidays.

Now, as slopping around in slurry is such a draw, why aren't mud baths more commonplace?

Research
Soaking in Southeast Asia put this thought into some research:

• Mud is healthy

Yes, besides vitamins and organics, mud is essentially a lot of minerals packed together. And we know that these minerals are an essential part of hot spring soaking. And bathing in hot mineral water can assist disease treatment, as well as have marked health benefits when used long term.

World's most used online reference manual, Wikipedia, hardly expands on this theme which seems a bit strange. 'Therapeutic' is one suggestion, another points to 'relieving of arthritis'. Others inputs include 'healing properties' and 'skin revitalization'.

A better source of reference is the medindia.net entry on mud baths (under the alternative medicine chapter):

'Mud bath is a detox therapy, which has become extremely popular around the globe. Until rather recently, many European practitioners promoted mud baths as a treatment for arthritis. This back to the basics, relatively simplest of alternative therapies, tends to help relax muscles, soothe aches, improve blood circulation and smoothen the skin. With today's emerging trends mud baths are often recommended to help reduce stress and leave us feel rejuvenated at the end of the session.
...
Taking a hot bath or sauna promotes sweating that flushes the toxins away from the body. Mud baths draw out the toxins and impurities from the body, exfoliating and nourishing the skin'.

Despite this

'Deep relaxation is the primary and most-proven reason to take a hot mineral mud bath. The warm, soft mixture cocoons and buoys up the body and sucks the stress out. There’s no pressure anywhere on the body. The heat of the mud (usually over 100 degrees Fahrenheit) makes you perspire and cleans the pores. The treatment consists of 10-15 minutes of immersion, which improves the complexion, removes toxins, and soothes and relieves joint and muscle pain' (source).

Ooh, that sounds great.

'Analysis of Mud'

From Hell's gate, Wai-ora, Rotorua, New Zealand. Source

Another good source of info is the about.com page on (mud) spa's in Calistoga, California, U.S.A.. Historically it mentions that Cleopatra was one of the first users of (in her case) Dead Sea mud which appears to be the most widely used mud in mud treatments in the global spa industry.
The combination hot springs and volcanic ash seem to be the key. So no wonder that other popular muds are from New Zealand, Ischia and Hungary. Other well known muds (not necessarily of volcanic origin) seeing global use are Multani Mitti (India), Moor Mud (Central Europe; high organic content) and Great Salt Lake mud.

Another trend setter was Queen Sheba (source). Soaking in Southeast Asia notes that links seem to favour queens ... No, not. When retreating from Bulgaria, Hitler has been said to have asked for three train wagons full of local mud (source)!

Bhutan believes that the use of mud can heal war wounds (source) though it doesn't mention whether this concerned physical or psychological wounds ...

Even throughout the animal kingdom, mud baths are known for their propensity to cool down, provide positive skin healing and a source of additional minerals.

Some notes:
- A mud wrap distinguishes from a mud bath as it is essentially a layer of mud brought on the skin, left to dry and then rinsed off, in general less relaxing.
- Clay vs mud. Medindia:

'Clay like mud comes from the earth. However, due to its composition nature it has a tendency to soak up or dry, hence it is used in cosmetic products as a drying agent. It is a component found in many cosmetic products like foundation and powders. Clay has the ability to remove matter suspended in liquid, as its natural property is oil balancing. Thus, clay helps to assist the body in the systemic removal of many industrial chemicals that the body would otherwise have difficulty eliminating'.

But a clay bath?
- Sand baths are quite different, though very easy to produce on a beach. Beppu, Japan has geothermal warmed sand baths.
- Clothing? Any family laundry person would effortlessly point out that mud and clothes are not an ideal combination. Clothing seems to get in the way. For instance, a month after I visited Thap Ba there was still dirt stuck on me after a swim. However other than in festivals (see chapter below on anti-society) clothing seems to be an important part of the more social forms of mud bathing. Naturally further off the paved road, less so. But with a few exceptions (see below: Krinides, Hoyo) the major mud baths of the world are not clothing optional.
No clothing in mud is offensive? In NZ they think not ...
- Mud-wrestling. looks like fun, but why are only women involved? Soaking in Southeast Asia thinks it's not for vanity sakes ...But what should be stressed is the fun part, relax part and possible social part (We tend to forget socializing in our modern day spa's, it's all me, me, me).

• Mud is anti-society

Is it? Society seems to prefer clean and proper. Even as kids we know the best way to upset parents is to get dirty. So why not muddy?

Extending this theory, it's easy to see why (pop)festivals go out of their way to feature mud. Even the first festival of festivals (Woodstock) saw revelers seek to unconsciously shock older generations with a mud bath.
Besides underlining their supposed street credibility, at the end of the day a mud bath is just plain fun. Do note that clothing was / is optional and often dispensed of, in favour of practicality while simultaneously increasing the 'shock' value (at least initially, now not so much more in current days ...).

