Celebration

'Afternoon at the hot spring. ️#vanistravel#vaniaroundtheworld#hotspring#swim#forest#bali #banjar#indonesia#summer#holidays'

Source

Rages
Quite  a few items from the wackier side of soaking. What about theoriginalnomad who have now developed a collapsible hot tub, ideal for trekking into the forests and over mountains!

Other strange news: 

'Boise City’s Public Works Department and Boise State University are partnering to commission a public art project to celebrate the use of geothermal water on campus'. 

Follow this link to find out the three proposals.

Only in Australia. From the greynomads (Sept 2):

'A fisherman at Douglas Hot Springs south of Darwin believes he saw a 1.5-metre saltwater crocodile in the supposedly safe swimming area.

...

No saltwater crocodiles have previously been spotted at the hot springs, although one was seen eight kilometres downstream'.

If you are logged into Facebook go here for a photo of the foot spa on the Shinkasen train to Fukushima.

The use of drones is all the rage, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the use of drones in natural geothermal areas is now on the radar. It became all the more apparent when a drone crashed into Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring (CNN, Aug. 7). Drones are apparently forbidden in US national parks though it's doesn't seem clear to all users, especially since the ban was just announced in June. Possible problems:

'Park rangers have not determined if the drone damaged the spring and if it's necessary to recover it'.

Finally less pleasant news. The Costa Rica News has an article (August 26) on whether or not their nation's hot springs are safe:

'Floating on your back or dipping the your head underwater are common actions when enjoying a natural hot spring. However, experts now recommend not submerging your face or head in order to prevent infections that can enter these more vulnerable cavities.

This recommendation stems from the case of Jordan Cole Smelski, an American 11 year-old boy, who died in July in Orlando, Florida, due to an infection resulting from the amoeba Naegleria fowleri. The deceased boy was on vacation in Costa Rica, where he visited the hot springs in the Northern Zone and began to feel sick afterwards and never recovered.

....

So in conclusion, yes, Costa Rica’s hot springs are safe.  But it’s safer to keep your head above the water'. 

More info on this from the Ticotimes (August 19).

Hot in here
There's really not too much reports/news coming from Southeast Asia itself.

• Indonesia

'Not far from the magnificent Kawah Ijen (Mount Ijen) lies Kalianyar Village, Sempol. Like many villages that you may find in Indonesia, this one is unique because of it's hot springs area that it has. Amazing to have a soak in once you're done with your hike up to Mt. Ijen. Nothing like hot spring water to soothe those aching muscles. Thanks to Mr. Slamet, he brought us to a hidden charm if you walk in toward the village'. 

Link to this video from East Java.

Indonesia has passed new legislation meaning less environmental regulation for geothermal projects (MSN, Aug. 26). Oddly enough is this piece of news (Jakarta Post, Sep. 1):

'Rida Mulyana, director general of renewable energy at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said that local administrations would receive more money from the development of their geothermal resources even if they will no longer decide the issuance of exploration and exploitation rights to investors'.

Thinkgeoenergy (Sep. 10) notices that more larger scale projects are in the pipeline. 

'Baden in Schwefelquellen'.

Hot springs at the foot of  Sibayak mountain, Semangat Gunung, north Sumatra. By Katharina V

• Laos

A flickr album on Viengthong, Houaphanh, Lao PDR.

• Malaysia

One of Asia's most upscale natural hot springs (the Banjaran, Malaysia) has a new management team. so announces Thai Travel Review Weekly (Aug. 14).

A Japanese website which highlights no more than 18 Malaysian hot springs! With translate a very interesting summation of what's on offer.

