As usual there is hardly any news to comment on. Then again if you mention hot springs in your national budget, as Thailand is doing, then this is important! Then again, it's only a mention.
Furthermore a news story from the Philippines: 'The Department of Tourism (DOT) has plans to develop the Mt. Kanlaon as Philippines’ newest eco-tourism site'.
Newest eco-tourism site? Probably what they mean is the newest developed eco-tourism site. Is that not a contradiction? Unfortunately the report does not mention what is planned. The relevance:
'The volcano has three hot springs on its slopes: Mambucal Hot Springs on the northwest, Bucalan Hot Spring, Bungol Hot Spring'.
Blog reports then. More soaks added to the lists. A consistent theme in many of the highlighted are comments on the clothing etiquette.
Malaysia Naturally, Poring is mentioned oft in blogs on Malaysia. Experiences are far short of what is expected, as Diane points out: 'It is poky little bath tubs that you stand in, and wait forever to the water to fill. For some reason taking a bath in public rather than chillin in a natural rock pool was not appealing to me. It was also holiday season so it was full of school kids running around'.
Jasin hot springs? A not yet included hot springs in Malacca state. Why not? Because! 'This hot springs is also known as Taman Rekreasi Air Panas Jasin was built on the historic site of Natural Hot Springs Pool which was first opened on May 1884'.
Woops! Does not look too bad. More info here as well. Is this not Gadek hot springs?
More question marks: Lubuk Timah, found here. Question mark no more.
Not more misses! After so much research I thought I had almost all Malaysian hot springs covered. It's not a volcanic actively country, so there can't be that many. But yet again. This time it's Ulu Legong in Kedah state. For a report visit this blog posting by Ed and Cher: 'The place is actually opened 24 hours. Now, have you ever heard of a recreation park most visited after midnight??? Well this is just the place. There were tons and tons of people here hanging around the pool, swimming, camping and just lepaking around'.
Lepaking? Gathering, researching and / or hanging out are the quick interpretations. Learning more every day. Any roads the site has many photo's and even a video.
And believe it or not, but there's another blog from the same place. From
aeiween with photo's and a short comment:
'Because after i tried it my whole body's skin really feel soft and smooth! HoHo~ :)'.
Vietnam
What is with mud and Vietnam? Binh Chau have the mud bath. Alia in Korea describes a day at Binh Chau. "Our tour guide drove us over, but didn't mention that the hot springs was a bathing suit-necessary activity".
...
An employee put a few bags of prepackaged mud and some scented oil in a bucket, and we just had to rub it on our skin and wait a little while for it to dry, while walking around outside'.
She obviously had a good time, but was surprised by this: 'was reminded how modest Americans are when some woman (I think most of the other foreign tourists that day were German) came into the bathroom and got naked to change without bothering to go into a stall. There was even a window in the restroom door, but she obviously wasn't concerned. It's funny to get little peeks of how other people and other cultures operate'.
Hilarious?
National hot spot with mud are the Thap Ba springs near Nha Trang: 'We had a mud bath in these mud pits, then layed in hot mineral water, and swam in mineral waterfalls. The water was very hot, but after your skin felt so good. It was really fun to splash around in the mud, and swim in the pools. The whole process was very unique including high pressure jets to wash all the mud off'.
Such was Traveling Tami's experience.
- In the town of Tu Le, Yen Bai province, things are less upmarket:
'Thai ethnic people in the town bath in natural hot springs. In the afternoon, normally from 5pm, they come to the hot water pool next to the Nam Cuom spring, taking off their clothes and enjoying the hot water and natural surroundings'.
More from northern Vietnam. While trekking in and around Sapa, NMCutler visited an unnamed hot spring: 'The hot spring, unfortunately, was disappointing in scope but very, very nice at the same time'.
?
SingaporeSingapore, having only two hot springs, one of which is off-limits, means the other, Sembawang, gets blogged quite often. See here a good (photo) report by ygblog4. He reminiscences a past visit: 'what we saw were some kampong houses around a stream and some puddles. quite a number of kampong folks were around the spring, some washing their clothes and some cooking their eggs, like what we did today'.