Just a few of the global examples are Woodstock '94 (U.S.A.), Paleo-Nyon (France, the only festival which has institutionalized the mud bath), ConFest (Australia), Big Green Gathering (Australia), Glastonbury (U.K.), Future Music (Australia), Burning Man, (U.S.A.), Down to Earth, (Australia), Rainforest Festival (Malaysia), Confest (Australia), Boryeong (Korea), Bloco de Lama (Brazil) and Sziget (Hungary). Just to name a few.

The Burning Man festival plays out on a dry lake bed deep in Nevada, U.S.A.. Despite the hot spring (muds) of Trego nearby, revelers take the opportunity to enjoy a mud bath during the festival itself. Photo by Gorightly:

'mud_people The attack of the naked mud people, Burning Man, 1997 or 98'.

Note:

Not under anti-society but with the summing up of festivals, in India the festival of Babba Jitto (Jhiri, Jammu) pays tribute to the liberator of the farming community. Besides a holy bath devotees also cover themselves with 'holy' mud (source).

• Mud is different

Seems logical.

• Mud is cheap.

Mud is everywhere, so a mud bath can be had virtually everywhere as long as it doesn't freeze. That said, there is a tendency for mud baths to take place in the summer or in warmer climes.
In reality there are not many naturally occurring hot mud baths. Nearly everywhere where there is hot mud, there's hot water and thus the latter is more desirable for consummation ...

That's not to say that taking a mud bath in a spa is cheap. Glen Ivy in California charges $85 while in the same state in Calistoga spa's charge about $65. Prices in Europe are no less cheaper ...

Muck around the world
Following is just a short overview of natural mud baths (excl. those spontaneous ones occurring after a rain shower) as well as whether or not these are thermal mud baths (gt: geothermal). Oddly many mud baths are also located on or near a beach.

A Calistoga mud bath. By Simon Edward

America's

• U.S.A.: Trego (gt); Calistoga (see above); Hawaii (gt); Ojo Caliente (gt?); Santa Fe (gt); Soap Lake;
• Mexico: Rio Lagartos; Huatulco; Los Azufres (gt);
• Belize: Maruba;
• Honduras:Cayos Cochinos, (gt?);
• El Salvador: Juayua (gt);
• Costa Rica: Miravalles (gt); Tenorio (gt); San Juanillo;
• St Kitts (gt);
• St Lucia (gt);
• St Martin: Tintamarre, see also Nat. Geo. blog;
• Colombia: Volcan del Totumo (gt), see this great write up by Nat. Geo.; Arbolete;
• Chile: Termas de Trancura (gt); Termas de Polloquere (gt);
• Ecuador: Machalilla (gt); Telesforo Villacres (gt); San Vincente (gt);
• Peru: Chilca; Zorritos (gt); Mancora (gt) Chivay (gt);
• Venezuela: Las Trincheras (gt); Isla Cubagua;
• Brazil: Paraty; Morro de Sao Paulo;
• Argentina: Termas de Cacheuta (gt); Copahue (gt).

'Volcan del Totumo'.

A real mud volcano with a mud bath inside. Colombia. By davidcovo

Europe

• Iceland: Blue Lagoon (gt); Hveragerði (gt);
• Belgium: Spa;
• Czech Republic: Cesky Krumlov; Mariánské Lázně; Františkovy Lázně; Kostelec;
• Hungary: Postyen (gt);
• Croatia: Pirovac; Čižići (Meline); Nin Laguna; Lokunja; Privlaka; Barotul; Trpanj;
• Romania: Bazna; Eforie; Slanic-Prahova; Ocna Sibiulu;
• Serbia: Ovcanska;
• Bulgaria: Sarafovo; Banya (gt), Tuzlata (gt);
• Greece: Santorini (gt); Arilas, Corfu; Krinides;
• Italy: Ischia (gt), Emilia Romagna Bagno di Romagna, Tivoli and Viterbo (source's); San Filippo; Laghetto di Fanghi Vulcano, (gt); Pantelleria's Bath of Venus (gt);
• Spain: Espalmador (Formentera); La Manga del Mar Menor: Lo Pagan; Tarifa; Bingaus and Cala Pinar (Menorca);
• Estonia: Parnu;
• Latvia: Baldone;
• Russia: Crimea - Saki; Sochi - Tizdar; north - Tinaki; Taman peninsular (gt);
• Ukraine: Berdyansk; Chokrok;
• Turkey: Dalyan (possibly gt); Gölemezli (gt); Gökçeada (with sea salt) Gönen (gt), Dikili (gt), Ilicaburun (gt), Camur (gt).

Vulcano island mud bath, Italy. By daturi

Africa

• Mozambique: Pemba;
• South Africa: Gingindlovu;
• Cape Verde: Pedra de Lume;
• Kenya: Sleepy Creek.

