ren.flystory on Lombok:
Volcanic Hot Springs 🌋#hotsprings #volcano #rinjani #mountains #góry #gorąceźródła #travel #podróże #podróżniczka #podrozemaleiduze #travellife #mustsee #365photochallenge #icanrelate #hotwater #vacation #wakacje
News - Taiwan - side shows. That's all to share this time round.
Some Taiwan experiences then.
Foreignersintaiwan (14 Aug.) heads to Fanfan hotspring, an undeveloped and wild spring in northern Taiwan. It's very much a photographic share. Nothing qualitative from this visit is noted, with this exception:
'I have been to Fanfan Hot Spring once in 2020. It was a nice experience, but there were a lot of people there. Because it is so easily accessible and well known, it attracts a lot of people'.
Nickkembel has an overview (Sep. 7) of hot springs on Taiwan:
'In this article, I’m going to introduce 20 of the best Taiwanese hot springs from north to south, including famous spas, hot spring villages, hot spring parks, and wild hot springs, most of which I’ve personally visited in my 10+ years of living in Taiwan'.
A very good article, with experienced samples as well as a map with the soaks highlighted. Most though developed, only a couple are referred to as 'wild'.
Valerie (Jun. 21)
On OxfordStudent (Feb. 21) another experience of soaking on Taiwan.
'Thus, in true British fashion, when I was first informed that the hot springs in Taiwan offered both an indoor, nude pool and an outdoor, clothed option, I assumed I would always be sticking to the latter.My year abroad in Taiwan thus far had been stuffed with new experiences and going out of my comfort zone, but the Brit deep down inside of me still recoiled at the thought of stripping down and sitting in a pool alongside twenty odd other unclothed women. Eating cured jellyfish I could just about manage but being naked – God forbid!...People often say that nudity can be liberating, but I had always thought that required a bold gesture leading to a grand, sudden rush of freedom and empowerment. This, however, was no I Capture the Castle moment. Instead, it was a slow process – as I sunk into the steaming pool, I also sunk into the comfort of not feeling self-conscious about my body. For most of my life, nudity has been sexualised, yet here, it was amazingly normal.Not to mention, it is very hard to find nudity sexual when surrounded by ten or so butt-naked elderly Taiwanese women arguing over water temperature'.
Stars
News from the region.
Soakers on Singapore are afraid that their Sembawang springs may fall victim to a geo-energy project (Mothership, Sep. 6):
'Singaporeans will not lose their access to Sembawang Hot Spring Park after the Energy Market Authority (EMA) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an islandwide geophysical study to assess the country's geothermal potential for power generation, said Ong Ye Kung in a Facebook post on Sep. 6, 2023.Ong was responding to queries from residents.He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC)'.
In Vietnam soaking possibilities seem more secure (Vietnamplus, Sep. 20) :
'Boasting hot springs and unique historical and cultural relics, Thanh Thuy district in the northern midland province of Phu Tho is striving to turn tourism into one of its spearhead economic sectors, raising income for local residents....There are 45 tourist accommodation establishments in the district with more than 3,900 rooms, including 3,388 ones that meet three-star standards. A five-star resort, the Wyndham Thanh Thuy Mineral Hot Spring Resort, has been put into operation recently, creating a highlight to attract tourists to Phu Tho'.
minhbi9205 at Le Champ Tu Le Resort Hot Spring & Spa (Yen Bai, North Vietnam)
Sống chậm lại...xả stress
Deepen
Heading further afield, both topically as well as regionally.
Global Wellness Institute notes (Mar. 28) a new developement: the trend to note how wellness experiences are at a premium (and pricing them thus). Such that wellness enjoyment will tend to be something for the very few privileged and fortunate enough. And access to wellness experiences to broader sections of the population will be excluded.
They do note that nature is the only thing that can not be premiumized. Though seeing where the market is heading (money) there's no doubt that this will also happen some time in the future (the optimist).