• Philippines

'It's getting hot in here! Natural hot pool. #hotspring #alegria #cebu'

Source

• Thailand

 

'natural hot springs #pai #hotspring #thailand '

source

• Timor Leste

'Day trip to the hot springs in Marobo! #marobo #timor #timorleste #hotsprings #boiling #hot #pool #mountains #view #bathtime'

Source

• Vietnam

While Indonesia may have opened up to more investment in geothermal power with it's new laws being passed, Vietnam's potential is still to be developed as it fails on the legislative side. Thinkgeoenergy (Sept. 4):

'Another relevant hurdle the country has to address is the lack of specific legislation regarding geothermal exploration and feed-in tariffs, which makes the process of moving forward more uncertain yet, according to the article, the main regulatory framework for renewable energy seems to also cover geothermal'.

any place for me to enjoy this messy happy bath? #roadtrip #taybac #vietnam #ontheroad #hotspring #suoinuocnong #letsgetwet #instamood #doyoutravel

Source

Getting air

TAKE EVERY chance. DROP EVERY fear! #enjoy #myparadise #jump #hotspring #lombok #Mountain #Rinjani

Source: esthermasuy

Here at the bureau of soaking affairs, we are seeing ever more interesting hot soaks from surprise, surpris, Indonesia. Not one or two, but many. So we thought that a one-off Indonesian special may be called for. If in need of a soak, just ask around for an air panas.

What's even more surprising is seeing how often the Rinjani mountain crater hot spring pops up. It's a long day long slog up here, so you won't see that many a tourist, but it seems that those that do make it up are relishing sharing their images of themselves or others soaking in the rusty colored hot springs with us, the general public. 

And hey, it does bring up envy to us stuck with our 9-to-5 jobs. Sigh!

Enjoy! 

After a day without shower. You can't get better than this. Hot spring under the cold weather!!! #steam #gopro #rinjani #hotspring #bikini

 Source: thamcinyee

Heading East

#hotspring #ketambe #aceh #Sumatra #indonesia

Source: alexgoestoofar 

Sumatra sees less tourism than the western islands of Java, Bali, Lombok and upcoming Flores. However geothermality here is commonplace, sometimes too upfront as volcanic activity is all too apparent just under many of Indonesia's islands.

Hot springs are less of attraction for tourists and are often just bathing places for local insiders.

Near the Gunung Leuser National Park, north Sumatra. Source 

Skipping the densely populated Java one arrives on the quintessential tourist destination of Bali, home to a couple of hot springs, some hardly known others a must stop on the round the island tour.

 

Batur Natural Hot Spring, Kintamani, Bali 

Source: stevencavell

 

Hot springs part2. Совсем волосы выгорели)) #bali #airpanas #balidreamsru #hotsprings #onelove 

Source: svetichelo

Swim swim #kintamani #hotspring #bali

Source: ariefandry

From Jean-Claude Winckler:

'at Belulang hot spring on Bali

' Sources d'eau chaude ~ Hot spring ~ Air panas [EXPLORE]

Découvertes par hasard, au cœur de fabuleuses rizières en terrasses, au bout d'une interminable piste à peine carrossable dans laquelle je me suis fourvoyé.

Surprise, il a fallu s’acquitter d'un droit d'entrée de 10 000 roupies pour moi et de 5 000 pour mon épouse! Et d'une redevance de parking de 2 000 rupiah.... J'ai tenté d'expliquer que mon visa de retraité me donnait les mêmes droits que les locaux, rien n'y a fait, j'ai du payer le tarif touriste étranger... (10000 roupies = 1 US$ = 0,80€) Je n'ai pas insisté, la retraite est une notion incompréhensible par les gens ici!

Les habitants des hameaux alentours viennent y faire leur toilette. Une dizaine de petits commerces sont installés autour des sources, ainsi que quelques temples...

#airpanas#espa#penebel#tabanan#refresh#tindakalit#

Source: letsuphyartini

And from Bali we head northeast to Sulawesi, another exciting destination yet to see an apparent upswing in tourism ...

by nurkitty:

#selfie #lombongo #airpanas

Then directly south is the island of Flores which has some nice hot springs.

#bajawa #hotspring #flores #indonesia #vsco

From the instagram account of dandagiacomo

Varm källa bland risfälten ️ #backpacking2014#indonesia#flores#moni#hotsprings#ricefields

Source: johannatunell

 

Soa Hot Springs. The perfect ending for a trek #hotsprings #soa #flores #indonesia #primoslejanos

Source:carlosfcarcoba

Defining

Горячие источники#вроде река, а вроде и ванна##hot#springs#airpanas#hotwaterfall#river#

Mengeruda Soa, Flores, Indonesia

Source instagram katyaspencer

The geo downside

When is news newsworthy? We rely too often on commercial broadcasts to set our priorities. But how important is an earthquake in Yunnan, China? Not so, says our telly.

