Best Practice

Personal
With the gradual expansion concerning my personal experience on hot springs and the ever growing know-how of hot springs themselves, I have been thinking about how can we add additional original content to the experience concerning natural hot springs soaking, the (bathing) culture involved and the increasing need for conserving the few natural hot springs remaining?

One idea is to make conservation, natural bathing and cultural awareness a recurring theme in these posts. Witness past updates on this blog. 
Another idea is to expand to other internet media; with tumblr this is a resolute success, whereas Facebook somehow has missed the bus altogether ...

Another idea I want to give a try, is to seek alliance's between persons who have similar views or are at least passionate about bathing in natural hot water(s). 
Through the years I have noticed quite a few persons who present their love for soaking either through business associations, through tourism promotion, through consumer consumption or through internet presentation. 
This alliance could take place through actively seeking out these persons by presenting interviews where they can put their views forward or try to understand their thoughts / experiences on soaking in hot spring.

To launch this series of interviews, I have approached the public face of Peninsula Hot Springs (Victoria, Australia), Charles Davidson. Besides being an inspiration and the driving force of Peninsula HS, he has gone out of his way to highlight cultural aspects and conservation of natural hot springs. More recently he put himself forward at the 2013 Global Spa and Wellness Summit where a special forum on global hot springs was held as a means of upgrading our knowledge on soaking in general.

Great way to start the day #peninsulahotsprings

source

Introducing Charles

Despite it's size, Australia seems not to be well-endowed with reference to the occurrence of natural hot springs. Certainly if compared to many Asian countries. With the exception of a few scattered hot springs, Australia is far from a soakers haven. 

Well, at least until recently. 

Dedicated hot spring followers will have noticed that the internet savvy crowd are mass photo-opting the Peninsula HS (website), located roughly 100 km south of Australia’s second largest city Melbourne. 

The increasing popularity is due in part to the vision and perseverance of Charles Davidson. 
While working and living in Japan during the early nineties of last century, Charles became accustomed with the Japanese love of hot springs with it’s specific bathing culture. 

Some years later, by coincidence he came into knowledge about the existence of hot springs buried in shallow rock not so far from his home town of Melbourne. Forming a partnership with his brother Richard and Norm Cleland, it took five years before a bore-hole revealed 54 degrees hot water found at more than 600m below the current site.

With development starting slowly, it has only been in recent years that visitor numbers to Peninsula HS have swelled. 

Rather than focusing bathing activities on a sole water basin, Peninsula HS is a testament to many of our globes styles of hot water bathing practices, which are combined with many well- and lesser-known wellness practices. 
With annual growth of 30% during the last year, one can see that the vision has paid back. Peninsula HS is now not only a leader in Australia’s wellness sector, it is also one of Victoria's prominent tourism destinations. But more will be in the offering as plans are under way for their stage three of the Peninsula HS blueprint for development.

Charles, you have experienced many a hot spring in the world, but what would have been your most favorite experience? 

"There are many incredible hot springs around the world and selecting one to be my favourite would be like trying to select one of my four children as my favourite - really impossible. So I'll provide three, and provide a brief explanation and a photo of each". 

'Sai-no-Kawara hot springs in the town of Kusatau in Japan. This was the first place I enjoyed natural hot springs in March 1992 and was the experience which started my lifelong passion for hot springs bathing. It was in early spring and the open air hot springs looked out over snow covered trees and the surrounding mountains. I has an epiphany in that pool realising that this was the most gentle and relaxing experience. At that moment I decided I wanted to help people relax in the environment and with each other through the connection of thermal waters. I had been seeking a way to bring together global cultural understanding in a harmonious and sustainable way and thermal waters was a natural connector. Photo taken in December 2013'.

D.I.Y.
When one reads the development story of Peninsula HS, it is evidence of persistence and dedication to fulfil in part your dream.
Concerning the development of Peninsula HS how have you been able to pay the development costs without any certainty about the outcome of both the exploration as well as the development? 

"I feel very fortunate to have been able to lead the life I have had. Passion, perseverance and determination are a few of the traits that have made Peninsula HS possible.

