Faux

After visiting Binh Chau hot spring in the south of Vietnam, I was astounded at the contrast of experience of soaking here and that in other Southeast Asian countries. Was I witnessing progress? Could what is achieved here, be only be done with communist autocratic government? Or are the Vietnamese so totally different?

The main swimming pool complete with faux rocks and cascades.

Vung Tau
But let's start at the beginning. Binh Chau is a hot spring located in Ba Ria province, about 150 km from Ho Chi Minh city (or as some say Saigon), a two and a half hour drive away.
Besides Ba Ria, Vung Tau is another large city in this province and the focal point of tourism; Vung Tau being the beach of Saigon.

From the point of Cap Saint Jacques, Vung Tau is essentially a major area of hotels and beach resorts stretching for about 10 km along the sea facing shore until an expansive coastal flood plain after which a number of smaller resorts dwindle as one continues along the coast north and eastwards.
On the Saigon side large scale industrialization has taken place.

One of these smaller northeastwards located resorts, Binh Chau is a reasonable sized town located 70 km from Vung Tau. As the number of resorts peter out here, so does the quality of the road. From Binh Chau one needs to drive 2-3 km inwards towards the hot spring site itself.

Claims to fame?
Once through the entrance area there is a massive development, wide avenues and big reception buildings. Our car is parked close to the entrance. A 200 m long road leads to an intersection where one can proceed onward by foot to more park -like area, accommodation and the springs proper. Go right and one goes to the soaking section.

The hot spring resort is run by an investment operation called Saigon-Binh Chau Tourist Joint Stock company which includes a local beach resort. Since the turn of the century facilities have been improved and

'in August 2003, the happiness and success of this investment are rewarded by the World Travel Organization’s recognition that Binh Chau Hot Spring is one of the 65 areas of sustainable ecotourism development of 47 nations around the world'.

Yes, that accolade looks good. But looked at it in more detail, reveals that Binh Chau was merely

'a compilation containing 65 case studies received from 47 countries about exemplary practices in small ecotourism businesses (SMEs)'.

I.e., a slap on one's own back rather than 'recognition'. As the publication is not freely available on the web, little insight can be given to the aforementioned claim.
It's also not clear exactly what the WTO understands as ecotourism, their website lacks any definition.

More possible future (investment) development around the Binh Chau includes a safari park and villa's, which might just throw a different light on the eco claim ...

The naming game: call it eco and it is?

Developing hot springs and protecting the environment
Aside from the eco claim, it's not totally clear, but there are a number of references putting Binh Chau hot springs as part of a larger protected area. Amongst these is Lonely Planet which lists:

'Until about a decade ago there was wildlife in the area, including tigers and elephants, but it seems humans have nearly won the area over'.

Binh Chau's own web site refers to the ecological reserve:

'11.000 hectares of forest, known as Binh Chau - Phuoc Buu natural preservation zone'.

Note that Bin Chau hot springs site themselves are only 35 ha.

More info on the natural reserve can be found in this document from 1997. It contains a forewarning:

'Binh Chau hot springs is designed to suit the tastes of affluent Vietnamese tourists. The flower-lined walkways among hot springs, shady cabanas and a litter of bright painted stucco figures is pleasant and charming.

But, more concerning, the resort also holds a small zoo containing several rare species. Among other things, an eagle sulks in a purpose-built cage shaped like giant a spider's web and listless binturong (Arctitis binturong). It is illegal to keep the endangered binturong. I could not identify the eagle but several species of eagle and buzzard in Vietnam are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. Long-tailed macaques Macaca fascicularis, also on the IUCN Red List, were in two small cages. The centre-piece of this exhibit is a giant painted concrete structure resembling a coiled snake, strangling a rampant deer.
When I visited in December 1996, new structures were being added to the zoo complex.Clearly, this architecture enforces common perceptions of nature as mysterious and evil. 'Nature' - the Vietnamese word is 'nguyen', - carries a reproachful connotation of 'primitiveness'. Zoos of this character do nothing to show how precious is nature of itself. Nothing is here about the natural history of these species. Nothing to allow people to empatize with wildlife. Nothing to encourage them to protect their wild resources'.

It's therefore chilling to note the following announcement:

According to Management Board of Binh Chau - Phuoc Buu Natural Reserve, from the beginning to May, 2009, the reserve has attracted 20 tourism projects under ecological- tourism forms. Total investment area of these projects are about of 1,500ha'.

Soaking
To proceed to the soaking section one needs to purchase entrance tickets in an adjacent building.

This building incorporates changing facilities, showers and lockers, never seen a locker at a soaking site in Southeast Asia!

Beyond the entrance are two palm fringed pools against a backdrop of faux rocks stacked up 5-10 m. This tiled area is backed up by a free form 2 m wide pool, meant for kiddies, containing less warmer water.

