Hotspringing it

Taiwan is located in a tectonic collision zone, which means that earthquakes are a frequent occurrence, but it also means that there are a ton of hot springs all over the place. Their mineral content varies by region (and there are even some naturally carbonated ones), with the various types each having their reputed health benefits. The Japanese first developed Taiwan’s hot springs for leisure/tourism back in the early 1900s, and today hot springing is still very popular.

At first, I didn’t think I’d get really into hot springing, since I’m not a bath person. But then I remembered that even though I never take baths at home, I am sort of into public bathing (while clad in a swimsuit, that is) — some of you know that I was definitely a fan of the Russian and Korean bathhouses in New York. So in the midst of our first typically damply chilly Taipei winter, when we had a holiday weekend to get through, I figured we should try a hot spring hotel for a quick getaway.

We ended up north of Taipei in the Yangmingshan/Jinshan area, stopping first on the way at Yeliu on the coast to walk among these mushroom-like rock formations:

Another manifestation of Taiwan’s unique geology

From there, we drove up into the mountains near Jinshan Village to a small hot spring inn called Calla Young Garden Resort, which I had found through another expat’s blog. One reason we chose it was because of its odorless springs (many of the others in the Yangmingshan area are sulfuric and smell like rotten eggs), but the main reason was the setting. The rain was coming down pretty hard and would continue to do so for the rest of our stay, but it made the view of the mountains gorgeously misty.

That’s Asha under the broken pink umbrella

The cold pool

I had been a little worried that all the pools would be too hot for the kids, but it turned out that there was one cold pool and one warm one (made lukewarm by the continual rain).  There were several hot pools protected by canopies outside as well. Mateo and Asha were very happy in the warm pool, rain and all.

The lukewarm pool (behind which, under the canopy, are a few of the extremely hot pools)

Most of our fellow bathers were day-trippers who just pay for use of the pools and perhaps have a meal in the restaurant, and the hotel itself only has nine guest rooms. Ours had a windowed hot spring tub, and we spent most of the evening and the following morning in it.

Asha here hasn’t quite figured out how to do the Asian “V” sign for pictures.

The only other major activity there was eating, and the food was fine, but the views were what made the meals.

So we had a great time, despite constant rain. And a few months later, when we wanted to take a quick trip somewhere again, I thought about going to the beach, but since it was the Plum Rain month of May, a hot spring hotel seemed like a safer bet. So we decided to check out one recommended by a friend, in the small town of Jiaoxi, about an hour’s bus ride away from Taipei.

Jiaoxi, like most small towns I’ve seen in Taiwan, isn’t much to look at:

But as we were walking from the bus station to our hotel, we came across this little public hot spring park:

Platform specially designed for socializing while having a foot soak

Our hotel, the Evergreen, was nothing like the small and isolated Calla Young Garden. It was a high-rise concrete block set among apartment buildings and parking lots, and it was packed with amenities like a gym, game room, indoor playground, and reading area:

That’s Taiwan Tatler on the bottom rack

The pool tables were a hit with the kids:

And of course they appropriated our bathrobes again. These seemed to inspire Mateo to practice some of his taekwondo moves:

And I guess the pools were fun too.

Swimcaps were required

Not quite the views we had at the Calla Young Garden, but it was still nice to see the mountains:

When the inevitable rain came, we occasionally retreated to the covered but still open-air area, where there were all sorts of small pools, including a foot soaking pool with fish that nibble at your dead skin:

I was swarmed with them, moreso than my fellow foot-bathers. And clearly my right foot has some serious calluses.

Part of the time it tickled, part of the time it was like pins-and-needles, and part of the time I could feel the suction. It didn’t seem to do much for my skin though. After we returned home I learned that these fish, Garra rufa, are actually native to Turkey (where they were first used for exfoliation), Syria, Iraq, and Iran, and in Turkey they are now a protected species due to overharvesting for spa use.

The other small pools were flavored: chinese herbs, kumquat, and orchid, for example. These were too hot for the kids, and even I couldn’t take them for more than a few minutes. So mostly we hung out in the warm pools, which were also the perfect height for small children.

Now that we’re hot spring converts, I’m eyeing this saltwater hot spring for a future trip:

photo credit: 王尹俊 (http://www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw/Portal/Content.aspx?lang=2&p=203040001&sid=122&area=3&u=PhotoDetail&index=1&photo=923#ctop)

Anyone have any other recommendations?