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The Ultimate Guide to Taiwan’s Hottest Attraction

Mar 252013

I’m not really a huge fan of hot springs. I mean, I like them enough. They’re relaxing and rejuvenating and don’t require any physical exertion. It’s mostly that I can’t manage to stay in them longer than five minutes because of the sweat that begins to pour down my face, coupling with the steam rising off the water, that leaves me with dried-out, sticky contacts.

That being said, Dan and I just got back from a hot spring hotel in Central Taiwan, and I loved it—blurry vision and all. It probably helped that we had a private hot spring bath in our room, overlooking the adjacent valley and mountains. And I must admit, even if I don’t normally get excited about hot springs, I always feel amazing afterwards. In Asia, hot springs are believed to raise energy levels while possibly treating chronic fatigue, eczema and arthritis—a pretty good reason to give the popular Taiwanese pastime a go.

There are two main things to remember before jumping right into the hot springs:

1) If hot spring baths are separated by gender, you’re expected to bathe nude. I was bit worried it would be totally awkward sporting by birthday suit with a bunch of old Taiwanese women, but it’s not actually that bad. Plus, these hot springs are typically a bit nicer, with various showerheads, more variety in water temperature, steam rooms, and no obnoxious children splashing sulfur water in your face.

2) You must wear a shower cap before entering the hot springs. Sometimes these will be provided, other times you are expected to bring your own.

Beyond that, just follow common sense. Don’t bathe if you have any health risks, don’t stay in the hot springs too long, don’t drink alcohol while immersed in scalding hot water, etc.

With the ring of fire rumbling just below Taiwan’s seaboard, there is plenty of lava-heated spring water to go around. Hot springs range from wild and natural baths in the mountains to commercialized spas and resorts. Here are a few of the ones we’ve tried and can recommend:

Beitou

The hot springs at Beitou are arguably the most frequented by tourists in Taiwan, and easily accessible off the New Beitou MRT stop (from Taipei). Beitou’s history of developed hot springs dates back to the early 1900s and the Japanese era. Today, public and private hot springs are abundant, and easily found via a quick stroll through the area. English signs pave the way.

Chingchuan

Located in a small aboriginal village in Hsinchu County, these hot springs are famed for being some of the best in all of Taiwan due to their soft mineral water. We love the rustic feeling emanating from the town, and the beautiful mountain views from the hot springs. After your revitalizing soak, go for a stroll and meet some Atayal people, who will be more than happy to chat with you, regardless of Chinese proficiency.

Dragon Valley (Taichung County)

It takes a lot of work to get here, but the seclusion is well worth the effort. Dragon Valley is about a two-hour bus ride from the nearest train station at Fengyuan, just north of Taichung. It has a similar vibe to Chingchuan due to its location deep in mountain country, which is a welcome relief from the overly congested urbanization that plagues much of Taiwan. With a few sizeable resorts to choose from, including the immense Dragon Valley Resort and Paradise, you’ll be sweating off stress in no time. When you’ve had all you can take of the purifying waters, head down the public hot spring trail to “the ditch”. Here you’ll find a combination of 3 ankle-deep foot-cleansing ponds. Only this time, it’s not the water that’s special; it’s the fish. These hungry little tickle-monsters bite the dead skin right off your feet. Yummy!

Jiaoshi

Bordering Yilan on the east coast, Jioashi has a high concentration of hot spring hotels, perfect for restoring your wave-beaten body after a long day of surfing. However, if you don’t have the time or the budget to commit to one of these hotels, there are also public and private baths available at a reasonable hourly rate. Unfortunately, some of the private baths here tend to be enclosed by sheet metal, leaving something to be desired in terms of scenery.

While these are the hot spring areas we have visited, there are still over 150 other hot springs all across Taiwan! A map with some of the more popular destinations can be found here.

Prices are hugely variable, ranging from NT$150 for public baths to NT$6000 for five star hot spring hotels (including accommodation). Just be sure to take a peek at the hot springs before paying, as some offer better value than others. It’s never fun to end up squashed in a luke-warm pool with a hundred other people.

We’re especially excited to be visiting Green Island in the next couple weeks, after a three-day cycling trip down the East Coast. (Which, by the way, should be interesting seeing as neither of us has ever taken any sort of cycling trip at all.) Green Island boasts one of the only salt water hot springs in the world. We’ll keep you posted on how it ranks compared to these!

Do you love hot springs as much as the Taiwanese do? Have you ever been to a salt water hot spring? Where’s your favorite hot spring in Taiwan? Don’t forget to leave a comment below!