In 1 corner are amenities while beyond the kiddies pools are places for mud treatment and VIP soaking rooms. On the other side a track extends into a swamp where there a number of other in-huts-enclosed-tubs, varying in size and thus price.

The main pool though is heated and goes to depths of more than a meter. The soaking experience is somewhat placid, late on a hot weekday most visitors are middle-aged Vietnamese, day visitor tourists already having left. The pool itself could do with some painting and the visible quality of the water could be better.

However, strikingly, almost all patrons are wearing bathing costumes, much in contrast to nearly all other soaking facilities in Southeast Asia. So much so that I wonder whether this is in Southeast Asia at all. It could be Europe or Australia. Canada or the states. I wonder whether this bathing custom is something Vietnamese or simply limited to these facilities.

The sights of Binh Chau: mud baths, hot pool, more mud baths, private pools and jacuzzi.

Throwing Mud
On offer are also mud baths or the opportunity to cover oneself in healing (?) mud.

Possibly this claim is true but what I find weird is why if it it so good, why the need to keep bathing clothes on. Especially women wearing a full one piece suit can be seen covering their suit in mud (below), can't see much health gains in that.

And though there are private enclosures, these are not meant for au naturel bathing. Inside photo's (above) disprove this as well as the fact that the material used allows for outside viewing.

Nguyen Pham's untitled muddy picture from Binh Chau.
Question is if mud equals health,
does this mean that females can not fully profit from the perceived health benefits?

An introductory youtube video on Binh Chau hot springs

Getting there: From Vung Tau head north / east along the coast until Binh Chau village. Take a left on the other side of the village followed by a right turn and after a km you'll arrive at the hot springs site.

Soaking experience: Certainly pleasant, considerable effort has been made to make soaking a worthwhile experience. Of the near 30 soaking experiences I have visited in Southeast Asia, this ranks highly amongst them even though the metamorphosis into a some what sterile soaking area comes at a loss of naturalness.

Overall impression: With in mind that this has been created to attract tourists, one could argue that this has been done tastefully. Certainly it could be a lot worse.

Part of the attraction park are the natural hot springs located away from the soaking pool itself.
It's said that they number more than 70.

Updates

Bor Klueng revisited

A recent article on Suan Phung district in Thailand's Rathcahaburi province in the Bangkok Post (Nov. 9, 2008) cites a 'holidaymaker' and his / her experience while visiting the Bo Klueng (or Bor Klueng) hot springs. Here follows the part of the article concerning the visit by the author, just in case the original article fails to be retrieved:

' "One of my favourite things to do is taking a dip in a hot spring at night and lighting a candle".

Bor Klueng Hot Spring, probably [or not] the nearest hot spring to Bangkok, is privately owned. There are two pools open to the public. The outdoor pool is set in rock, while the roofed pool has a tile floor.

Despite the obvious appeal of the hot springs, we had Bor Klueng to ourselves. "If there are no tourists, the owner of the hot spring allows me to organise special programmes for my guests", Mr. Kammawit [owner of Buawattana Hillside resort] said.

A dip of my hand into the water revealed that the temperature is comfortably warm and surprisingly, there is no sulphur smell.

I feel sad I am in such a rush and haven't the time to enjoy it. But I promise myself I will not miss a night time hot bath next time I am here'. By Peerawat Jariyasombat

This article describes the same hot springs which I visited in March, earlier this year. Clearly the author was impressed and to a degree I agree: the site had been nicely enhanced without over-developing. Would it help that the springs are privately owned? Maybe.

Future of Thai hot springs
But, as in the case of my recent visit to Phra Ruang, more development of Thai hot spring sites, seems to be on the cards. Both the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Bangkok Post (once again) mention developing hot springs. TAT (mid 2008):

'... further develop and promote new tourism products in 14 different clusters'.

Among which are hot springs. Bangkok Post (un-dated, but of around May / June 2008):

'The minister [of Tourism and Sports] also drafted a four-year plan starting this year to increase tourism revenue, and pledged to invest up to 6.5 billion baht [more than 150 million US$!] in new projects. The new projects cover the four key regions of the country and include hot springs, Lanna northern traditional culture, eco-tourism in the North, riverside tourism in the central region, and development of the Gulf of Thailand coast in the South'.

So, will there be more changes a la Phra Ruang? Let's hope not, anything with more taste will be warmly welcomed. For instance like Pong Duet, which after all was developed by the government. I dare say that ensuring more naturalness in the development would assist in drawing more visitors.

Access to correct information please!
Another great way to get more visitors is to make known where the hot springs are and how to get there (including signboards).