Oceania

• New Zealand: Rotorua (gt); Waiariki (gt);
• Australia: Eulo;
• Fiji: Sabeto (gt);
• Vanuatu: Nasinu (gt).

Asia

• Japan: Hoyo (gt); Nabeyama (gt); Niseko (gt);
• China: Tanggangzi (gt); Yangshuo (in cave); Tianjin; Nanjing (Tangshan);
• Taiwan: Kuanzuling; Chiayi (gt)
• Mongolia: Khujirt;
• Russia: Kamchatka: Talovski and Paratunka (gt); Baikal: Zhemchug (gt); Arshan; Tus Salt Lake;
• India: Goa.

Hoyoland mud onsen, Beppu, Japan; blogged by lorraineorsunshine

Muddying in Southeast Asia

So if worldwide available, they most certainly exist in Southeast Asia? Yes, they do.

Though hot springs have a certain following / touristic value, mud baths are yet to catch up in possibilities despite all what can be said in their favour.

As said Thap Ba (in Vietnam) is by far the most popular in Southeast Asia (even though the mud is resourced from elsewhere, the suggestion that there is both a hot spring and hot mud endures) and others spas and hot springs in the same country are catching up, for instance Binh Chau.

Outside of Vietnam there is the Phu Klon of Mae Hon Song province, Thailand which combines hot water and naturally occurring mud. Marketing wise they are mainly focused on the 'spa' crowd (as opposed to those who want to experience / have fun). At the lower end is the ad-hoc mud bath near one of Pai's hot springs.

The same focus on higher end tourists applies to the mud baths of Pinatubo, Philippines.

Then there are the mud 'volcanoes' on Malaysia's Pulau Tiga, an off-shore island off the state of Sabah; the islands high point for tourists is the experience of a mud bath.

Another hot item on the tourism trail. Malaysia's Tiga island mud volcanoes. By cephiroth.chin:

'Pulau_Tiga_27
Here you are: Transformed into Mud Man! Actually its adviseble not to jump inside the mud area, to avoid mud go into your eyes & mouth~~~'

Sarawak hosts Kampung Meritam's mud volcanoes (source). Here's an experience by Wilson Chin. 

More off the track is Bali's Singsing waterfall which should include a mud bath. Not when I was there.

More popular is the mud bath of Vang Viang (Lao) which probably is just a wallow of mud watered from the nearby Nam Song river; with the large amount of near drunk visitors and the lack of drainage there's probably a health issue here, but nevertheless popular. It's more for the rite of passage than any health aspect.

Are there any more mud baths in Southeast Asia?

Muddying the business
Sensing both the increasing popularity and the untapped resources of mud bathing in Southeast Asia, one would expect this to be a growing trend both to expand the offers as well as appealing to a younger generation.
Soaking in hot springs in Southeast Asia as well as worldwide is mostly associated with the elderly and as this blog entry witnesses, the young are often as eager, if not more so, to indulge a soak if dirty (and weird) business is included.

One aspect that might deter the popularization of mud baths, is that muddy baths require possibly even higher standards of hygiene, a fact which could give the whole sector (especially here in Southeast Asia) an impulse to improve standards (but a not much loved move away from naturally, the way Soaking in Southeast Asia approves of ...).

Certainly in Vietnam, I have seen some companies willing to get in on the business. Especially around Nha Trang, despite the proximity of Thap Ba, many high-end hotels are offering their 'own' mud treatments. Naturally they will be followers and though to a certain limit stand to profit from Thap Ba's popularity. On the other hand they'll miss most of the free publicity, why on earth would visitors sign up for an expensive clinically mud treatment when the real thing is just around the corner? Snobbery?

But think about it, Vietnam for instance has quite a few hot springs but usually they are at least 2-3 hours away from each other, so most probably no competition from each other. Another factor favouring the development is mud's cheapness.

Even more exciting is the recent event of new 'mud volcanoes' coming to life. Though Azerbaijan is struggling with it's mud volcano, in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam new mud volcanoes have occurred. Who know's, this might be a destination of the future. Do note that a mud volcano does not always offer an opportunity for a mud bath ...

That's not saying that all mud is good. Probably the worst example of mud gone bad is here in Southeast Asia where in Indonesia, the Lapindo mud lake stands for poor planning, poor regulation and implicit government involvement in avoiding offering adequate compensation to those affected.

Epilogue
So quite an exciting business, might just warrant a blog of it's own ...

On a totally different aspect, I came across an article in the Sueddeutscher.de about Munchen's last mud bath. In the article it mentions how in 2009 the last public multiperson mud bath of 2 by 4 m of Munchen was to close.
Decreasing numbers of visitors:

'"Wellness muss eher sauber und steril aussehen" - und nicht braun und schlammig'.