We started with very little money and a dream to bring the wonderful sensation of hot springs to Australia. We have grown slowly over the past eight years, one bath at a time. The money we receive from each visitor to Peninsula HS is spent on staff, maintenance of the facility, community projects and the continual development of the facility. More than 90% of the profit is re-invested into the business and the evolution of the master plan for the site. It all takes time, so patience is also an important trait".

Many of your visits have been to natural occurring hot springs. Can hot springs emanating from bore holes (such as Peninsula HS) be categorized as natural? And irrespective of this, do you believe the future ahead for experiencing hot water bathing is by expanding the number of boreholes?

"Certainly the water that comes from bores is natural and the heat source is also natural so in that sense they are natural. There is, however, a very clear distinction between a free flowing natural hot springs and a bore fed hot springs. I prefer the idea of free flowing hot springs but very often these are only available in remote locations and are very inaccessible.
I think there is a future for both free flowing and bore fed hot springs. Bore fed hot springs enable the relaxation of hot springs to be available to more people. Making sure that our interaction with the environment, and specifically in this instance water resources, is sustainable is essential."

Understood
You have been successful in introducing many of the world's bathing experiences to Peninsula HS, but without the traditions associated. Is this against your philosophy, is it driven by commercialism or do you believe that Australians will be put off by f.i. nudity?

"There are many bathing practices all over the world. Depending on the country and the culture of the country the way of enjoying the hot springs varies. There are actually very few countries where bathing naked is practiced. In Germany male and female bathers all bathe naked together, in Japan male and female bathers have segregated naked bathing areas (that is since the Meiji Restoration in 1868 - before then there was no segregation), and apart from that there are a few rare naked bathing venues in U.S.A., China and Europe. 
The remainder of the world (Middle East, North and South America, Africa, China, Russia, all around Southeast Asia, etc) wear bathers in hot springs. I believe cultural factors are behind this and not commercial factors.
It is also cultural factors and not commercial factors that were behind the choice to require bathing costumes to be worn in the main bathing experiences at Peninsula HS. We have always wanted to provide bathing experiences in which people of all nations and all ages can enjoy together. One of our company visions is achieving 'International understanding through hot springs'. If we only offered naked bathing we would be alienating most of the cultures of the world. 
That being said I personally believe that naked bathing is a much better experience - it feels better. At Peninsula HS we do also offer the opportunity for guests to bathe naked in private indoor and outdoor baths and pools. Guests hire these pools for 30-60 minutes and can choose to bathe with or without a bathing costume. In the future I would also like to offer a Japanese bath house experience in which people can choose to enjoy the traditional Japanese style of bathing. We have many more bathing styles that are planned to be introduced at Peninsula HS. These have been, and continue to be, learned from travels to hot springs all over the globe. Our business is in a constant state of evolution and change".

 

'Bitter Springs at Mataranka in the Northern Territory in Australia. The Bitter Springs are literally a river of crystal clear hot springs that flow over limestone and are surrounded by palm trees and a tropical oasis in the centre of arid semi-dessert country. Visitors can swim and dive (with snorkels and goggles) in the thermal waters together with fish and turtles. Many birds fly overhead in the tall trees. My children swam in the waters and said, 'this is better than the Great Barrier Reef'! A very big statement indeed. We visited Bitter Springs on a family driving holiday in September 2011 when we drove across Australia from North to South (Darwin to Melbourne)'.

To what degree would you support conservation of the very few natural hot springs left in this world?

"Sustainability is a key prerequisite for any business and hot springs are definitely no exception. To evolve hot springs into a global industry that offers natural relaxation and wellbeing to many people can only happen if it is done with the highest level of integrity and concern for the environment. 
I am currently involved in a 2-3 year research project called 'Global best practice in the hot springs industry'. The original goal of the research was to create a blueprint for the creation of the hot springs industry in Victoria, Australia. The study involves learning from hot springs cultures all over the world how they use hot springs for the health and wellbeing of their customers and communities. Central to the research is the question of sustainability and resource management. Without learning there will be no understanding and without understanding there can be no systems around the conservation of and respect for the natural gift of hot springs. The study is looking at both commercial operations and also at traditional indigenous cultural connections to hot springs. You will also see in the details of the Global Hot Springs Forum [below] that I was suggesting that the global hot springs industry could come together to build hot springs facilities as community projects in developing countries. These would have to be built sustainably using the natural resource and with the highest level of cultural respect and understanding".