Chingchuan Adventures Outside Hsinchu: Hot Springs and B-Ball

Apr 052012

We know—we’ve been on a temporary hiatus from the blog. Not because we haven’t been doing awesome things that we really want to write about, but rather because when we aren’t gallivanting around town, we’re working 50 hours a week. It’s awesome; it just doesn’t leave much free time for A Cruising Couple. BUT we’re back, at least for this blog post.

The weather is finally getting better in Hsinchu. But for a while, it was rainy and cold and miserable every day. A couple weeks ago we decided that we couldn’t handle too much more of it, and absolutely nothing sounded better than lounging around in some relaxing hot springs. We decided to make the hour and a half scooter ride out to the aboriginal village of Chingchuan (inconveniently through the freezing and pelting rain) to relax in said hot springs. They were everything hot springs should be: soothing and tranquil, coupled with a picturesque location in the mountains. There were three springs to choose from, including super-hot, hot, and suicidal cold, as well as five different massaging showerheads. Added cool points went to the fact that you could actually sit in the super-hot hot spring while simultaneously feeling the rain pour down over you. Had we not had to drive an hour and a half home through the mountains in a pitch-dark downpour just waiting for zombies to pop out at any moment, it probably would have been a perfect day.

Fast forward to April 1^st. This time we had a slightly larger group trying to get out towards Sheipa National Park for some hiking. But with a later start than expected owing to an excess of dancing the night before, we inadvertently only made it out to Chingchuan. This second time around we didn’t visit the hot spring, but spent our time strolling around the village and engaging in some broken conversations with the local Atayal people. We even got our game on with some three-on-three basketball with one of the local children. (Please take note of his Jeremy Lin t-shirt.) There’s not too much more to say about our afternoon spent in Chingchuan, other than that it was awesome. The people are warm and friendly, and will eagerly try to speak to you even if you don’t know Chinese. The small market place near the parking lot is ideal for trying some aboriginal wine, grabbing a quick bite to eat, and receiving marriage proposals from a slightly intoxicated stand owner.

Located on a hill is the Chingchuan Catholic Church, where you’ll find the Fountain of Youth Hostel and the basketball court. The priest—originally from San Diego—has been living and ministering in Chingchuan for 30 years; he’s an awesome man with lots of stories about life in the village.

Other than the hot springs, there isn’t much to do in Chingchuan. But that’s really what makes it such a charming escape from Hsinchu. If we have one additional piece of advice, it’s to not be turned off by the long scooter ride. It offers some spectacular views of the mountains, and the prize of Chingchuan makes the trip truly worthwhile.

Yellowstone: Where the Buffalo Roam (Really Close to Your Car)

Jul 082011

Yellowstone is the ultimate in geysers, hot springs and wildlife. Established as America’s first national park in 1872, millions of travelers worldwide have made their way to Yellowstone to experience the pristine park for themselves ever since. Of course, we had to include it in our all-American road trip! Here’s a glimpse at some of our favorite park sights.

This colorful hot spring is located just a few steps away from the Old Faithful Geyser. Yellowstone’s numerous hot springs are a result of geothermally heated groundwater. Water temperatures can exceed 400°F, becoming less dense than the surrounding cool water and rising to the surface. With no constrictions (as opposed to geysers), the superheated water forms beautiful calm pools like the one above. But despite the pretty colors, there is a ‘rotten egg’ smell that accompanies the hot springs, the result of anaerobic bacteria living off the sulphur underwater.

Yellowstone National Park is home to numerous elk that often come out to play at dawn and dusk. Spring and summer are the prime seasons that animals pop out their babies, so it’s fairly common to see the youngsters frolicking around too. Just don’t get between mom and her kids!

Buffalo are also super common in the Yellowstone area. Not only did they come within inches of our car, we also had one guy blocking our hiking path to a geyser lookout point. They’re very dangerous though, so as tempting as it may be, don’t pet them

The Upper and Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone are probably the most visited waterfalls of the area. They’re easily accessible and well worth stopping by! The photo above is of the Lower Falls.

A lone antelope taking in the mountain views.

The Grand Geyser!! We were lucky enough to spontaneously catch this beast of a geyser going off, which has the largest prediction interval of the predictable geysers–give or take two hours from the expected eruption time. The blast of water can reach up to 180 feet, providing a 9-minute, all-natural and spectacular water show. Take that Bellagio!

Of course, no trip to Yellowstone is complete without viewing the classic Old Faithful Geyser. While not quite as astounding as Grand, you’ve got to love a geyser that has been going off consistently even before its discovery in 1870. Today you can catch the eruption about every 90 minutes, although minor earthquakes are slowly increasing that interval.

Pretty Yellowstone!

Included in your 7-day Yellowstone pass is the entrance to the Grand Tetons. Driving past these mountains offers spectacular views and more chances to spot bears, moose and of course the ever-present bison.