Which translates as wellness should be clean and sterile - not brown and muddy. Really. Soaking in Southeast Asia begs to differ.
And increasing costs: Two truckloads of mud were required each week costing 400 Euro each. Not so dirt cheap!

So is the exception to the rule?

[Note: special extensive mud feature on European Natural Soaking Society (Jan 2013)]

Spa's and hot springs: a healthy read?

Seldom can one expect to find anything remotely describing worldwide soaking experiences, other than a number of websites. Let alone a full blown scientific publication.

However Patricia Erfurt-Cooper and Malcolm Cooper (both connected with Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Kyoto, Japan) are most probably the first and are putting down the stakes. Besides initiating soaking as a science, they are drawing on worldwide experiences of soaking, contrasting most current scientific literature on hot springs which never comment on the practices of soaking themselves other than the odd mention of bathing taking place. That said their focus is not solely on hot springs but the overall 'wellness tourism'. And though there are many similarities between soaking in hot springs and taking the waters in spa's, there are also the significant difference of naturalness of the source of water. Especially in Europe and increasingly elders hot springs are offering more 'products' (massage, beauty therapies, etc.) thereby blurring these differences.

Specifically the authors provide us with info on the global spa and wellness industry and it's historic roots, from ancient Pakistan to today. Other chapters look at the cultural and religious significance of water (and thus bathing), the geological background of springs, the tourism environment, economics, management, marketing and technology of wellness tourism, as well as the presentation of case studies.

Summarized the findings of the study are:

1. Springs are often located in active volcanic environments,
2. Despite geography hot springs worldwide have religious (and/or traditional) similarities',
3. Historically, development of hot springs has waxed and waned. This indicates their continuing significance.
4. Multiple use of hot springs for non-bathing purposes,
5. Hots springs are often synonymous with curative and therapeutic values. Information on both is lacking,
6. Especially in Europe springs have been part of the medical tradition,
7. Differences in hot spring use are often determined by local socio-cultural conditions, as well as factors such as access, temperature and development status of the hot spring and
   
8. No culture can claim first use.

It also pinpoints gaps and challenges, some of which concern information supply. Outside of North America and Japan, little information has been compiled (other than this site). Soaking need not be the only use. Increasingly development of hot spring sites include a trend to presenting them as waterparks. Within tourism literature there seems to be lacking researched demand.

In no doubt this book does provide extensive insight and manages to compile a backlog of literature references. That said the simple occurrence that this blog was not part of accessed websites despite the wealth of info, shows that there is still heaps of information to be compiled.

The blurring of the text with upcoming wellness tourism (though economic more significant) does not necessarily make this a must read publication for soakers. Yes, there are highly informative pieces but also less interesting chapters.

Wellness tourism as such derives from cultures where taking the hot waters has always been important.

Specifically the authors miss considerable information on Southeast Asia and manage to lop in Taiwan as well, while listing the Philippines in the Pacific. Indonesia gets a small paragraph despite it probably being one of the best places to find hot springs in the world. Thailand though does get more coverage, even though the places listed fail to attract specific soaking customers; hot springs in Thailand are used by locals for therapeutic reasons while tourists visit out of curiosity.

And though there may be similarities worldwide in soaking, the actual method (and tradition) of soaking is only briefly discussed. Much is made of the risk factor due to contaminating water (due to poor circulation), little of how for instance Japanese maintain absolute hygiene (with Iceland a close second) and the lack of hygienic bathing traditions in many lesser developing nations (for instance Southeast Asia ...). And though significance is given to Roman culture for the spread of ancient bathing traditions and embracing soaking, the role Japan played in developing many of Asia's hot soaks is neglected .

Other aspects which I thought might constitute more research are the fact that many of the bathing traditions stem from countries / regions where bathing in warm or hot water are a treat in colder months. How would this tradition translate itself to Southeast Asia, where most soaks are located in hot climates. Does the water loose it's value therapeutic / medical value when cooled? Is heat part of the therapeutic process?

Another aspect is the fact that it focuses on water as the corner stone of this aspect of wellness tourism. In the absence of hot water, cultures have used hot air (sauna's, steam baths) for much of the same aspects, combining social life with 'health' aspects.
Modern day wellness traditions seem to focus much more on non-social aspects, affording personal exclusivity as another selling point (four, six hands massage).
The presentation of case studies fails to back up the literature. The case study for instance includes two pages on what a hot spring in Australia might develop.

All-in-all despite the promise, slightly disappointing. A wealth of references and a stimulus for improvement nonetheless.

Reference
Erfurt-Cooper, P., Cooper, M. (2009) Health and Wellness Tourism: Spas and Hot Springs. Aspects of Tourism 40. Channel View Publications, Bristol, United Kingdom.

Available from Publisher and Amazon.