Review: Soak in an Onsen! (Japan)

One of the experiences that you shouldn't miss out when you go Japan is the onsen, otherwise known as the Japanese hot spring. The reason? Well, it's relaxing as hell and soothes tired muscles after a whole day of exploring, of course. The first time I went to Japan, I went to an onsen called Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs and then when I was in Osaka, I visited Spa World. I will do a review of both onsens in this post. Do note that both onsens have women only and men only baths so no worries about showing off your inner assets to the opposite gender. =)

Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs
An onsen theme park in Tokyo, it's a pretty popular for both locals and tourists. In fact, it's so popular that it was even featured in a Digimon Adventure anime!

Okay, it's not obvious from the scene in the video but if even anime characters are making it a point to visit the place, you know it's a must-visit spot! In fact, it's much like an amusement park where you can wander around in a festival-like place and pay with a number tag on your wrist. You can settle the bill upon leaving but don't go too crazy or you might find yourself running out of yen before the trip ends! LOL.

To give you a better idea of what it's like inside this onsen amusement park, here's a vid to get a preview:

Looks fun, right? I thoroughly enjoyed myself in this amusement park because there are quite a few things to do aside from soaking in the baths (indoor or outdoor with hot and cold springs to balance out the experience). Tired of soaking? There are a few sauna rooms for you to sweat it out.

You can even go out to enjoy the foot bath or fish spa outside. Aching muscles? No worries, because there are additional services such as full body massage and head spa available for an additional fee. After soaking in a hot spring, you are bound to be hungry so head on to the indoor Edo Town for some delicious nom noms like sushi, ramen and yakitori.

There are many arcade games to entertain you but if that's not your cup of tea, you can always head upstairs to the relaxation room where there are loads of recliners for you to relax on. Each recliner comes with a mini TV of its own so that's pretty swell.

What I liked: Everything! I love that you can stay for as long as you like until 9am the next day. It's one of the most relaxing places I've been to and it helps that the Edo town theme they have going on is so festive and fun-filled. The food is reasonably nice too. You will definitely want to spend the whole day there just relaxing!

Click here for directions.

Spa World
This is another spa that's located in Osaka. Similar to Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs, Spa World has both hot and cold springs that you can relax in. The design is much like a Roman bath, where there are various ways to relax. For instance, you can lie in a shallow pool of warm water or you can chill it out in a tub. As for entertainment, there aren't many options. There are a few restaurants but nothing too exciting. Families with young kids may like this place though because it has a amusement pool like Wild Wild Wet where kids can go wild.

You can get a beauty treatment or full body massage but when I was there, nearly everything was closed so I didn't find it as fun as Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs.

What I liked: The design for the baths is quite unique and you definitely can spend a long time in there. But other than that, there isn't much going for it in terms of entertainment. There are full body massages etc. although I think they close quite early around 9 pm. They do have an interesting entrance with all the life size action figures though and there is a security room with security cameras where you can place your valuables.

Click here for directions.

If you ask me, I definitely prefer the Oedo Onsen Monogatari Odaiba Hot Springs because it has so many things to do and eat. Spa World is okay for me but you can still drop by to soak away your aches after walking all over the place! =)

Some tips to remember:

• You are expected to be naked but don't be shy! Everyone will be naked and there are all shapes and sizes of people enjoying the baths so don't feel too embarrassed. Chances are, they won't even notice your flabby arms or rounded posterior while they are soaking. Just be yourself.
• Don't forget to wash your body and hair before entering the baths. It's much like going to the swimming pool that way. 
• Don't stay in the hot baths for too long. Take short breaks after a while because it's not good to stay in there for extended periods of time.
• Be careful! I slipped and fell while I was entering a bath. I hurt my foot in the process and it was excruciating. Luckily I didn't hit my head. >.<
• You can put a small towel on your head or on the rocks nearby but if it falls into the bath, be sure to wring it outside the bath. 
• Tattoos are not allowed, not even a small one because the Japanese associate them with the Yakuzas or gangster ties. You might be able to use a water-proof bandage to cover up but the establishment might deny you entry if you have many tattoos on your body. 

Have fun soaking!

Taiwan 2011 - Xinbeitou & hot spring at Villa 32

With such gloomy weather in Taiwan, nothing beats a soak in the hot spring so I decided to visit Beitou for its famed hot springs. Well, technically the hot springs are located at Xinbeitou but most people refer to them as Beitou hotsprings. Unlike the ones at Wulai, the hot springs at Beitou come with a sulphur smell which almost reminds one of rotten eggs. It wasn't too bad when I tried it out but if you prefer a more odourless experience, you might want to visit the hot springs at Wulai instead. =)

Please excuse the poor quality of the photos. My Canon Powershot A480 camera doesn't work well under dim or evening conditions so it might be a tad blur in some cases.