But for the internet we would be none the wiser about the Yunnan's tragedy. Just imagine. The Telegraph (Aug. 4) :

'Another man described a huge landslide that smashed cars and buried tourists at a local hot spring.

"We were in the hot spring when the quake happened and we saw boulders rolling down the mountain towards us," said Wang Xiong, from Ludian county, to the same newspaper.

"I grabbed the kids and ran out of the pool, but my right ankle was hit by a rock. Our three cards [cars] were destroyed by the rocks falling on them. A huge rock killed my great aunt, it hit her in the stomach.

"There must have been 300 or 400 people in the hot spring at the time. Some were hit by the rocks before they could escape. I saw blood everywhere in the water."

Away from these tragic events is an interesting article from Japan (Japan Property Central, June 23) which continues on the future of onsen resorts as reported in the interview with Miho Tabuchi. Apparently hot spring resorts are in fear of new regulations requiring them to meet  new standards for earthquake safety:

'The regulations target kyu-taishin buildings used by an unspecified large number of people, such as ryokans, hotels or hospitals, over 3-storeys tall and with a total floor area over 5,000 sqm. -

... 

The regulations require that building owners make their best efforts to ensure a building is up to code, but the regulations are not legally enforceable. However, the end result is the same. If the hotel is not up to code, the information is made public on government websites. Tourists and tour companies may choose to avoid making reservations at ‘risky’ hotels.

Beppu City in Oita Prefecture is one of the most well-known hot spring areas in Japan. It has 8 facilities that fall under the inspection regulations'.

Going global

The Sydney Morning Herald has an article on South Korean bath houses (June 8): 

'This is the world of the jimjilbang, the traditional South Korean bathhouse. In previous centuries they were a practical neighbourhood facility but with the advent of modern home plumbing they reinvented themselves as 24-hour leisure centres'. 

All in all, the writer seems quite satisfied with the experience.

Another experience, a bit further away, Moroccan hammams. Perthnow (July 25) shares with us and how the writer concludes her enjoyable experience:

'The women in the hammam spend their outside hours covered from head to toe in a djellaba, yet it was me, with my decadent Western exposure to incidental nudity, who was bashful'.

Onsenaddict (July) compiles a small list of Japan's most muddiest hot springs. A good albeit brief read.

Wacky spa treatments. The planetd.com (June 2) lists nine. 

Asia's contribution: Ayurvedic massage (that's not weird), hot cupping, Vietnam's mud bath, Jordan's Dead Sea, Penang's reflexology and ion foot bath's in Nepal. 

Basically the experiences were wacky, not the treatment themselves ...

Phasoet Hot Spring, Chiang Rai #Thailand. Temperature is 87 Celsius. 30B for adults & 10B for kids pic.twitter.com/zvYbJofxBH

Source Richard Barrow on twitter

Obstacles

Thinkgeoenergy (July 25) reports that China will be seeking to upgrade it's use of geothermal energy as a solution to end the devastating impacts that coal fired power generation is creating. By both using geothermal energy for heating purposes and expanding geothermal energy generation, it hopes to lower this dependency:

'... a nationwide geothermal heating program will cover an area of 500 million square meters while installed geothermal capacity will be expanded to 100 MW. As of the end of 2013, China’s aggregate installed capacity of geothermal power generation projects was a mere 27 MW with all projects located in Tibet, including the 25-MW Yangbajin geothermal power station'.

Meanwhile Taiwan is thinking likewise. Taipei Times (June 12): 

'Several academics and specialists yesterday said Taiwan has the natural resources to develop geothermal energy, but there are still many obstacles that need to be overcome, including strict regulations and a lack of government funding'.

Indonesia seeks to up the ante on geothermal power by announcing 9 areas open for geothermal power research (Thinkgeoenergy, June 4).

Furthermore Thinkgeoenergy (July 16) is upbeat that Indonesia legislation will free geothermal power from being labelled a mining activity thus making environmental concerns less important.
Thinkgeoenergy (July 17) then reports on a Bahasa report of continuing opposition towards geothermal power on Bali. This comes a day after the same source had it's hopes up for opposition to disappear, as new legislation might pave the way. Part of the hope was because this new legislation would see forests areas become geothermal power plants! So much for green energy!