Can you report on your active participation with the Global Spa and Wellness 2013 Summit (GSWS '13)? Is this the right venue for putting hot springs on the agenda? 

"If the hot springs business is to provide a service to the communities they need to be able to operate at a profit. The GSWS is a gathering of people active and interested in health and wellbeing and coming together to help shape the future. The knowledge gained at the conference is shared with the world free of charge.

In the case of the Global Hot Springs Forum held for the first time at the GSWS in Delhi, India in October 2013, it brought together people from the hot springs industry in many countries. There was a panel of hot springs representatives who lead the discussion. Panel members came from Germany, Japan, China, New Zealand and Australia. The individual presentations from the Hot Springs Forum are available on the GSWS'13 website on Day 3 Monday 7th October.
From the minutes of the forum you will see in this document some ideas for the future evolution of the business and how global hot springs are able to work together".

'Khirganga hot springs, Himachalpradesh, India. A days hike along goat and sheep trails from the town of Manikaran in the Indian Himalayan mountains this is a natural hot springs paradise. It is only open in the summer months and in winter is deep under snow. There is a shanty backpackers tourism village built below the springs'.

Home & Away
Many hot springs worldwide are falling victim to development. Companies are taking over community run resources and changing these into bland, run of the mill, catering to the rich and famous hot spring facilities where the original community is barred and bathing traditions are based on individual-based mainstream therapies. None more so than in China. 

Do you believe mainstreaming hot spring development such as for instance your participation in the aforementioned GSWS '13 will hasten the disappearance of community, natural and often rustic hot springs? Or will it highlight the need to maintain a certain naturality?

"I think it is better to create forums and have discussion on all topics rather than not to have them. There are many issues that need to be addressed and your concern and respect for the maintenance of traditional cultural values and practices is certainly one of them. If discussion does not occur, and particularly at the level of the participants of the GSWS, then there will not be any opportunity to create frameworks around which the industry evolves. Global best practice in the hot springs industry can only be understood if it embraces and involves people from all over the globe".

You describe that there are similarities between Peninsula and the aborigine belief being one with the land. Do Aborigines have connotations with (hot) water?

"There is a long and established tradition of Aboriginal connection to the land and water. Hot springs are found in various parts of Australia and Aborigines have had a connection to them for many thousands of years. Probably the best article I have read that explains the relationships of Aborigines with hot springs is by Dean Ah Chee [1].
I will be travelling in April to the desert country of northern South Australia to meet and learn from Dean Ah Chee the author of this article and a park ranger".

I have heard the bathing world as follows: Asia-natural, Europe-medical, America's-relaxing. Do you really believe this is so clear cut? 

"At the broadest level I think this observation is correct. However the division I use is: 

• Japan / Asia - natural bathing,
• Europe - medical / health bathing,
• U.S.A. - spa industry (retail product driven commercial motivation)

In my presentation at the GSWS Global Hot Springs Forum I changed this by taking out U.S.A. (which offers a combination of Asian and European plus public thermal pools) and adding in 'India - Spiritual'. 

I recently completed another hot springs research tour in U.S.A. and Canada (in September / October) and can say that the majority of hot springs in U.S.A. are natural bathing style. 
There was a strong thermal bathing tradition in U.S.A. a hundred years ago and that largely came from Europe with major influences from the medical / health bathing tradition. The emphasis on medical and health cure caused its downfall as it came head-to-head with the rise of allopathic medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. It became much easier for consumers to take drugs to find answers to their illnesses than travel, often great distances, to spend weeks at hot springs wellness centres. 
The reality is that there is a huge divergence in all aspects of global cultures and hot springs is no exception. It is impossible to be clearcut about any categorisation as in most countries one can find all these styles of bathing. These divisions are just generalisations to help develop understanding".

Charles, thank you for your participation in this interview. I wish you all the best and hope you continue to highlight the ideas and philosophies put forward above. And of course all the best for the future of Peninsula Hot Spring! 

Notes
The photo's of Sai-no-Kawara, Mataranka and Khirganga are used courtesy of Charles Davidson. 
For more information on Sai-no-Kawara, visit one of the many English language websites f.i. this one. For Mataranka Bitter Springs visit this website. And for Khirganga see a posting on Hot soaks of the Himalaya on Himachal Pradesh.