He also sheds some light (and a photo) on the area before authorities sanitized the soak: 'the place is open from 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. every day. the scene today is a far cry from what we witnessed in 2006 when the place was packed throughout the day, regardless of weekday or weekend. before they cemented the place and put all those retrictions in place, you could cycle or even drive and park right next to the hot spring'.
That's progress. But considering the reports from sites in neighbouring Malaysia, it's either a privatized money maker or a dump (or both).
Thailand- More strange customs concerning clothing and soaking. This unnamed blog entry from Pai:
'And we went to Pai Hot spring. It’s a wonderful natural hot spring and it is a major public service for thai and foriegners for a bath or a long soak (with clothes on) :). It’s Thailand so customs in hot spring is quite different than somewhere else. Local people who bathe in this hot springs always keep themselves covered with clothes or thai skirt (a simple skirt somewhat like a tube skirt / sarong). If you want to do local thai spa, just only bring one blanket and sit next to the pool! It works!! The Others hot pools can make an boiled eggs, the temperature is about 80 celcious!!'
Philippines - Maquinit hot springs on Palawan. Zoechairein reports:
'The hot water came from a spring in the mountain and it’s naturally hot and salty! The discoverer of this hot spring initiated to create a pool that will gather the hot water at the foot of the mountain'.
- Though I have some of my own tough experiences finding hot springs, finding Baslay hot springs on Negros proved nearly insurmountable for Stupidlyperfect [what's in a name?]:
The ride did not go smoothly and safe as what I’ve expected. While we were on our way up on the super rocky and bumpy road under the pouring rain, the habal-habal [moto-taxi] slid for two times.
...
After the two slight accidents, we decided to walk the remaining part of the road leading to the entrance of the hot springs. And the walk was not a joke. I am already running out of breath in trekking the right-angled rocky road as the raindrops mixed my sweat.
...
After the descending and ascending walk on the 400 concrete steps to the hot springs, we finally reached the spot.
...
As soon as I dipped myself on the pool, I realized that it is not bad after all'.
Who said soaking was no fun? Another hot springs to list.
And would believe it, there's another blogger who made it there! Optimistic Dora describes her travels in getting to Baslay hot springs. 'It is almost 10kms from the proper Dauin. It may sound just a short distance, but 3kms of this is what you need to walk to reach the spring, because of a bumpy road. The motorcycle cannot anymore resist to the roads, so we need to walk.
...
Finally, we find it. But the misery of walking did not end there. We need to pass the thousand steps of their developed ladder in going down to the hot spring and the river near to it'.
And oddly she ends her story such: 'Until now, the clothes I wore in bathing in the spring still smells sulfur and that would remind me of Baslay hot spring'.
- Asin hot springs, an easier find, a more pleasant experience?
'It was a crowded Sunday so I got bummed out because the all the pools seem congested'.
- Mateo hot springs:
'The Mateo Hot Springs resort turned out to be a dump. The room cost 1000 pesos for a very basic room with its own bathroom. No facilities open for even a cup of coffee. So we were tired after a very long day and no food or drink with us. Got frustrated with the owner that she wouldn't even make us a drink. The hot springs were open and so we went for a relaxing soak to ease away the stresses of the day'.
News on Southeast Asian hot springs is sparse. One possible exception is a report in the travel section of the Bangkok Post. Despite all the travel writings currently focusing on home tourism, one of the Posts reporters has had a probably all-expenses paid trip to Japan and reports on the attractions.
On the 5th of March a photo report on Sendai was published. A caption to an innocent picture reads: ‘There are numerous areas boasting onsen (hot springs) in the Tohoku region. Many onsen bathhouses have both indoor and outdoor pools. In the latter, you can also relish the beautiful scenery as well as fresh cool air while relaxing in the warm mineral rich water. One inhibition for most Thai and even some Westerners, is the going naked part. But once you overcome it, the rest is easy and enjoyable. Keep in mind that you can use a little tower to cover your private part when out of the water. Sure enough the Japanese themselves do so too’.