Basking in sweet sweet nature. #ahlife #tabanan #hotspring #balidays 

Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia. Source crystallivingthelife

Charming
Not much reports from Asia alas. 

• Malaysia

Blogger Sarah Low reports on Banjaran hot springs, Ipoh, Malaysia, one of Asia's most upmarket natural hot spring places. Two hundred photo's on, there's no word on what she thinks of the resort, nor any evidence that she visited here for a soak!

The Borneo Post (Aug. 3) has a massive article on the hot springs of Annah Rais and Panchor, both near Kuching, Sarawak. Do we learn anything new:

- Despite all the investment and priority given, it seems that no one has done any simple research as towards the mineral content of the waters. 

- Using mud at Panchor is becoming more popular. 

- Annah Rais springs were used for spiritual meditation:

'The spirit would then ask the person what he wanted.

“According to my grandfather, in the old days, men liked asking for charms so they could marry the women of their fancy.

“However, more often than not, the spirit would tell them he could not fulfil their wish because he has no power and could do nothing.”'

• Philippines

The Benguet local council hopes to be able to build a swimming pool next to it's hot spring, so reports Banguio Midland Courier (June 22). The idea is to save on heating costs.

 

Define relaxation??? #hiddenvalleylaguna #Waterbaby #weekend #awesome #wanderlust #hotspring

Laguna, Luzon, the Philippines. Instagram user hello_anne28

Morning!

Just a couple of photo's from the region: Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. Enjoy!

lilygets:

'#hotsprings #lombok #naturlombok #rinjani'

Bernhard Schmidt:

'Banaue, Luzon, Philippines'

A less warm spring with Thai script. My guess is Pai, but Pai's hot spring is usually too busy for a rustic soak ..., but it has to be. From rebeccalewisjones

'Casual naked natural bath #hotsprings #takemeback'

'Morning you uollss...pagi2 ibu n papa ajak datang sini #kolam #airpanas #selayang abaikan mereka2 yang seksi tu..haha'

Nurfatinalyaa

Born Again?

This time around the updates on what's new and trendy focuses on the usual topics which seem to have evolved to be the core of these updates: local and regional news, geothermal power news, the significance of natural hot spring bathing in general and some wackier bits here and there.

Concerning the Soaking in Southeast Asia blog family, especially the European version has seen many new entries, while the Tumblr blog is going from strength to strength. 

Over here this blog saw the second interview with those passionate about  soaking, these interviews are really demanding. I'm researching now on interested persons from North America and Europe.

#swim #hotspring #vacation #friends #instadaily #likeforlike #likeforfollow

Sari Ater hot spring, Java by Yulia Purwanti 

[ ... ]

From the  Global Spa & Wellness Summit there was this article in Travel&Leisure Asia (May 14).

'At the Global Spa & Wellness Summit, held in India, his holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, spoke about the impact of the multi-billion dollar industry on modern day wellbeing.

His holiness kicked off the talk by whispering to his translator, "What does it mean, spa?"—a tongue-in-cheek start to his headlining role at a summit dedicated to exactly that. After a few chuckles from the crowd, he continued to explain that while the world of spas is relatively new to him, wellness is a concept he knows plenty about, setting the tone for the many parallels drawn throughout his speech.

"A happy mind, a peaceful mind, is the key factor for a healthy body," the Dalai Lama said, advocating relaxation through mental detox. "Medical scientists are actually telling me hatred, anger, fear—these emotions are eating our immune systems. Relaxing does not mean just on a yoga mat, lie down full of anger, full of fear. Relaxation means the mind is calm."

The Dalai Lama personally finds soaking in hot springs quite enjoyable. Hot springs cleanse, detox and heal the body, the mind and the psyche through minerals, tranquility and nature'.

In the transcript the Dalai Lama actually says:

'HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA: In Tibet, I never use, you see, because the hot springs...
[laughter]HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA: But in India, in Kullu, I used to visit there. I don't know how much sort of medical sort'.