More recent info on Charles Davidson and Peninsula Hot Springs. Mind you this is just a small selection ... : 

• Peninsula Hot Springs: Our story so far  
• Business Times (Dec. 18, 2013): A life in hot water can be a good thing
• Love the Peninsula: Peninsula Hot Springs
• The Age (June 24, 2005): Brothers keep dream afloat 
• Interview with Charles Davidson on Landtalk episode 4 (August 23, 2012)
• Fun Travel TV Show (February 8, 2013): Peninsula Hot Springs: A must do experience
• Peninsula Weekly (August 27, 2012): Brothers spring into education project

References:
[1] Ah Chee, D. (n.d.) Indigenous people's connection with kwatye (water) in the Great Artesian Basin
(Save and exchange .aspx file extension with .pdf)

Impact

'Water spring bath

Hot water spring at Banjar, Buleleng, Bali'

From the flickr site of I Putu Budi Astawa

To follow
Does anybody recognize that the social side of internet is dumbing down? With the advent of broadband and higher speeds, there's been a shift from text based write ups to mass photo ops.

In this case, do you notice that after all these years there are still only just 8 followers on this blog? that's not much ... The Tumblr site Soaking Spirit on some days welcomes 8 new followers!
I do get it. On Tumblr a follower is just a single click away, whereas if you become a follower on blogger there are a few steps to go through. 
But I simply believe that the intellectual stimulance blog entries offer, simply can't stand up to the instant (in your face) photo visualisation. And yes in some cases one pic can beat many a lengthy blog. But a blog offers more ...

Anyway this leads me to Pininterest. I don't understand Pininterest. I have put up a board of Thai hot springs, but nothing seems to happen. I follow a couple of boards, but again nada: no updates. Doesn't look like anything will happen here ... Can someone explain to me what the existence of Pinterest is meant to be?

And what is happening at Flickr? Are they really trying to drive away their customers? And their visitors?

Hmmm. 

Light headed
The Global Times, China not so long ago warns potential soakers for health concerns (January 20):

'However, even though the hot springs are reputed to have beneficial effects, doctors say the hot springs are not some supernatural elixir and that there are many risks involved in overdoing it, from light-headedness to infertility.

Even for young and healthy people, hot springs have risks that often are not posted.

...

"In Japan, bathing in the hot springs is a very popular and enjoyable thing. But in Japan, the hot springs are a more natural resource. It's underground water with a lot of minerals, such as sulfite," he [Yan Hongbiao, a doctor at the Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital] said.

In China, there are many fake hot springs and the quality cannot be ensured, he said'.  

Infertility is a remote possibility apparently.

'People soak in the hotspring in Xingtai, north China's Hebei Province, Dec. 13, 2012. 

Local people went to hotspring during snowy days'. 

(English People's Daily Online, Dec 14).

The ultimate list? Lonely Planet's 1000 ultimate sights of this planet. Under the heading best baths are a few hot springs (Beppu, Dogo (Japan), Hot water beach (New Zealand (been there)), Szechenyi Baths (Hungary) and Blue Lagoon (Iceland)).

These are their ten choices for Best Natural Springs: (1) Rift Valley, Ethiopia; (2) Oymyakon, Siberia, Russia; (3) Deception Island, Antarctica; (4) Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Rotorua, NZ; (5) Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, USA; (6) Jigokudani Monkey Park, Yamanouchi, Japan; (7) Troll & Jotun Hot Springs, Svalbard, Norway; (8) Pamukkale Terraces, Turkey; (9) Landmannalaugar, Iceland; (10) Blood Pond Hot Spring, Beppu, Japan.

Most hot springs I presume ...

Lonely Planet has another list, this time of Europe's best hot springs (May 17). A couple from Iceland, likewise for Austria, Italy and Hungary. Language barriers mean the need to include the sole Anglo-Saxon soak, aptly named Bath. How they compile this list seems to be besides the point. Who cares, as long as you have a press release every day ...