Well, if this inhibition was so easy to conquer, why isn’t it practiced in Thailand proper? More southeast Asia focused, an article from Vietnam. On so-called health tourism. Though in reality there's no news, just a report that if one wants to wallow around in mud, Thap Ba, near Nga Trang, South Vietnam is the place to go.And what is a first hand experience like? From Kate's blog: 'We spent the afternoon at a hot springs resort about 10 minutes outside of town. There was a 7 step regiment for optimal health benefits from this mud bath/mineral soak wonderland. We were ushered into a tub with a Vietnamese couple which was full of cool liquid mud the consistency of a chocolate shake. A somewhat awkward 15 minute soak in this small muddy bathtub with another couple involved all of us pouring pails of mud over our arms, chests, and backs. Most local people were in shorts and tank tops and we quickly figured out why. The mud got well trapped in our suits, especially between the layers of the lining and the outside, and made us both a muddy, saggy, bloated mess! In this goopy state, we were instructed to sit in the sun for 10 minutes before rinsing. The ground and rocks were so hot from the super-charged sun we were forced to hop from foot to foot to not burn our feet. Quite a sight. After a thorough mineral shower rinse, we were hustled into a 3 foot wide channel of rocks which sprayed water at you from all sides - imagine car wash meets leaky dam. After the pressure wash, we were pointed towards larger mineral hot tubs to soak with more strangers. After that, on to the big, but still hot, soaking pool. Keep in mind that it's a good 85-90 degrees out so at this point, we were not only pretty pruney but quite thoroughly cooked. We cut short our 7 steps to mineral-induced health and headed home feeling silky smooth with just a few pockets of mud in our ears.'
More blog reports: MalaysiaYet again quite a few postings, but somehow most seem disappointed .... - Poring:
‘It was a good thing that the pool of springs closed at a much later time, 7.30PM. The hot springs were set up like a huge public bathing area, Japanese style. Some pools fit more than 6 people, while some were built for just one person to submerge into. The smell of sulfur was strong, and the water was extremely hot, but it was so inviting after hiking unexpectedly in the jungle. After the first dip, you could just laze in the water forever'.
- Sungai Klah. Huge amount of photo's here. And here. And here.
- Some shots of Bentong hot springs by Budleee Rants. His rant: '
... it was a hot spring pool. An abandoned and unkempt one that is. The facilities are nice, but there was no one to maintain it. As a result, the place was unkempt and the pool was full of algae and other free living parasites'.
- Kerling hot springs. eXtreMesh has visited these springs:
'Place was well maintained and the river was clean and cool to dip into. Well when it comes to the hot spring, there is nothing much to be expressed about. The hot spring is a pool with not very hot water, i managed to get in the water and even dance, but did not feel the heat that much. I also noticed that the pool was not that clean and rather slippery to stand in it'.
Recommendable? Author comments: 'Even i was disappointed with the place as i reached there'.
Philippines
- Camaguin, ardent or not?
'After the falls, we went to one of the island's hot springs. And man, that truly was a heavenly experience. As I settled my ass and the rest of my body in the lovely 40°C water (that's 104°F to you Americans) I swear it felt almost like having an orgasm. Sweeet! I could hardly keep from moaning because it felt so damn good. I credit the hot springs for the lack of muscle soreness the next day. Sitting there, watching the mist rising from the water and being immersed in wet warmth was simply spectacular'.
Would anyone be surprised that this was posted by I Am Woman, See Me blog?
Thailand
- A short impression by Phil and Julia of Pai hot springs:
'Stepping in the water meant feet and ankles turned instantly lobster red.I couldn’t get more than my bum in the water and even that was a bit of a mission.'