Take the case of two hot springs located in Klong Wang Chao National Park. The (poorly accessible due to deep linking failure) web-site of the National Parks of Thailand states:

Hot Spring
Activities:

• Nature trail study
  
• Mineral water bath
  

Hot Well
Hot Well warm water erupts from the earth face with average temperature of 50-70 degrees Celsius. The area covers 1 rai or 0.0016 km2. Located about 1.5 kilometers from Tao Dam. It is also a habitat of wild pig, barking deer and asmber deer.
Activities:

• Nature trail study
• Mineral water bath
  

The site also includes a photo of each, surprisingly the same photo! The info above is insufficient to pursue a visit, but as they are within the National Park, possibly the authorities could add more information. The 'Hot Spring' refers to a spring near the Klong Pong waterfall, a day's walk away. The other (Hot Well) refers to hot springs near Tao Dam waterfall, which can only be reached over a 30 km track accessible only to 4-wheel drive vehicle's.

From the Wang Chao National Park's visitor's center, photo's of Tao Dam waterfall (left) and the 'hot well' right.

Already in these few sentences there's more information than obtainable elsewhere on the internet.

Off the net, a TAT brochure (July 2008) on Kamphaeng Phet province notes:

'Geyser in this area are 2 spots; namely, on the way to Namtok [waterfall] Klong Pong and to Namtok Tao Dam for a distance of 1,500 meters'.

Surprisingly though, neither on the net nor off, is mention made of Baan Pong Nam Rong, a nearby village where soaking facilities exist. How do I know? This list. (Beware though this list contains some mistakes ...) Otherwise in the whole of the internet no mention is made of the possibility, that's until today! Well perhaps in Thai language sites, such as this list related to the list just mentioned. It's far more extensive than the links of this Soaking in Southeast Asia site, but seeking other verifiable sources is proving very difficult.

Health issues
Another article of interest to Southeast Asian soakers is the news that in Taiwan

'8 hot springs fail inspection'.

Unfortunately the article fails to state the reasons why. I briefly touched on this subject in my latest blog concerning a visit to Phra Ruang, which was chosen by the Thai authorities to be developed due to it's health claims. On internet there is an abbreviated list of hot springs in Thailand with some of the spring water qualities. However there is no comprehensive quality control in Thailand, neither do I believe that this takes place elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Important? I would believe, especially if the springs are being enhanced, as to attract more visitors.

New places to soak
In Lao a new resort has opened, close to the remote Muang La hot springs in Oudomxai province. The name of the resort? Muang La Resort. Including the following:

'Add to these magical moments by relaxing in the natural warmth of the hot-water spring. For centuries, the secret of this natural resource was closely guarded and only a few Laotians know these nearby sources and come to pamper themselves. A small part of this beneficial natural asset has been tapped to supply the incredible hot water spa - at 4m in height it offers unparalleled views of the river and the forest. This unique and exceptional experience can be extended in the sauna. This traditional candlelit Laotian sauna runs thanks to the steam from the hot water spring mixed with scented grasses and herbs; offering the ultimate in relaxation'.

Photo from the Muang La site!

I'm packing my bags!

Another new(-ish) hot springs resort in Pai, Mae Hong Son province, Thailand.

More from the net
A soaker's visit to San Khamphaeng near Chiang Mai, Thailand on the Soakers forum:

'It's a large beautifully landscaped park near the mountains. The visible source is an elevated pool that is 105 Celsius. They've built a series of long canals where the water gets cooler the further away from the source that you get. People sit on the edge of the canals and hang their feet in the water. There's a medium warm pool for soaking and in another part of the park a larger pool that is warmer and basically acts as a big swimming pool. There are food vendors though they are relatively discreetly kept away from the pools. They have a Thai foot massage building and another where you can get a full body massage. It's very clean and very well run'.

This and more (incl. photo's) by following the link above.

Site changes
Finally, those who have been paying attention will have noticed some changes in the links, which I have been updating; until now I've covered northern Thailand and Lao, changing some of the dead links adding a few more, the site is slowly nearing 300 links to hot springs in Southeast Asia. Google nearly any but the most popular hot springs and Soaking in Southeast Asia is nearly always on the first page of results. This is also clearly indicated by the ticker slowly increasing from just under 100 monthly visitors last year November until nearly 300 this November.

Elsewhere, I am redistributing my flickr photo sites, the free hosting stops at 200 pictures, but by now I have much more than that. I will be transferring the Thai photo's to a separate site. A pity is that I will be losing the counter of the number of views per photo. The range is anything from 1 until over over 1,000 views, if there is any hint of something untoward!

In the coming weeks possibly more updates and gradual review of most of the links. More postings in the new year from Indonesia / Singapore, would you believe it?

Off the list

Sometimes shit happens. That's what they say, but what they imply is that things negative happen to which nothing can be done. Apparently.

Sukhothai Hot Springs are where?
The hot springs of Pong Nam Dueat of Sukhothai province are to be found or as this Sri Satchanalai National Park site claims:

'This hot spring is located 500 meters away from Pa Kha Village. The water here is so clear and clean and looks like boiling water evaporated of rotten egg gas. Unfortunately, the beautiful scenery of this hot spring was damaged by mineral business, only warm water left in the winter'.

