Asia's less-crowded alternative to Japan's onsen

Taiwan’s hot springs are how locals relax and rejuvenate – and they consider it important for both their physical and mental wellbeing.

I stepped out of the warm pool to towel myself dry, shivering in Taiwan's chilly winter air. The skin on my fingers had shrivelled like prunes, but that was to be expected after spending more than two hours in the water. Looking around the upscale hot springs resort in the Taipei district of Beitou, it seemed to me like the whole city was there that afternoon: but then, it was a Sunday, and this is what locals tend to do in their free time in Taiwan.

"In the West, people go to bars after work to relax and catch up with friends. In Taiwan, we go to hot springs to meet our friends and socialise," Taiwanese marketing professional Jacquelyn Wu told me. The concept of yì bó èr shí is very popular in Taiwan, she elaborated. Literally translated as "one stay two meals", it refers to the phenomenon where people head to a hot springs resort after work, usually on Friday evenings, to enjoy a soak, dinner and a good night's sleep, followed by another soak and lunch, before going home.

For a relatively small island, Taiwan has one of the largest concentrations of geothermal springs anywhere in the world, thanks to its location in an active volcanic zone with constant subterranean heat. It was the Japanese colonisers in Taiwan who popularised the idea of bathing in these natural thermal springs. Just like Finns flock to their saunas, the Taiwanese frequent their hot springs for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Having learned about the therapeutic value of hot soaks from the Japanese, the Taiwanese have made it much more accessible compared to traditional onsen in Japan – both in terms of location (there are several within an hour's distance from Taipei itself, easily accessed by metro rail) and rules of use (many allow mixed gender bathing, with no restrictions on swimsuits or tattoos).

"Virtually every onsen in Taiwan is tattoo-friendly, whereas in Japan, these are more difficult to find, so visitors with tattoos either have to seek them out or forgo the experience," explained Nick Kembel, who lived in Taiwan for more than 10 years and blogs at Taiwan Obsessed. 

Wu added, "Soaking in hot springs is often a family activity in Taiwan, so apart from the gender-segregated nude bathing areas, there are also public pools or private suites where entire families or groups of friends can enjoy together."

Adding to the attraction is how relatively uncrowded some of Taiwan’s best hot springs are, especially when compared to Japan’s most popular onsen. Fewer people and fewer restrictions – what's not to love about this easier, lesser known and offbeat option?

On my recent trip to Taiwan, I found myself spoiled for choice – from free, communal hot springs near Taipei to private soak-suites in upscale spa resorts deep in the heart of the island. I began with a day trip to Beitou, a 45-minute train ride from central Taipei, to experience the warmth of the area's geothermal springs and to learn about their history and place in Taiwanese culture. As Kembel pointed out later, since the Beitou area is where Taiwan’s hot springs boom began, this is also where the Japanese architectural legacy is most visible, including the Hot Spring Museum (Taiwan's original Japanese bathhouse, Plum Garden (a former calligrapher's home), and Beitou Museum (once a hotel for kamikaze pilots).

The Hot Spring Museum turned out to be the perfect place for peeping into the past. As I walked through the spacious rooms, I learned how this region was discovered and developed by the Japanese, and how it fell into disrepair once they left. The heritage structure was eventually saved by local conservationists who had it repurposed it into this informative museum, which in turn managed to revive geothermal tourism in the area.  

The other highlight of Beitou was a stroll around the Thermal Valley, also called (rather dramatically) Hell Valley, the primary source of the neighbourhood's hot spring water. The water in the emerald-green sulphuric pool is always close to 100C, and I could see the steam rising up from a distance. For those curious to test these waters, there's a hot spring fountain on the main road just outside the park (with water at a more bearable temperature), where I warmed my hands against the cold.

I followed this up with a long soak – actually, several soaks in pools of varying temperatures – at a private resort a few minutes' walk uphill from Hell Valley, eschewing the rather public experience of bathing for free at the Millenium Hot Spring (also known as the Beitou Public Hot Spring). The resort pools were filled with an almost equal number of local families and groups of friends who knew their way around these waters, along with tourists like me who dipped their toes tentatively into this novel experience.

Thanks to the copious sulphur and other mineral content in the water here, these natural springs are believed to contain healing properties, from relieving pain and improving energy to clearing eczema and curing acne. Bathing in these springs is generally said to ease respiratory troubles, while specific ones such as the greyish mud springs of Guanziling in south-western Taiwan and the odourless, alkaline waters of Wulai (which means "hot springs" in the Atayal indigenous language) just outside Taipei city are known to be extremely good for the skin.

"Whenever I come out the hot spring pool, I find that my skin is glowing," Wu told me, adding, "all the pores open up and my skin feels soft." For Kembel though, who has his own favourites across the country, the most notable therapeutic value has been mental rather than physical. "Nothing beats the overwhelming sense of calmness and serenity I experience both during and after bathing," he said.

The variety in geothermal springs also means that it is a year-round activity for the Taiwanese, with use increasing in the colder months when a soak in hot waters loosens stiff muscles and kick-starts sluggish circulation. And to cool off in the hot season, there are natural cold springs in places such as Su'ao that stay a temperate 21C through the year.

According to Wu, one of the best things about Taiwan's hot springs is their ubiquity across the country. "I usually go to hot spring resorts, but it is also possible to discover natural hot pools in the middle of mountains or by the riverside while hiking. Sometimes you have these all to yourself, to enjoy with your friends," she said.

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And for those who want a unique experience, both Wu and Kembel have a special recommendation: the Zhaori Hot Spring in Green Island on Taiwan's east coast, fed by saltwater from the Pacific Ocean. "Some of the lowest soaking pools are so close to the ocean that seawater sometimes splashes in at high tide. Laying in these pools at night, with the sounds of the ocean and a full sky of stars above is probably my top hot spring experience ever in Taiwan," Kembel said.

When I finally left Taiwan after experiencing a few different geothermal springs, I knew for myself why locals love them so much. Even if my skin looked just the same, I definitely felt calmer and softer – both in body and mind.

BBC Travel's Well World is a global take on wellness that explores different ways that cultures the world over strive for a healthy lifestyle.

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