- Thaisticky rice has another short impression of the nearby Pong Duet hot spring:
'At the bathing area they had a couple of nice looking hot spring swimming pools as well as private cabins or if you preferred you could just dangle your feet in the natural hot spring stream. As it was just after mid day and the day was already a scorcher the last thing I felt like doing was jumping in an even hotter bath of water so I gave the bathing a miss ...'.
The soak season in Indochina has passed apparently. So much for health reasons for soaking!
- Andy is still at it, this time from south Thailand, Ranong:
'They [the hot springs] were really nice, and free because they are government owned. It was all paved and tile but the pools were good temperatures (controlled by valves) and there were a lot of locals there. Some locals told me stories of how the spring water had saved peoples lives. I don't know if I believe the stories but I do believe hot springs in general have good health benefits. The girl at my guest house said I shouldn't walk at night to the springs because its a little out of town and its dangerous, but I did stay until past dark. So I figured I'd test my luck, but I met some nice thai people before I left and they gave me a ride back to the guest house. It didn't seem dangerous but I guess in a boarder town there is more danger than in other parts of thailand'.
Indonesia
- Blogs are an easy way of getting information out there without all the hassles of signing up, etc., etc. So easy, that commercial companies in Indonesia use them to plug their tour programmes. But sometimes they are not as appealing as the author may well think! On Banyuwedang hot springs, Bali:
'Flights Banyuwedang from the hot springs that appear on the beach.... Because the uterus sulfur high enough, hot water is widely held even up to the island this summer because the water can cure some diseases, especially skin disease. ... here is hot water that contains sulfur which is located along the coastal region is supported with a rare population so quiet atmosphere can be created.'
(?)
- Tangkahan in northern Sumatra (Aceh) is an area of wilderness and is managed as an ecotourism site. Some of the attractions are hot springs. This extensive report of the area mentions 2 hot springs.
Others On Thaivisa forum: Umphang (or as this site refers to Mae Klong) ‘The hot spring itself is amazingly not ruined. Thais have a nasty habit of concreting, paving, and tiling over hot springs, removing all sense of any natural aesthetic and completely defeating the purpose of the hot spring (they call it "progress" and "development;" you might as well soak in a tub with a hot water heater). This hot spring is just a natural pool with a rock/dirt floor located a few meters from the river. So you can soak hot and then go jump in the cold! There is even a small tributary hot spring just at the river's edge where you can lay in both hot and cold simultaneously!’
Well, that's an exceptional topic I hear you say. It's not really a topic at all, there's not much linkage between the two, certainly not here in Southeast Asia. Some hot springs though are adorned with temple structures and / or carvings, but it's much more culture rather than art.
I started thinking of this subject when I came across a number of beautiful photo's by Hillary Atiyeh which she made at Breitenbush hot springs, Oregon, U.S.A.. She describes herself as
"Photographer of nature, wildlife, travel, adventure, aerial, underwater, photojournalism, environmental and social advocacy and fine art prints".
The various combo's of photo's ("Work in progress **Hot Springs**") probably fall in the underwater bracket, but nature, adventure, travel could also apply.
I personally think they are very attractive and original, though then again water and people are quite common themes in art. So I thought that this must be recurring theme. However the subject seems quite unresearched.
Some of the examples found:
- Frommers explains to us that soaking in hot springs there is an art in it self!
'Nowhere is the experience of taking a bath so celebrated, ritualized and revered as in the cities and regional areas of Japan'.
Especially when it comes to etiquette, a fact that us most westerners take for granted in everyday life. Even for Southeast Asians the rules may prove challenging, witness (or not yet as is the case!) the Bangkok Post advice dispensed in a blog entry end of this month. Then again some parts of the art are self-evident:
'clean yourself before soaking!'
- More on the same art:
'Bathing in Japan really is something of an art, or has at least been elevated to the status of it. This brings us to the first and most important rule of bathing in Japan: no suds in the tub — ever'.
Again not really art, but the blog (antipixel.com) does contain some nice black and white photo's.
- Another art form is the Japanese art of manga, alas here it's mostly female oriented, the hot springs providing an opportunity to undress the subject.