Nudity is common in northeast Asia hot springs. Equally common are the western (or better said conservative) reactions. Example from Soul to Seoul (11 June) visiting a local Jimbilang (hot spring bath) near Seoraksan National Park:

'People, the scene facing my small tribe when we opened the change room doors will never leave me. I had entered some alternate reality where I was taking part in a Cleopatra-esque era movie Korean style. There were more than ten big (think typical Aussie backyard pool big) rectangle baths spread out before us. There were hot baths, hotter baths and even hotter baths to choose from (temperature readings at the top told you what to expect) along with a walking bath, a mud bath, a cold bath and the outside bath (where, as we discovered, there was no where to hide thanks to the water clarity). Along one side of the enormous cavern were rows and rows of mirrored benches where groups of women sat on small stools facing the mirrors and vigorously scrubbed each other using special gloves and brushes. All totally naked. Despite all the activity - women walking from bath to bath, from bath to scrubbing area and back to bath - there was an unbelievable sense of calm that exuded from all. One might even say it was somewhat liberating and strangely comforting all at once. I would like to report that I soon got used to being this naked but I did not. Oh no, not at all'. 

She didn't relax ...
  

The way ahead? Ciater hot spring , Java, Indonesia. From the instagram page of sayisayyie

Yet again New Zealand leads the way in the wackier (literally) side of soaking. First there is the story of a 9 year old volcano hunter. Or should it be a hot spring hunter and volcano vollower ... (NZ Herald, July 7). 
Then from the same source (July 3) the curious story of a hot spring hoist:

'As the man left the hot pools he was hit over the head.
Some of the couple's belongings were then stolen from their van and their keys were tossed into the hot pools.
After the group left, the pair were able to retrieve their keys and drove to Rotorua Hospital.
The woman was not harmed but the man needed stitches to a cut to his head'.

Poetry from from the region

• Indonesia

Meanwhile in Bali, Indonesia. Geothermal projects are off the drawing map (Thinkgeoenergy, June 19):

'Pastika [Govenor of the province] said there are still other green sources such as water, solar energy and waves that could be exploited for it. “It may be more expensive but it also has a price,” he said.

The governor said the main reason for his decision is that because mountains, forests, beaches, lakes and estuaries are holy areas'.

Soakers can continue to enjoy Angseri hot spring, Bali, Indonesia. At least for the time-being? From the instagram page of lealbeny

More bad news for Indonesian geothermal powerfans. On Sumatra there is local opposition to a geothermal project, according to thinkgeoenergy (June 6):

'“The villagers, mainly members of the Rajabasa traditional clan residing on the slope of Mount Rajabasa, staged a peaceful rally at Sukaraja dock in Jeti village, Rajabasa, on Wednesday, demanding that PT Supreme Energy cease its exploration.

Beside being detrimental to the environment, the villagers said the geothermal exploration would also damage the social structure of the South Lampung traditional community, especially those living around Mount Rajabasa'.

On Java, near Sumedang, another geothermal project (100+ $US million) is running into problems due to land acquisition (thinkgeoenergy, June 6). Or not?

'“The land acquisition process is hampered due to public concerns about the impact of environmental pollution resulted from the geothermal project,” he [PT Wika Jabar Power Engineering Director Uum Komarudin] said'.

Is a pattern evolving?

 Hot spring near Bogor, Java, Indonesia. From the instagram site of audreytanzil

Indonesia in the meantime is raising feed-in prices for geothermal electricity. The smaller the geothermal plant, the higher the price (Source: thinkgeoenergy, June 12). So maybe they could buy a few wavering villagers ...

• Malaysia

Banjaran hot springs, Malaysia is very ... umm chic. The yumlist BLOG has a report (June 13). How to describe? Well, the author goes over the edge and picks up on many a detail:

'Earthy hues, natural stone, wood, glass and tropical furnishings transit the outdoor environment to the in. Abundant use of vegetation and running water bring the revitalizing characteristics of nature to the living space, creating both a calming and rejuvenating setting.

The glass windows and doors of the bathroom look over the villa’s most prized feature – an outdoor sunken Jacuzzi with a direct hook-up to the geothermal hot springs. Star filled skies can only be made better with a skinny dip in the bubbling bath allowing the healing properties of the water to do its magic'. 

Note that this all comes with a price ...