The clue however is 'were to be found'. Because the hot water source has disappeared altogether. November is winter, at least the start of winter if something as such exists in Thailand. Maybe referring to the cool season is more correct.

So the other week found me trying to track down these 'hot' springs. Despite it being mentioned on the Sri Satchanalai National Park website (see above) it is actually outside the National Park itself, but only just, possibly a km before. It's not so obvious, there's certainly no signboard but after inquiring around it was established that it is about 1 km before the National Park entrance on the north side of the road.

What remains
That however was not sufficient and eventually I found myself trailing a local villager who was more than obliged to lead me there. As the springs have no significance anymore the site was slightly overgrown. It's only 10 m off the main road. The origin was at the confluence of 2 small streams were water sprang up. My informer mentioned how you could have boiled an egg within 5 minutes, but now at best the water was luke warm or not cold which ever you prefer. Sulphur could still be smelt however.

Discussing what had happened, if only my Thai vocabulary included words on mining I might have learnt more.

It's a pity for the villagers to have lost such a site. I've tried to look up more info on the mining but there's nothing there, at least not on the internet. It was not obvious when I visited, that mining was ongoing, possibly it had been just some exploration activities. It does seem however strange to allow mining to take place so near a national park, which has existed since 1976.

Swampy environs of the springs

So if it was ever on the list, it's not anymore alas. Remember no hot springs in Sukhothai province!

In the absence of a hot soak why not opt for a cold soak at the Tad Duean waterfall, 500m inside the Sri Satchananalai National Park. Easily accessible, beautiful setting.

Bo Klueng: End of the road

Worth it?

Besides Pong Krathing hot spring, Ratchaburi province has another hot springs site: Bo Klueng hot 'stream'. These springs are situated in the Suan Phueng area, a recently approved accessible area of Ratchaburi province quite near the Burmese border. It used to be off-limits to all but locals due to the Thai-Burmese border relations or lack of relations more probabbly.
The area is now seeing quite a lot of tourism related construction: due to the amount of natural attractions, it’s ease of access to Bangkok (two hours if you fail to take your foot off the accelerator), it’s slightly cooler climate (due to it’s higher elevation) and enchanting natural surroundings (or did I mention it already?). Recently finished are a number of resorts / restaurants with others set to open in the near future. Roadside stalls specialize in selling plants (esp. orchids) and ‘souvenirs from Myanmar’ the politically correct name for the politically incorrect country of Burma.

How to get there
From the town of Suan Phueng to the hot springs site of Bo Khlueng is a distance of roughly 15 km. The scenery changes markedly from gradual rolling hills to medium high mountains covered with (pristine?) forest and small valleys with swift flowing streams flowing between the remnants of valley forests and more recently planted fruit orchards.

The (re-)sources
Located just 1 km before the end of the road (a side road of highway no. 3087), a small car park is situated off the left before a small booth with barrier. After paying 5 Baht to a disinterested receptionist and taking a short stroll of 100 meter or so along a large pond, one comes to an intersection of paths.
Here are situated a number of restaurants. To the left is a large concrete lined pool (7 x 15m) which during my visit is empty and receiving a well-needed scrub from a number of hard working ladies. This pool, created by damming a stream, is situated at the end of this stream with an overflow to the previously mentioned pond. The water coming from the stream is warm. Some would say hot, but it is not too hot. When filled, this pool must be quite attractive as during its construction considerable effort had been made to retain a certain naturalness: huge boulders are located in and along the side of the pool. The water depth maintained would be about 1 meter.

Traveling all the way out here only to discover the main pool is getting a scrub.

From this pool I walk further upstream, the increasing heat evidence of becoming closer to the source of the hot stream or was it just the soaring mid-day heat? About 200 meter from the pool there are a number of streams coming from small holes in the red-hot rock bed of the stream, obviously the source of springs. These springs are also way too hot to be considered ‘bathable’.

The source of the intense heat: coming from between the rocks

Surprisingly for a Thai hot springs site, no one has come up with the innovative idea of cooking eggs in the springs; maybe it's more a northern Thai / Cambodian thing to do. But it also happens in Malaysia...., ah, it's possibly a long established tourist kind of custom, developed through generations of exposure to unattractive and boring hot springs ("I'm sure we can get hot water straight from the tap back home").

The hot water stream flowing downwards. Besides the water being hot, so are the rocks!

Back at the intersection, a small side path leads to an office-like structure which proves to be the entrance to a separate pool / bathing area. During the week (as now) use of these facilities is free, however during the weekend a fee of 80 Baht (by the time of publication nearly 3 $ US) is required, which local Thai residents might consider steep. It gives access to changing rooms, showers and a 5 meter round and shaded hot pool with a few loungers / chairs on its fringes.