'Obligatory Onsen (hot springs) Story': I usually call this the 'Obligitory Onsen Episode' because in anime there is almost ALWAYS an episode where the main characters head for a hot springs. But now I am noticing that this happens in shoujo manga a whole lot too. It usually happens in the form of a school trip, and involves the main hero and heroine of the story encountering each other unexpectedly in the bath, and having a few nice minutes of romantic/sexual tension ^_^;
At least, they're sort of decent [
1]
- Again Japan, but not so hot springs, but nonetheless with some fringe connections. Paintings on sento (public bathing places) walls:
'A vivid blue paint fills the huge wall of the Sento, the public bath house, and in no time, bold brush strokes with great momentum create an image of Mount Fuji and crashing waves… As a long-standing tradition, Japanese Sento users have enjoyed many of these panoramic views on the walls of their beloved hazy bath houses which are an integral part of Japanese life'.
There are quite a few artists impressions of hot springs:
- Beitou hot springs (Taiwan) has a museum, no less. Though this is more culture than art.
'This museum is housed in public hot spring bath built during the Japanese colonial era. his is a good spot to learn about Beitou's rich hot spring culture and history'.
- More culture? Huaqing, China:
'Ranked among the Hundred Famous Gardens in China, it also has the status as a National Cultural Relic Protection Unit and a National Key Scenic Area.'
Again more history. With some architecture.
- Radium hot springs, U.S.A., has an art show, but little connection between art and hot springs other than the physical location.
- What about cinema? Easy Rider from 40 years ago contained scenes from a hot spring. Can't seem to come up with photo's from the scene's though. More suggestions? Well, a year later a list has been created on soakers forum. Easy Rider, Dante's Peak, Into the Wild, Legends of the Fall, Nevada Smith, North to Alaska, Old Joy, A River Runs Through It, Celebration at Big Sur, Lunch with Charles, Black Dawn, Every Second Counts and the River Wild. More? From Japan? Departures does have a traditional bathing house.
Probably the most intriguing is the inovel by Steve Zio aptly titled
Hot springs.
'Hot springs are about indulging the senses and living in the moment. They’re about finding a deeper connection through warmth and relaxation. This connection differs from person to person, of course, and the Hot Springs website aspires to be whatever you want it to be. Whether you’re a reader of the book, have an interest in the Hot Springs art, music, and multimedia experience, or if you’re more inclined to pool your talents (by sending your own art, music, photos, links) with other online contributors on the Hot Spring theme, then please just dive right in.
We’re made mostly of water, our lives our fluid, and we came from the seas. Through Hot Springs and hot springs, we can explore this liquid matrix and delve as deep as we want to go. And the best thing about plunging into.'
Keep soaking!:
This piece, detailing conversation from a recent trip to Cougar, has just been completed for the great French anthology, Stereoscomic. By Kalah Allen.
Update [June 2012]
'Where the the hot water comes from and where the water gets hot'.
Henry Yuen:
'"Hot tub all to ourselves"
11 x 14 inch Silkscreened Print
If you can get to Bagby Hot springs early, you may get the tub all to yourself.
Then you can stretch out and catch up on a good book'.
One of the most talked about issues in soaking and taking to the hot springs is when to decide whether the soak is full and how to respect each others private sphere.Having lived in Nepal and keeping abreast of what's (or better said not) happening I came across this recent photo from Kantipur publications, I'd like to share with you. It shows a hot spring near the town of Beni in Central Nepal, though not the Tatopani located on the round the Annapurna trail. 