Unfortunately the original article from Travel&Leisure comes up with 3 choices of hot springs / spa's which I doubt the Dalai Lama has visited. Though the person he is he will certianly give them his blessing.

The 2014 summit is in Morocco's Marrakesh. Again there is some relevance for soaking enthusiasts. Notably Charles Davidson has put a programme together to visit Morocco's hot springs post summit.

Other hallroom meetings, f.i. from the Perfect Sweat Summit by saunatimes (Mar 14):

'Presenters kept it short, packed with information and personal sentiments.  It became clear early on that the kinship of the group is making for strong, long lasting relationships that are going to be building blocks for advancing sweat practices today. ”The burgeoning wellness movement is returning to its roots, as the millennia-old sweat trend reheats up.”'

In another more recent blog entry saunatimes expands further on what was discussed.

Sneak Peeks
Something different? An onsen shinkansen (high speed train)?

'A new shinkansen named Toreiyu, with coach cars featuring big bath tubs (for foot bathing), facing the car windows, will be launched this coming June. Today I’ll give you a sneak peek at this latest bullet train'. Source

Or a beer bath? The Mailonline (Mar. 14, 2014) :

'A brewery in a castle is offering punters the chance to bathe in warm beer in their underground vaults.
At Schloss Starkenberger in Austria, seven 13-foot long pools are open for visitors to immerse themselves in warm beer.
Deep in the 700-year-old castle's cellar, artist Wernfried Poschusta modified the old fermentation rooms to hold 84,000 litres in the spa-like baths'.

Apparently not the only one diving into this trend. Beer baths have been all the rage in Czech as well. Read this personal account. 

Fancy a bath? This is in Singha Tatopani, Beni district, Nepal. From their website. 

Rarity

Onsen addict laments the cultural flux which means onsen bathing naturally is slowly disappearing:

'Getting back to the topic of differences in the acceptance of nudity in public hot springs: Social mores have gone through many transformations at various times. Mixed-sex bathing in the nude was common in different periods of Japanese history. It is fairly rare nowadays, though. Most hot springs have separate areas for men and women. Those hot springs that still allow men and women to mingle freely tend to be outdoor ones in remote locations, such as Tsubame Onsen.

Even with this separation of the sexes, there is now a substantial number of young Japanese who feel uncomfortable bathing naked with other people. Not too far ago in the past, the Japanese idea of a vacation meant going to a Japanese ryokan with a gorgeous hot spring in an onsen region. Nowadays, a vacation often means going abroad. Also, tiny nuclear families are the norm. The average fertility rate in 2014 for Japanese women is 1.4. Many children in the new millennium bathe alone, which is very different from the experience of previous generations. I have met a few college students who have told me that they do not enjoy bathing nude in hot springs. I have read reports of young parents insisting that their children wear swimsuits when the children go on school trips and stay in hotels with hot springs.

For now, such shyness is still a rarity. We are all born with bodies that we should not be ashamed of. Let's enjoy ourselves while behaving respectfully and tactfully with our family members, neighbors, and strangers in and around hot springs and sentos'. 

On the same subject anything notti in a recent blog entry explores the same:

'Mixed-sex communal bathing has been a common practice in Japan since hundreds of years back. However due to modernisation and western influence, “Konyokuburo” (mixed-gender public onsens) are now becoming increasing rare as Japanese social mindset changes'. 

His explanations are that the youth are more uptight while the social framework in which mixed-bathing was possible (and regulated through convension) is unravelling.

Target

Japan's first geothermal plant will start up according to Japan's Daily Press (March 17): 

'As Japan continues to look for viable alternatives to its mothballed nuclear reactors, Chuo Electric Power Co. is set to open Japan’s first new geothermal power project in 15 years'.