And the non-natural soaking pond: actually not too bad for a dip during the cooler months or in the evening.

A cooler soak
An interesting side trip, is to take the footpath beyond and above the hot stream. It continues up and onwards ending near Pha Daeng (or Kao Chan?) waterfall. This waterfall lies in a wide but steep valley through which the river flows in a succession of waterfalls, though few are really spectacular. Maybe that changes during the rainy season but now at end of March, before the real drought onslaught, at best the waterfalls are just OK. Along the waterfall, going downhill, the path continues until it ends at a huge and empty car park. Possibly the emptiness is different with the weekend influx, but I can’t believe that Bangkokians will or have ever arrived in such numbers. Then again, near the car park is such an accumulation of refuse, that certainly must come from somewhere. Just near the car park are a couple of stalls.
The upper levels of the waterfall though are deliciously unpolluted and at that moment unvisited, great for an all-natural dip.

Pha Daeng or was it Kao Chan waterfall? Whatever, for late March it still made a pleasant dip.

Overnite
The day is drawing to an end and distant thunder is rumbling ever closer. Moving onwards to Kanchananburi, Ratchaburi’s northern provincial neighbour, seems a bit too far fetched and I decide to seek accommodation nearby; there is some choice to be had and the surroundings here are certainly crispier and more natural than a downtown Kanchanaburi hotel.
I drive back a couple of kilometers towards Suan Phueng, take a right turn and drive down to the reception of the Scenery.

"No, we are fully booked this evening",

says a receptionist, clad as a pristine nurse,

"but you’re welcome to tour the grounds".

She is very persuasive though not really um, ... real or genuine. As I start to wander further, she insists on leading the tour and asks me to hop on her golf cart which she uses to drive me along a duck pond with sparkling white spacious bungalows beyond it. At the end of the drive the artificial scenery gives way to a shaded forest along a 30-40 cm deep stretch of a river. Chairs are conveniently located in the stream as well as some swings, originating from the overhanging trees. What a beautiful place! But no rooms tonite.

My nurse advises me to stay at the near the entrance located, white washed Nagaya, which she assures me, has several rooms vacant this evening. After close inspection, I must say that it does miss the magic of the stream, but it does have a better backdrop / view than its neighbour. The rooms are quirky: each different and carrying names such as 'naked' and 'nude'. One might expect a clothing optional resort but, this being Thailand, the names are meant as a teaser, alas. Nagaya provides bikes, but the tracks beyond Nagaya are equally enjoyed on foot: following and crossing the river and meandering through fruit orchards, especially when the threatening thunderstorm finally unleashes itself, drenching me to the skin.

After this partially involuntary soaking, I change into drier clothes and head back over to the Scenery, as they are only resort within walking distance with a restaurant. It only now dawns on me that, there being no accommodation vacant at this resort, might have proven to be an advantage: on every tree a speaker has been mounted from which Frank S. is crooning. I manage to pass the reception without requiring the assistance of a golf cart to face the 100 meter stretch to the restaurant. Unfortunately, the restaurant sound system is not rigged to the tree sound system and though the meal is excellent the intermittent jazz / Sinatra takes away from the meal.

The Nagaya, something not so Thai. Pity of the pond. But still well worth a stay.

And there's more
After a good (non air-conditioned) sleep, I decide to discover more of the Suan Phueng area. Highway no. 6070 heads southwest from Suan Phueng towards the border with Burma. There might be a couple of waterfalls accessible, though the waterfall to Pachundara is blocked.
At Kaeng Som Maew / Queen Sirikit Forest Park (25 km from Suan Phueng, then a left side road for another 2.5 km) the waterfall is actually a rapid with a lot of opportunities for recreation (read picnic). Surprisingly, I only learnt after the visit that there is much more to be seen, it's a nature study center.

The Kaeng Som Maew rapids, lie near a nature study area with a royal hut.

However, Bo Wi waterfall (15 km from Suan Phueng, then in Bo Wi village a right hand turn before crossing the river, continue upstream for another km) is much more worth a visit. Located in a narrow valley this is again a multi-level (seven?) waterfall. Go up a couple of levels and on this week day, a pleasant skinny-dip can be had.

Objective met, time to return to the world, to Bangkok.

Bo Wi waterfall, great place to really cool off and spend a pleasant time in complete solitude (as you can see)

Discovering more

A bit of surfing on the i-net, has revealed more. As usual, there's a seemingly unending list of alternative names for the hot springs: Bor Klueng, Bo Khlung, Bo Klung, Bo Khlueng and probably many more variations; I settled on Bo Klueng as the first picture reveals (above this post entry): the fact that the place itself uses it.