People submerge themselves into the Tatopani Pokhari (hot water pond) in Myagdi district. There is a belief that taking dip into the pond help one to get rid of several diseases. Photo taken by G. Khadka, 2009-02-13
However it was great water, not too hot, nor cold and located directly next to the river. The village around had a couple of simple guesthouses to stay. As you can see, there a number of bathing fashions, from fully clothed to near nothing (in the back). What I remember was that most bathed in their underwear, which might not be so hygienic. Funny thing was that many people carried a slate rock around, twice / three times as large as their hand and when standing up to retreat from the soak the rock was held to cover possible butt cracks and /or more showing up. Quite weird I thought.Nepal has got quite a few hot springs and is well worth a trip to discover. Besides this one I've been to the more Tatopani north of Beni, Tatopani on boarder at the main road to China and one directly north of Kathmandu, west of Langtang valley (Chilime). There are more, from what I know in Darchula, Surkhet, near above photo's hot springs but another days walk to the west, Manang and probably more to the east.In relation to the above, I found this blog entry on hot springs in Taiwan: Rules of Chinese traditional hot spring baths. It's quite interesting, especially if you note the lack of rules in Southeast Asia. Now where does the line lie between rules and none at all? - Don't wear clothes
'Requiring every person to soak only in their birthday suits seems to be a sanitary issue'.
- Clean up
'Every person must wash before hitting the bath'.
- Don't confuse the buckets
- Don't move
'Once in the bath, patrons are not to move at all. I ran my hands over my legs to try and alleviate the feeling of conflagration. Surprise: I got yelled at'.
- End it after 20 minutes.
Juliane then ends the post on a upbeat:'Soaking privately in a modern hotel room will never compare to my first experience with the ahmas. Although I have to admit, it is nice not to get yelled at while naked'.
!!!!!!
Avid followers of this blog will have realized some minor changes. One of them is including a number of great links to mostly link sites of hot springs elsewhere. These include NZhotpools, onsensoaker (and her blog) and the soakerforum (of mostly North America).
In the news section not much to mention. Bangkok Post have been to Pai and visited / granted free publicity to the new Pai Hot Spring Spa Resort. This is the same resort which bloggers where not too happy with as reported in the January 2009 update. As stressed hot water seems to be in short supply!
Reviews on sawadee.com: 'hot water shower ran out within 5 minutes'
agoda.com: 'they provide hot spring pools to serve customer but most of them not hot and dirty'.
asiarooms.com: 'Even facilities like the spa pool was slimy and slippery'.
Then again others were satisfied ...
More from bloggosphere:
Malaysia - Another previously unmentioned hot spring to add to the list: Kampung Panchor, Sarawak. More info here.
- Kerling hot springs put on photo by extremesh.
- More Sungai Klah. A great photographic overview by leemyjessy.
Philippines - Maquinit is visited by Anna Mae. Besides some nice photo's, she adds:
'Maquinit Salt Water Hot Spring is the only known saltwater hot spring in the Philippines, if not in the world. The water is a comfortable 40°C and I felt immediately relaxed when I climbed into the water. The hot salt water made my skin tingle, or maybe it was stinging all of the cuts and bruises I had received from diving. Whatever it was, it felt good'.
Cambodia
- Onsensoaker provided me with this link to a Japanese NGO site which details a visit to Tei Touk Pous. She translates:
'It says " a Chinese company has a right to manage there for 99 years", " No guest at the cottages", "Best location and worst access".'
Thailand
- Another blogger, Andy Daniels, has picked up on hot springs in Thailand.
'I am beginning to realize how strange my obsession with hot spings are... '.
Among the hot springs Andy has visited are the hot springs of Hin Dad, Khanchanaburi:'The springs were really nice, big pools that fit a lot of people and were deep. You could see the bubbles from the hot water in the middle of the biggest pool. There were 3 temperatures, two big hot ones at about 106, another shallower pool at about 101, and a pool with monks in it at about 103 (that one had a sign that said "no women"). Then there was the cold river right there, great for the hot/cold therapy.'
And an unknown hot spring near Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son province: 'The springs were across a little river with a bamboo bridge and were the first sulfur springs I have seen. I went up to the sources first which were very hot, had the sulfur smell, and the white algee typical of a sulfer spring. The soaking tub was down near the government bungalows that the people who took care of the springs lived in. It was a very big tub in a bungalow that the guy who had pretty much been following me and pointing to where I should go had to turn the water on to start it filling up (he had good vibes but couldn't speak English, I think he followed so I felt like I was finding them myself).'