And though this might be the way forward, it seems that smaller installations are the next thing in Japan. Bloomberg reports (May 21):

'IHI Corp. (7013), a maker of everything from aircraft jet engines to gas turbines, expects the market for small-scale geothermal projects to take off in Japan as the country seeks cleaner sources of energy.
The Tokyo-based company has developed a 20-kilowatt generator capable of turning hot water into electricity that can be set up in as little as half a day, said Tomohiko Yamaguchi, an IHI official in charge of marketing the product.
“The government may want to push large-scale geothermal projects, but big ones are having a hard time,” Yamaguchi said in an interview on May 20. “Small ones are easier to set up. They are faster to expand.”
Smaller geothermal plants may prove popular in Japan because their scale makes them more manageable for operators, offering a quicker way to build out the island nation’s rich sources of heat below the earth’s surface.
The market to utilize heat from hot springs “is becoming active, helped by the government’s focus on clean energy,” Yamaguchi said.
Since IHI’s “Heat Recovery” generation device went on sale in August, the company has received orders for more than 10 units for hot springs and industrial sites, Yamaguchi said.
IHI was developing the system initially targeting waste water from factories, according to the official. Once the device was ready, half of all inquiries were related to hot springs.
“We realized the use at hot springs has potential,” Yamaguchi said'.

Makban geothermal plant (Luzon) has an extensive piping system which runs through the local community. Thinkgeoenergy (March 23) believes this warrants a flickr photo set.

Paying Homage 

• China

China hopes to see stars being handed out to respective hot springs, starting with Chongqing. So reports (Mar. 26) Chongqingreports (!):

'Guided by Chongqing Tourist Administration and relevant associations, Chongqing hot spring tourism industry is considering industrial standards and will be the first to kick off the star level evaluation work in China, according to the Second China Spa Tourist Expo'.

The Sheraton in Huzhou has opened up it's Mystic Spa and Hot Spring village. There's surprisingly little information on what claims to be the largest natural hot spring resort in China. Simplyfabulicious adds (April 22):

'You will need time to really soak in this place – pun fully intended – with its 101 hot spring pools, 39 private guest villas, 8 spa chalets for private treatments, 21 treatment rooms and a health food restaurant spread across 20,000 sqm. Massive. All this is located adjacent to the hotel which links directly to the spa’s private changing rooms via a discreet underground passage. Like the sound of it yet?

The main section of the spa village is the glass dome pool complex with 26 hot spring pools of varying sizes and privacy, overlooking the Resort’s private lake. Cascading waterfalls, flora and fauna and steamy surrounds give it a tropical jungle feel. Further away from the main pool are smaller hot spring pools dotted along different levels, accessed via winding pathways. Look out for the decadent red wine spa pool where you get to soak in gallons of red wine – for its antioxidant properties. (I won’t drink it if I were you, though.)'

China mentions that the next hot spring capital is to be Xiamen, according to whatsonXiamen (March 7). 

'Starting last year, Xiamen has been striving to build its high-end hot spring resorts integrating the functions of leisure, recreation and physiotherapy by upgrading its major popular hot spring resorts including Riyuegu Hot Spring Resort and Trithorn Hot Spring Resort'. Hot springs are expected to be another claim to fame for Xiamen, and are sure to drive a new round of growth for the city's tourism industry, according to an industry spokesperson'.

Thinkgeoenergy adds 

'Cities with geothermal hot springs install geothermal bath facilities and are becoming more and more proud of it. So it is not surprising that efforts to become “China’s Hot Springs Capital” is an important element in branding cities to attract visitors.
...
While the focus seems to be mostly on tourism and a drive to grow it, geothermal heating for the inhabitants might also be an option going forward, particularly as the spa tourism is seasonal with peaks and lows throughout the year'.

• Indonesia

The Sydney Morning Herald (March 1) claims Ubud, Bali is the world's spa capital. Though not necessarily fed by hot springs, the Ubud spa's do all they can to replicate the experience. 

The article itself features on what could a sumuun of indulgence the COMO Shambala Estate. It's website advertise it's waters: 

'For our hydrotherapy in Bali, we use water from The Source, the sacred spring on the Estate revered by locals for its healing properties. This feeds the heated Vitality Pool, the chlorine-free, mineral rich and alkaline water making for a deeply therapeutic experience ...'.

Well the following from Flores would also do ...

'Natural hotpool in the ricefields of #Moni 40degrees! Haven't developed any weird tropical diseases yet... :) #nature #hotpool #hotspring #Flores #Indonesia #travel'

source

• Malaysia

The Malaysian Times reports (Feb. 14):

'The Tawau Hot Spring Park is fast becoming one of Sabah’s tourist attractions.
...
Rekobumi Sdn Bhd, the company that recognised the potential of the hot springs and the importance of preserving it, has been maintaining and upgrading the hot springs since three years ago.