There are some more visitors / sites who have posted their views / additional info:

• Bangkokmum:

  'there are two springs at Bor Krueng , a cement pond located outside for all to see and a swimming pool higher up … we went for the swimming pool cuz it’s shallow enough for kids to waddle in … people there jump in wearing t-shirts and shorts so i looked a little over the top in my swimming suits … it was quite relaxing , just soaking in the hot water and watching butterflies fly by …'

• Chomphrai reveals the history of the hot springs: prior to 1960 it was a mining area which explains why it is now private property. He / she also comments on butterflies and does more exploring nearby.

• The official Tourism of Thailand site mentions the temperature of the water and adds a couple of good photo's.
  

• On this travel agency site ('Thailand Travel Tours') they mention both Pha Daeng waterfalls ('riddled with leeches') as well as Bo Klueng ('nice place to relax').

• Extensive information on, not only the direct surroundings of Bo Klueng / Suan Phueng, but the whole of Ratchaburi province is to be found on wikitravel.

  'In winter, in the morning, the hot stream will combine and form a terrific fog'.

  It also provides more info on the trail between the hot springs and the waterfall:

  'Route 2: Start from the office and walk along the waterfall, passing Bo Khlueng Hot Stream and turn back to the office, taking 3 hours'.

  It also mentions the nearby 'Natural Science Park' from which the trail originates. It also refers to the waterfalls as 'Kao Chan' rather than Pha Daeng.

• Finally, a German language wiki mentions the waterfall (Kao Chan) having 9 levels.
  

Getting There: From Ratchaburi city, take highway no. 3087, just north of Ratchaburi on motorway no. 4. The 3087 bypasses the town of Chombung and after a gradual climb you'll find yourself in the town of Suan Phueng. Highway 6070 towards Bo Wi and Kaeng Som Maew / Queen Sirikit Forest Park is a left hand turn in town itself.
Bo Klueng however is a well signposted left turn, 5 km further out of Suan Pheung still on the same highway, 3087. The hot springs are about 10 km from this intersection, on your left.
The Pha Daeng / Kao Chan waterfalls are at the end of this road, 1 km beyond the hot springs.

Soaking Experience: Tough luck for me, the natural (free) pond was being cleaned, which of course deserves a very positive review. The hot stream itself has been kept natural, but simply too hot for anything other than a burn. The artificial pool is not enticing enough, but in the cooler part of the year certainly worth a try, especially if you can avoid the more busier weekends / Thai holidays

Overall impression: However, with the delicious natural setting and attractions around, Bo Klueng hot springs are certainly worth a very pleasant visit. Stay longer, it’s worth it!

Update here.

Pong Krathing: the local soak

Not many non-Thai will have heard of Ratchaburi province in a touristy sense of way. This province lies due west of Bangkok and covers large areas of the main Thai lowland rice plains that surround Bangkok, as well as a mountainous area on the border with Burma. The Damnoen Saduak floating market may ring a bell to some, but this obligatory tourist creation, though picturesque, is not what I was seeking over the past Easter weekend. With a 24 hour time frame, I just had sufficient time to explore the mountainous part of this province.

Background
Ambitious plans a side, the first destination was Pong Krathing, a hot spring located somewhere west of the main motorway which dissects the province north-south on it's way from the south to Bangkok. Prior to leaving for Thailand, I failed to get much information on this hot spring. My own link to this hot spring referred to bangkokmum's:

'i just watch a tv programme on places to go to in ratchaburi … they showed another hot spring called ‘ bor pong krating ‘ … this one’s located on route 3206'.

Elsewhere on the internet there is:

'Pong Krathing Hotspring. A hot spring is located at Phu Nam Ron village in Ban Bueng sub district, Ban Kha district',

This excerpt originating from Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Prachan National Park website. Then there is:

'Pong Krathing hot spring with a diameter of 5m. When circled by a group of people who noisily clap their hands, bubbles will emerge from the well'.

All not very informative, so a task on hand! And let's hope not too many people turn up to clap their hands, even silently!

The road there
What's more is that the aforementioned links certainly don't exert themselves in details on how to get to the hot spring. Luckily, Pong Krathing is also the name of a large village so after leaving the motorway on the best detail I could find online ('highway 3206') a 'Pong Krathing' signboard was not so hard to find.
Just a few kms beyond the motorway one knows well-and-truly that one has returned to the real Thai countryside, especially as a couple of limestone outcrops pop up to the north each with a smiling Buddha somehow perched on these hillocks.
On a major turnoff opposite a traffic police office I managed to find a highly detailed provincial tourism map, which showed not only that I was on the right way, but the hot spring itself was quite a distance from the main road I was following. After passing Pong Krathing village (60 km from the motorway), the road takes a sharp turn to the north and a few kms further on, a hot springs signboard clearly indicates a road to your left / west. The countryside had by then evolved from lowland paddy fields into rolling hills with much secondary forest and pineapple plantations with some rubber plantations, eucalyptus stands and sugar cane fields. There are also quite a few fruit orchards.
The partially overgrown road leads to a large reservoir which, as it is now the start of the Thai hot season, is at quite a low level. At the other side of the reservoir an unpaved road continues along the shore where the main road continues downstream. The road splits after about 500m and the left split leads to the hot spring site of Pong Krathing.