Phra Ruang, Kampaeng Phet:
'The hot springs were pretty developed like the other ones but it was maintained on a donation basis. There was a center area (in full sun) with lots of different temp deep smaller pools, and then shallower pools around them. It didn't look like they were ever cleaned though, so at first I thought I might not be able to soak. Then I found another pool near a small man made lake that kids were riding little swan paddleboats on. That was the maintained soaking pool! It was about 103-104 and had umbrellas around for shade, and wooden planks to sit on. The source was next to it in a little raised pool that older Thai women were filling up drinking water from'.
Mae Kasa, Tak: 'The hot spings where a bunch of wells with artesian (flowing water) hot water coming out. Mineral deposits had formed around the wells, there were maybe 4 total and some places where the water was just coming out of the ground. The water was too hot to soak and there were not many good pools. The only good pool was in direct sunlight and it was the middle of the day so I didn't soak. There was a park area around one of the well things that had grass and some food venders. It looked like they were working to build the hot spings up more, there was also a large sized pool that was not filled with water, and some privat rooms with little tile tubs that did not look maintained.'
Pha Charoen, Tak: 'It was large holes with really hot water, and completely natural.'
and Mae Klong (Umphang), Tak province: 'Then the hot springs were wonderful. Completely natural with maybe 102 degree water and under bamboo shade'.
All included in this blog post.
Later on he reports from hot springs near Mae Hong Son: 'First place I went was the Mud Spa [Phu Klon?] , which really was a hot spring but they collected the mud out of the source and made a spa out of it. There were a lot of people there and I knew I just wanted to soak in the pool so I walked around and found the pool.'
Bangkok Post (26 Feb. '09): 'Don't be shocked if you bump into someone looking like this in Mae Hong Son, that popular destination in the North. And, no, it's not some bizarre, hill-tribe custom! In a rice-growing area on the outskirts of the provincial town there are natural hot springs. And some time ago a spa was set up here, in the middle of nowhere, when it was discovered that the local black mud is rich in beneficial minerals. Now people flock here from as far away as Bangkok to bathe in the hot springs and indulge in mud wraps and other beauty treatments'.
'I didn't think I would like it because I passed it on the bus and it looked like large swimming pools, but the pools were really very large sources. No soaking but it was cool to see the massive amounts of hot water coming out of the ground in this place.'
- Vonzwecktrek posts on a visit to Jaeson, Lampang province:
'But the main attraction of the park is it’s natural hot springs. The scalding hot pools are a vibrant aquamarine and smell of sulphur'.
- Onsensoaker once more helps locate a yet unknown (?) hot spring in Chiang Dao, north of Chiang Mai. She adds:
'As for the hot spring in Chiang Dao, a Japanese man living there asked local officials to permit installing a bath on river side 4-5 years ago. I heard another bath was installed after my visit. If you go there, look for left side of the Wildlife Research Station. It's easy to find'.
- More on Pai. A visit by Kyle and Christin to the natural part of the springs brought the following comments:
'Don't tell anybody, but we unwittingly managed to get in without paying the outrageous farang [=foreigner] price of 200 bhat per person. I glad we didn't, because the bathing area was basically a dirty little knee-deep stream. The water was nice and hot though. Higher up the hill, where the water bubbles up out of the ground, the water is 80 degrees Celsius, too hot for bathing. It is just hot enough, however, to boil some eggs'.
Indonesia
- Another hot spring to add to the links list. Sapan Maluluang. Blogged here on this site the article is originally from the Jakarta Post.
'Legend has it Sapan Maluluang and its small pond about five by 10 meters square formed after a volcanic eruption. Billowing steam and the pungent smell of sulphur welcomed us as we approached. Too hot for a dip, the waters are said to be 100* Celsius'.
- More unlisted hot springs from Sumatra: Sinkang Jati in south Sumatra as well as Telega Biru.
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