• Philippines

More on the proposed hot spring / geothermal plant on Mindoro island, the Philippines (Southern Luzon Inquirer, June 19):

'The potential is endless!  Power firm Constellation Energy Corp. (CEC) will develop lakeshore areas near its 20-MW geothermal power project into a hot spring and wellness center to showcase the healthy mix of green energy and green tourism in this province'. 

Well, that would be a first for the region. In general there is a disregard for soakers vis-a-vis the techno superiority of geothermal projects. 
Note the Dutch connection ....!

The News of Iceland (July 1) picks up on the Dutch connection (IF Technology) as well (leads to credibility?), as it of course does on the Icelandic comparison.

From the instagram site of buddz_06 Hibok-Hibok hot spring, Camiguin, Philippines:

'The perfect way to cap off the day!. Sarap.. Goodnight!'

By the way, Philippines, already one of the global leaders in geothermal energy hopes to up the output by another 75% in the coming 15 years. According to the Manila Standard (July 3).

• Singapore

'Yikes hot'

Sembawang hot spring, Singapore. From the blog of smallwheelsbigsmile (June 16).

• Vietnam

Top 5 most famous hot springs of Vietnam by tripatini (June 25):

1. Kim Boi ('Being immersed in a large mineral water deposit of Kim Boi stream is also not unmemorable for every visitor'.)

2.Bang ('Bang Spring is attractive with its fanciful, poetic scenery'.)

3. Kenh Ga

4. Tay Vienh

5. Dam Rong

No mention of Nha Trang?

Bicol hot spring. From the instagram site of carmelajacinto

#socialsoakingsilently

Social media

Love it or not, social media is increasingly becoming a feature in our lives. 

And how about (social) soaking? 

Well, you are of course all familiar with the Facebook page of Soaking in Southeast Asia. Besides this there are many other hot spring Facebook pages, mostly dedicated to just the one soak. Particulary active are the U.S. Facebook pages of Cougar, Deep Creek and Pah Tempe. Beyond these though there's no much on offer, surely no regular original content. 

Certainly not in Southeast Asia. Or is there? (Note, there are many Japanese language hot spring pages ...).

Twitter? No idea.

Pinterest? What about this one, I Love Hot Springs? Personally, I don't get Pinterest ...

Soaking spirit, my alter ego on Tumblr, seems to be the globe's choice of tumblr soakers. There are though a few more solely dedicated to hot springs, but with very irregular postings ...

Instagram seems to receive quite a lot of photo's concerning nextgen soakers, just use the search function followed by #hotspring.

Surging ahead

Ongoing drama. The CS Monitor (Nov. 5, 2012) questions nuclear or geothermal for Japan. 

'Located nine miles southwest of Fukushima city, Tsu­chi­yu is launching a bold test in harnessing the potential of Japan's huge subterranean reserves of volcanic water.

By spring 2014, Tsuchiyu hopes to be generating 250 kilowatts of electricity – about a quarter of its total needs – at a new geothermal plant located on its outskirts'.

The Financial Times (Nov. 4, 2012) then has an article on the same theme, but concerning Indonesia. It notes many regulatory and technical shortcomings but remains upbeat:

'As the world’s most volcanically active country, Indonesia has been bestowed with unparalleled potential reserves of geothermal energy, which is renewable and produces almost no carbon emissions.

With the Indonesian government trying to fulfil surging energy demand while reducing carbon emissions, it is keen to accelerate the development of a raft of proposed geothermal power plants backed by local and international investors'. 

Though it highlights the dilemma between soaking and electricity generation in Japan, it neglects the issue in Indonesia. Is there no dilemma in Indonesia?

Apparently not, Japan's Sumitomo completes a 110 MW plant on Sumatra, Indonesia: 

'Located in the Ulubelu district, Tanggamus county in Lampumg Province at the southern tip of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, the Ulubelu power station was built as the first large scale geothermal power generating facility on the island'.

Malaysia is developing it's first geothermal plant, to commence in two years. What the future entails: 

'In addition, to enable access to the project site and transport drilling rig, plant and equipments, an access road of approximately 18km in length, including 3 bridges, need to be constructed'. 

Soakers need not apply.

Meanwhile things are going so smooth on Leyte, Philippines: 

'Several groups have joined forces to oppose the sale of the unified Leyte geothermal plants on Leyte, Philippines. This is based on the fear of increasing electricity prices for the single most important power plant complex in the country'.