The hot spring site
The hot spring site has seen some development; there is certainly ample parking space, but structures are mostly made by bamboo ensuring it's all low key and thus maintaining a friendly sort of character. No entrance fee is required and a small bridge leads over a stream. On the opposite side of the stream, a few steps lead upwards to a large cemented reservoir with half meter high walls to keep unsuspecting guests from falling in the spring itself while creating a larger reservoir of hot water. Between the reservoir and the stream 3 pools have been constructed each about 3 m in diameter with hot water standing half a meter deep.

The spring itself: walled in. Banana's have been donated to site lounging monkeys.

What makes this site unique is that just a few steps from the hot pools, a pond has been created through a low check dam on the stream. A wooden stair leads into the cool(er) water.

The pond with stair, the hot pools with behind them the spring itself and a few temples.

Usage of the pools was evident (as opposed to the previous blog entry 'Cambodia's finest'): a couple of (local) women were bathing (fully clothed of course), alternating between the hot pools and the cold pond. Near the entrance to the site a signboard gave an overview of the number of visitors which during January and February this year totalled over 200 daily. A local added that these numbers drop off during the hotter months and months which require more rural labour, but still more than 53,000 adults visited the hot spring site last year. Hardly any foreigners visit the site ('sometimes, but never many'), though my contact mentioned that the day before three 'falang' visited. Today I represented the rest of the world.

Other facilities include a number of massage huts and a few places where you can buy drinks, food, snacks and banana's so as to feed the local monkey troupe. The masseuse's had hung up photo's to show they had received some kind of training. There were also a couple of small temples / offer places both near the restaurants as well as beyond the hot spring itself.

The massage huts

Getting There: The best way to get to Pong Krathing hot spring is to take highway 3206, which leaves the A4 motorway a few kms north of where the A4 merges with highway 35. The road, at first flat, gradually climbs through more hilly terrain. After 40 km there is an intersection; the 3206 changes here to the 3313 and there is a road coming from the east (3337), from Ratchaburi city.
After 60 kms from the motorway, there is an intersection with a well-signposted road to the west / left. Taking this turn, the road continues on for another 10 km until you reach a large reservoir on your right. After a total of 13 km from the last major intersection, an unpaved road to the right passes over a bridge. Five hundred meters further on this unpaved road splits and the left split leads to the hot spring (500m).
A faster route from the motorway may possibly be the route coming from the north: the 3087 leaves the A4 just north of Ratchaburi City and passes the town of Chombueng. Forty five kms from the motorway one takes the direction of Ban Kha (3313) and continues onward to the aforementioned turn to the reservoir. The distance is roughly the same, but the road sees more traffic and is wider.

Soaking Experience: The possibility to alternate hot with cold soaks adds to making this place a great place to soak, though the hot pools are very small and during a busy weekend (when many non-locals visit the hot spring) the experience might be a bit disappointing. There were also no private pools, alas.

Overall Impression: The lack of any large scale development, the absence of an (excessive) entry fee and the efforts of locals to make the hot spring attractive to themselves with good facilities esp. like the huts for the masseuse's give a lasting impression. Added to this is the relative good access, though it still is remote. Unfortunately the local surroundings, though picturesque (mountains / reservoir) are not readily accessible and no local efforts have been made to provide accommodation even in the wider area. The direct surroundings were still very natural. But if you are heading either further upcountry or going south to Hua Hin taking this diversion is certainly worthwhile.

From the Press III

Bangkok Post are well and truly in the 'cold' season frame of mind. This week's travel supplement (Horizons) includes a review of a stay in and near Fang hot springs, northern Thailand, Chiang Mai province:

'A national park mightn't be your first choice of destination when touring the North. but this one, about three hours (160km) by car from Chiang Mai city, has a lot to offer. For openers: In how many places, here or abroad, can you luxuriate in an open-air bathtub fed by water from a hot spring?

Once known as Mae Fang, this national park was renamed in May, 2006 to make it more readily identifiable with its biggest attraction: Doi Pha Hom Pok, which, at 2,285 metres above sea level, is the second highest peak in the Kingdom (after Doi Inthanon).

If you're anxious to get to the summit in time to see the sun rising over a sea of mist then it's best to camp at the base of the mountain for an early start. Otherwise you'll be a good deal more comfortable in the accommodation at park HQ, about an hour's drive from the campsite.