How to get there: Simply take the MRT to the Xinbeitou station. Alight at Beitou station to change to the more colourful train to Xinbeitou.

The colourful train that will take you to Hot Spring Paradise!

Mascots of Beitou Hot Springs?

Map of Beitou

The inside of the Xinbeitou train is so different from the rest
of the normal trains! Clearly a tourist attraction.

An interactive map that tells you what you can expect to enjoy
in Xinbeitou

Xinbeitou Station!

On my uphill way to Villa 32 where I had reserved a nice private
room to enjoy the hot spring

An abundance of hot spring hotels for you to choose from
and stay for the night

There are two types of hot springs available in Beitou: the public and the more costly hot springs provided by hotels/hot spring establishments like Villa 32. If you're on a budget, you can choose to visit the public hot spring. It's much cheaper and much like the public pools that we have in Singapore. You'll need to bring a swimsuit for your soak though, since they've made it compulsory to wear one. For my pampering purpose, however, I chose the Villa 32 which is at the top of a hill. This is a hot spring establishment that is highly recommended by the podders on Flowerpod so I decided to go try it out for myself. =D

Villa 32
Address: No. 32 Zhōngshān Road, Beitou District Taipei City, Taiwan
Telephone: 886-2-6611-8888

I had called ahead to book a private room for 90 minutes, a hot spring soak that will set me back by 2000NT. Yes, it is a little costly but the experience was really very comfortable. The ladies who attended to me were gentle and friendly. An absolute 5 star service from a top notch hot spring establishment. Villa 32 not only offers hot springs, but also fine dining, spa and even accommodation for the night. Rooms range from 16000NT to 25000NT plus 10% service charge so if you're in a pampering mood and don't mind forking out more, you might want to try Villa 32.

Villa 32 is quite a ways up the hill and it took some walking before I finally reached my destination. It's located next to a hotel but don't mistake it for Villa 32 though, especially if you arrive in the evening for your hot spring experience.

As you enter the premises, you're immediately greeted with
a comfortable sense of tranquillity. 

I absolutely love the place. It was almost as if I had stepped into another world entirely as I made my way slowly down the path. You can literally feel your cares melting away, even before the hot spring. =p

Waiting area at Villa 32

The hot spring room! Very spacious & comes with separate toilet,
shower, lounger, toiletries and water bottles etc to soothe your stay.
The room looks a lot nicer than what my picture implies though.

A shower stall to clean yourself before the big soak!

The entire experience was heavenly. Aside from the sulphur smell that permeates the air, it was just the thing to relax in at the end of the day. You can even open the windows and admire the scenery outside or draw the ceiling curtains to allow more light to enter during daytime. The spa also provides a condom for couples who *wink wink* want to engage in an extra activity. =D

After the hot spring, you'll be given the option of being driven down to the foot of the hill by their designated driver. I'm not sure if you need to pay but you probably need to tip them as a gesture of goodwill.

Beitou also has other attractions such as the Thermal Valley (aka Hell Valley because of all the steam rising from the water), Hot Spring Museum and Qinshui Park but unfortunately due to the lateness of the day, I had to miss them out. Check out Wikitravel for the other attractions you can visit during the day. In fact, Qinshui Park was once featured in the "Turn Left, Turn Right" movie that starred Gigi Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro.

I'm not sure if this is the Beitou Hot Springs Museum or
the Library but it was on my way to Villa 32.

Here is a video of the Hell Valley taken by a traveller if you're curious about it:

There are apparently some good restaurants in Beitou but because it was late by the time I was done at Villa 32, I decided to have dinner at this hotpot restaurant which was just opposite the MRT station. Not sure what the name of the place is but you get free flow of drink and the meat slices are really generously proportioned. There was so much food, I ended up feeling bloated. =x

The meal was very satisfying though. =D

Food! Glorious food!

It was so fun! I really love the hot spring experience. Nothing beats the sensation of lying back in hot water in cold weather, man. But don't lie there for too long...you should only soak for about 10 to 15 minutes, then emerge from the water to "rest". Oh and apparently, you are encouraged not to eat before the soak as well. People with various health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease or open wounds should not go into the hot spring. Other than that, just sit back and enjoy the warmth of Taiwan's hot springs! XD