Spoon & Tamago report (Mar. 30) on a bus serving as a mobile sauna (btw we're now in Japan):
'Saunas have been picking up steam in Japan for the last several years. From immersive art saunas to in-home saunas, the cottage industry has seen numerous innovations to make the hot and steamy experience accessible to all. One of the latest initiatives combines sustainability with saunas by refurbishing out-of-service public buses and transforming them into mobile saunas that can travel Japan.The Sabus, as it’s called, is a project launched by Sauna Ikitai, a start-up focused on promoting saunas and all their health benefits. The company teamed up with Tokyo and Osaka-based architecture firm OSTR to renovate and retrofit old buses so that they function as saunas.Rather than reviving the bus to a shiny, new state, the architects focused on retaining much of the old-school charm that the bus had. And by making small updates to the seating and handles, they managed to create a unique experience that feels somewhere in between a bus ride and a visit to the sauna.
SaunaTimes (Jun. 17) has an interview with Marishi Mochida of Japan Sauna-Institute. On Japanese sauna culture:
'In Japan, saunas are a major form of entertainment, regardless of gender or age. Public saunas are everywhere, and you just invite your friends, co-workers, or family members to go together. Let’s be naked, enjoy the sauna and drink good sake or beer, that’s how we deepen the connection with people.Another thing is silence. In Japan, you’re expected to be quiet in the sauna, and in many spas you can actually see posters that say you have to refrain from talking'.
The interview comes complete with the latest Japan Sauna Survey (2023) in pdf reader format.
BBC Travel (May 17) has an overview of their five best sento's in Tokyo:
'Yet, these days, nearly every neighbourhood in the capital still has at least one sento, and with a new generation of sento owners updating their bathhouses with saunas and other facilities, sento are currently enjoying a revival among both young and old'.
Tohuku reports (Jan. 10) on efforts to re-popularize traditional mixed bathing in onsen. There's a catch. Translated:
'Sukayu Onsen is a famous hot spring that has been around since the Edo period, and is famous for its 1,000-person bath, which is made entirely of cypress and has four different spring qualities in one bath. Today, it is popular not only for hot spring treatments but also for climbers as a base for climbing Hakkoda. Some people may be hesitant to use the Senninburo because it is a mixed bathing facility. It's a shame that even if you come all the way, you won't be able to enjoy the real pleasure of Sukayu Onsen. Therefore, we are trying to get as many people as possible to use the 1000-year-old bath, called ``Yuami Arari Day.'' Originally, Senninburo had women-only hours, but they were for one hour each in the morning and evening. On ``Yuami Wear Day'', you can take a day trip bath from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, and all people are welcome to come wearing bathing clothes, so you can use the bath with family and friends without any hesitation.
Also reported by Kyoko Kitade on Facebook (Apr. 17). So the future is to adapt to foreign cultues?
I’m not salty, I just have resting beach face 😌📸— @swghhiirl_ 🥸#philippines #coron #palawan #beach #travelphotography #travel #itsmorefuninthephilippines #rbfproblems #hotsprings #islandhopping#adidassponsorme
Finally Korean spa culture in the US. Salon (May 6):
'I'm not alone. Studies show women face overwhelming pressure to be thin — exacerbated by social media — which can lead to distorted body image and even disordered eating. As a daughter born into Indian culture, this pressure started when I was a young girl. My mother and her peers were groomed by society to be hypercritical of themselves and later, of their daughters. Early on I was talked to about weight — how I couldn't gain it the way my brother could, how my arms weren't meant to be muscular and thick, how noticeable it was when I gained or lost a pound or two....Finally, at 40 years old, I found a potential antidote: a visit to the Korean spa....Sitting in the aromatherapy sauna at Olympic Spa, I realized how normal I suddenly looked: somewhere between one breast size and another, with some cellulite and scar tissue matched by some and not others. Baring it all felt like leveling the playing field. And for the first time in my life as an Indian-American woman, I felt blissfully anonymous. Nudity among strangers can boost self-esteem and improve body image. When there are no barriers left between us, it's much harder to find points of comparison to envy'.
There's maaaany reasons to love Northern Thailand but the hot springs are right up there at the top ♨️ This was taken on new year's day; start as you mean to go on and all that. The drive to get to Mueang Paeng Hot Spring was absolutely crazy beautiful too, highly recommend it ✨