Each of the resort-standard wooden bungalows has two bedrooms, one with a double, the other with a single bed. There's air-conditioning and a TV in each plus a hot-water bathroom with a proper bath and a large balcony with table and chairs.

Unfortunately it is the same springs they highlighted two months ago. No wonder it is the most popular hot springs resort in the country! Soaking in Southeast Asia visited these springs in November.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures, they do come straight from the Bangkok Post site!

From the press II

Thursday (Jan 31, 2008) Bangkok Post published an extensive article on the eastern part of Chiang Rai province. They also highlighted a hot spring waterfall in neighbouring Phayao province.

'However, instead of heading further north, some visitors may choose to go southwards to Phu Sang National Park in Phayao Province to a waterfall that is noted for its warm water. Situated about 45 kilometres south of Phu Chi Fah on Highway 1093, along the route they stop briefly at a highland agriculture development station famous for its pink and yellow lillies, elegant tulips and barley plots on Doi Pha Mon mountain range in Thoeng district (Chiang Rai) before proceeding to the waterfall that figured in the Tourism Authority of Thailand's "Unseen Thailand" promotion drive a few years back.

The small but elegant waterfall is just a few steps off the highway. It is a popular meeting point for local people who can be seen relaxing or picnicking around the fall. They bring their own pillows, mattresses and order food from stalls next to the park's information office.

According to park officer Nanthana Suwantha, water temperature at the point the fall originates stays a steady 35 degrees Celsius, except when it rains. The warm water cascades over limestone cliffs to form clear pools next to the highway.

A testing trail, which includes a flight of 80 steps, leads to the waterhead that's off-limit to swimmers. We followed the trail. However, there wasn't much to see once we reached the other end. So we hung around for a while to give our legs some rest before heading back'.

From the press

Update: the article and the photo to which the posting used to link to has disappeared (for ever?).

From today's (December 6, 2007) Bangkok Post an in-depth article on the national park surrounding the hot springs of Fang (which I visited a month before). An excerpt:

'For those of us who prefer to enjoy nature after sunrise, there are beautiful wooden bungalows where you can stay cosily warm and enjoy resort-like facilities. Four of us shared a two-room bungalow which had a hot bath and a big balcony where we sat talking until late into the night. We also took advantage of the spa and sauna, which were only a short walk from the bungalows.

The park uses a nearby hot spring to generate electricity, said Sutheerachai Jaikhamnoy, the park ranger. "The temperature of the hot spring is pretty high, so we make use of the heat by having a small geothermal energy plant," he said. The power generated is not solely reserved for internal use, but is sold on to the Provincial Electricity Authority. There are many hot springs found in a 10-rai area near the park's headquarters, the most spectacular being a geyser that shoots water and steam 40 metres into the air.

The park has set up a hot spring walking trail, allowing visitors to fully enjoy the many stream and ponds. The trail also leads to 12 private spa rooms, each of which has a hot-spring bathtub big enough for seven people. And, of course, there is plenty of opportunity to indulge in that favourite Thai hot spring activity - boiling eggs'.

Thailand's best? Pong Duet?

My family and I have quite some experience on hot springs worldwide ( Nepal, Thailand, NZ). Our best experience in Southeast Asia until now was Chiang Mai province's Pong Duet. It is also known as Pon Dueat or Pon Duat, basically sounding the same but written differently.

The springs' geysers themselves are in the middle of a forested area, high up on a north facing mountain side. The springs are in a national park (Huai Nam Dang NP), so admission (400 THB per person!) limits the number of visitors. However don't let this deter you, it certainly is worthwhile. From the parking area, it's a 20-minute walk to the boiling cauldrons. The water jumps continuously, half meter high; you bet it's hot!

Boiling hot

The water then starts flowing downhill. There's a path that follows the river downhill for about 15 minutes, which ends at a bridge, near the soaks. You can use the river for soaking (for free) before the bridge, but it is still very hot. For a small amount (20B?) you can use the public pools which you can see in the picture below. There are also private cubicles, but though you can bathe 'au naturel' you are stuck looking at the four concrete walls. Better though are the outside pools, you have beautiful views and the baths are huge, the water is also appreciable, but not private. Let's hope these newly built 'tubs' can be maintained (we visited here in November 2006). If the amount of visitors are anything to go by, that might turn out to be difficult.

The 'tubs', with a natural look and greenish water

To get here, you would need your own means of transport, it's about 10 minutes drive off the Ciang Mai - Pai - Mae Hong Son Highway. There is a small restaurant with only Thai food. There are also some cabins and some structure that resembles a hotel.

Other links to this site are:

• Real Muhy (?), some additional info and photo's
• Bhojli with more photo's including of the cabins.
  
• Thailand National Park Authority: Huai Nam Dang National Park: more info and surrounding attractions. It also has beautiful photo's of the pools.
  
• And a more commercial site, Discovery Thailand.