Just (or unjust?) politics then...

Create your own?

• Malaysia

A new find, Kampung Bongkek, Negiri Sembilan, Malaysia. From the New Strait Times (21 Oct., 2012): 

'The hot spring can still be seen today, right by the river bank and  with shrubs growing around it.

Basri said there were suggestions and efforts to develop the hot spring to attract more tourists to the village, in view of its history.

“However, the land belongs to someone who is not willing to give it up yet so we have no right to develop it”'.

Yea!

• Singapore

'Tekong Hot Spring'.

Singapore. From flickr member chia_alfred

• Indonesia

Another write up on Angseri hot springs, Bali, Indonesia. It adds this: 

'The natural attractions in Angseri Hot Spring used only as a traditional bathhouse. Starting from the strong desire of local communities to manage the hot water source and on the idea of ​​thinking Angsari six villagers in October 2007 where it was built and opened to the public a comfortable bathing area. Furthermore formed groups totaling 80 people and brought the name of the citizens Angseri Group Is Nature Angseri with legal forms CV'.

Another Angseri experience:

'Each cabin contained a stone bathtub, large enough to seat five people. A black-and-white checkered cloth covering the lower part of the bamboo walls allowed some privacy to soak in the invigorating, clear water that was hot enough to render my friend’s skin as red as a boiled prawn'. 

The same author also condures up the following on the hot springs of Tempuran, Wonosobo: 

'The first ponds weren’t exactly located in Wonosobo, but in a similarly blessed district on its west:  Banjarnegara. The hot springs were scattered in a neighborhood called Wanayasa, and together they form a bathing compound called Tempuran.

Please be warned that you shouldn’t go there at night, the way we foolishly did. We gambled with our lives when thick mist suddenly blanketed the hills and we had only about a five-meter field-of-view of the road, kind of like in the horror movie Silent Hill. All the while a deep gorge was on one side of the path we traveled on our motorbikes. My ex cried and begged to go home. But we soon forgot the terrifying time spent on the route from hell once we got to Tempuran.

...

Tempuran has different ponds for males and females, but the last two don’t. Women and little kids usually go there earlier than the men. To give you a heads up, most people bathe naked in all of these ponds'.

'A hot springs pond in Tempuran late at night. Cold and traumatized, we quickly jumped into it as soon as we arrived. Photo by Indra Nugroho'.

And steadying the nerves. Can anyone tell me why the need to smoke?

• Thailand 

Sometimes soaking news can be very special: 

'Occupiers of a row of rented apartments in Huay Yai Village, located on the southern outskirts of Pattaya [Thailand] reported the possible discovery of a geothermal hole situated at the front of one of the apartments on Wednesday afternoon.

Although highly unlikely, officials from the Pollution Control Department, the Department of Natural Resources & the Environment along with Huay Yai Municipal Officers led by the Mayor of Hua Yai made their way to the block of rooms to see for themselves the hole which had been created by locals to uncover the hot undersoil which was producing steam.

A thermometer recorded a temperature of 50C inside the hole and a demonstration involving a Chicken egg took place whereby it was cooked and ready to be consumed in under 20 minutes after being placed inside the hole. Checks were made and an explanation was given by officials who blamed poor installation of electrics and the rise in the water table due to recent rains. We were told that checks on the electrics installed in the rooms, which were constructed 4 years ago, indicated a leak of power into the ground which accounts for the occupiers unusually high electric bills which, up until now, could not be explained. As the water table rose it came into contact with the leaking electric causing the water to increase in temperature and evaporate which produced the steam and made the ground warm under-foot'. 

Can't believe it's true ...

Is there a post 21st?

What will the future look like?

'Tongjing Hot Spring Resort will start construction at the end of 2012, planned to be completed in March 2013, after which it will become a tourism highlight in Chongqing, the hot spring capital of the world, according to Chongqing Municipal Government on November 5, 2012.

Covering 342 mu with an investment of 1.28 billion yuan, the Resort is located in Tongjing Town, Yubei District, Chongqing. It will be built in accordance with the national 5A standard with a capacity of 1 million tourists. The hot spring center covers an area of 75 mu, including an indoor hot spring center and a outdoor park, able to hold 2,500 persons'. 

Hope not!