Hot springs: Healing baths around the world
The therapeutic powers of thermal waters have been harnessed for centuries, but with the rise of wellness tourism, they’ve reached next-level. Here’s our pick of the best hot spring shot spots, from Australia to Japan.
Lifestyle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The therapeutic powers of thermal waters have been harnessed for centuries, but with the rise of wellness tourism, they’ve reached next-level. Here’s our pick of the best hot spring hot spots.
AUSTRALIA
Peninsula Hot Springs is Victoria’s original thermal-spa destination and also includes a day spa, cave pool, hammam, sauna, mineral showers and more. It’s situated just 90 minutes from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula.
The pool minerals can help with muscular issues, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and stress — and they’ll certainly leave you feeling rejuvenated and relaxed.
There are also hydro jets and cold plunge pools, which help boost blood circulation and metabolism, and lower muscular inflammation. Entry starts from $25.
Good to know: Book ahead! It can get crowded, especially on weekends.
More info: peninsulahotsprings.com
JAPAN
Thanks to a plethora of active volcanoes, Japan is rich in hot springs, with over 3000 onsens (or bathhouses) in the country.
MORE FROM BODY+SOUL:
SOBER CURIOUS: IS LIFE BETTER WITHOUT ALCOHOL?
HOW TO RAISE BOYS IN THE #METOO MOVEMENT ERA
In Tokyo you’re spoilt for choice, but Saya-no-Yudokoro is pretty special. Fed from a natural hot spring 1500m underground, the water is rich in sodium chloride, giving it a characteristic greenish-brown colour, and there are all sorts of baths on offer: open-air, pot-shaped, lie-down, hydro-massage baths and more.
The Zen garden is gorgeous, too. One visit on weekdays costs about $11.
Good to know: In public onsens, nudity is de rigueur, so be prepared to strip off unless it’s a mixed area. Most places have a policy of no tattoos — though some will let you cover them with a bandage.
More info: sayanoyudokoro.co.jp/english
HUNGARY
Budapest is known as the City of Spas for a reason — with more than 100 thermal springs bubbling underneath, it’s been a place to ‘take the waters’ since Roman times.
With 18 pools, 10 saunas and treatment rooms, the neo-baroque palace of Szechenyi Baths is one of the capital’s top attractions.
It’s also one of the biggest hot-spring baths in Europe. The healing waters that run here were discovered in 1880. Entry costs around $33.
Good to know: Bathers must be worn, but you can rent some if you forget yours. While Szechenyi is open to both men and women at all times, the same can’t be said for all facilities in the city, so if you’re visiting another venue make sure you check access before you go.
More info: szechenyispabaths.com
TURKEY
Dating from the Ottoman Empire, Turkish bathhouses are often OTT and ornate, and the ultimate in relaxation.
A Turkish bath begins with a hot sauna, then you move into an even hotter room before shocking your body with a cold-water wash-down.
You then receive a massage and retire to a cooling room to rest. Cagaloglu Hamami in Istanbul is a gorgeous historic bathhouse built around 1741, with famous visitors including Oprah and Kate Moss. Entry starts from about $48.
Good to know: There’s some strict etiquette to be followed, including no mixing, with separate baths or different times for men and women, and while men usually strip down completely, women can wear their underwear.
More info: cagalogluhamami.com.tr
NEW ZEALAND
Both the north and south islands have their own take on the hot-spring experience. Hells Gate in Rotorua is home to erupting waters, pools of boiling mud, a mud volcano and the largest hot waterfall in the southern hemisphere.
The geothermal mud combined with the sulphuric waters help exfoliate and rejuvenate your skin. Entry is from about $20. If you’re heading to the South Island, then the Onsen Hot Pools in Queenstown is the ultimate luxury.
Soak away your stress as you bathe in the natural spring waters of your private pool set to your desired temperature. Retractable roofs and picture windows allow you to enjoy the surrounding scenery of the Shotover River canyon below no matter the weather. From about $75.
Good to know: Rotorua’s mud baths are so high in sulphur that removing jewellery is a must. They also recommend washing swimwear — which must be worn — separately after wearing in the mud.
More info: hellsgate.co.nz or onsen.co.nz
THE US
The city of Desert Hot Springs in Southern California was named for the aquifer of thermal, mineral spring water on which it sits and which feeds the more than 20 boutique mineral-spa resorts in the area.
The water here is very high in silica, which leaves skin smooth and silky. Our pick? The waters at The Spring Resort and Day Spa are some of the hottest in the area, delivering a high content of healing minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron.
Day-spa guests have access to the resort’s mineral pools. Treatments start from about $175.
Good to know: You don’t just soak in the water here — you can drink it, too. Underground coldwater springs are just as pure as the hot water. The municipal drinking water has won numerous international awards.
More info: the-spring.com
BEFORE YOU BATHE
Always check with your doctor before taking a soak in a hot spring, especially if you’re pregnant, older or have cardiovascular problems.
SOAK UP THE BENEFITS
Better circulation
The minerals in natural hot springs increase oxygen flow and circulation — much like when you exercise.
Stress relief
While the water contributes to physical stress relief by easing tense muscles, this can also have a knock-on effect on your mental state. The process of your body temperature rising in the water then cooling when you get out can help you relax and even sleep better.
Chronic-pain relief
Soaking in warm water is thought to be very beneficial in relieving pain as the heat blocks your pain receptors as well as provides for more freedom of movement.
Softer skin
The water’s high silica content can smooth and soften dry, rough skin, while the sulphur can also relieve itchy or inflamed areas.