It turned the segregated pools of hot water into a pleasantly landscaped park that could help lure more visitors.
The company director Datuk Soon Ten Fook told Bernama that the efforts to develop the hot spring park and its surroundings was in line with the current needs.

“There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to make the park a competitive tourist destination that fulfilled tourist needs while focusing on the safety aspects,” he said. Among the future plans for the park is to incorporate a mini zoo that features exotic animals'. 

Hmmm ...

#nature #trees #forest #hotspring #annahrais #scenery #green

Annah Rais hot spring, Sarawak, Malaysia (source)

Another hot spring seeing more visitors is that of Panchor, Sarawak. The Borneo Post (April 11):

'Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Datuk Sri Dr James Dawos said about 2,500 people visited the hot spring every month last year and the number could be more now.

He said the Panchor Hot Spring, which was upgraded by the Tourism Ministry last year at a cost of about RM500,000, is currently managed by the village security and development committee.

“I was told by the committee chairman last year that they can easily collect RM10,000 in entrance fee a month, which means about 2,500 people visited the hot spring a month. Now, the number of visitors going there could be more as electricity has been connected to the facilities'.

• Philippines

Looneyplanet visits Baslay hot spring on Negros (Mar. 30):

'... there's an abandoned hot spring resort with water temperature rising between 38 to 40 degrees. Some locals have no idea where it is. The signage doesn't help either (what is left of it from the national highway is just the metal frame). The way is rough and dusty with patches of concrete road in between. Getting there is already half of the adventure.
After wading through the lukewarm river, the abandoned facilities beckon. The moss has thickened and rust seems to take over.
I was here a year ago. Nothing has changed. Still abandoned. No other people in sight.
Pay homage to nature! #skinnydipping'.

Ferdz Decena visits the Palan-ah waterfalls and the adjacent hot spring near Tulgao village, Northern Luzon. looks like an idyllic place.

'One day i woke and realized that i deserved better! #hotspring #water #volcano #thereismorefuninthephilippines #philippines #photo_of_the_day #igers_ph #igers_sg #instagood #instamood'

Source

The Business Monitor (Feb. 23) mentions that fish-farming may profit from geothermal power generation:

'AQUACULTURE farms in Mindoro will be able to grow tons of triple high-quality tilapia, sea bass and shrimps per year, in a nutrient-rich, controlled temperature using water from geothermal power plants'.

The idea is to use the geothermal waste water to warm fish ponds with some water to be used as source water. 

A nice blog entry by Jeffer on a hot spring worth visiting, Aatungan - Tinglayan, Kalinga, Luzon. Easily to combine with a waterfall visit.

• Singapore

Another photo blog on Sembawang, this time by Sakuraharuka. He comes prepared, complete with ph testing kit. 

'The hot spring water is slightly alkaline {due to the presence of minerals} and its sulphide content is three times that of tap water'.

• Vietnam

Some hope for the anti-developers. Vietnam News (May 5) reports:

'Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has ordered the People's Committee of northern Phu Tho Province to stop construction of an ecotourism site that brings hot mineral water for tourists'.

It was of course a Vietnamese style eco-tourism site.

'The ecotourism site, which is located near the Thanh Thuy Hot Spring, was a key project to encourage the growth of the tourism sector in the province. Last month, it ended its first period of construction with an investment of VND450 billion (US$21.4 million). Further, the project is likely to receive an additional capital investment of VND200 billion ($9.5 million) to continue its second period of construction.
...
Currently, nine enterprises have leased land to exploit the hot mineral water for their tourism services, within an area of 218 hectares.
Also, hundreds of households in the province have used the hot water for their daily use and businesses.
However, few have received licences to take advantage of the hot water source.
An inspection of the department last month showed that among seven enterprises that are operating their tourism services in the province, only one received permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment'.

And then finally a little exposed part of the soaking world. Abu Dhabi's The National has a small photo expose on hot springs in Yemen:

'The Damt thermal bath is famous for the healing effects of its hot spring water'.