Soak it Up by Dana Kendall

escapades

Soak It Up

Hot Springs and Bathhouses In between touring, hiking, or sightseeing this spring, take advantage of a bathhouse or natural hot spring to soothe your travel-worn muscles. Check out these particularly appealing options to help you soak in the surrounding culture. —Dana Kendall and Tara Walker

Chena Hot Springs

Xcaret Temazcal

Steal away late at night to this hot spring that lies at the heart of the beautiful forested valley near the Chena River. Here you can watch a mesmerizing display of the northern lights. Most often viewable from August to April—in total about 200 nights a year—the aurora borealis can be seen from either the outdoor springs or the indoor tub observation areas. The hot spring, far away from any city-light pollution, is at the end of a 60-mile scenic roadway. Take this chance to swim beneath the northern lights and to catch a glimpse of Alaskan moose, beavers, bears, and woodpeckers.

Found in Guatemala and Mexico, the temazcal (steam house) is the Mayan’s version of the Finnish sauna. The whole experience takes place in a stone hut and involves pouring aromatic water over hot volcanic stones. After the sauna portion, you can take a dip in a cool freshwater pool. Check out the Xcaret Temazcal located on the Riviera Maya in Mexico. It’s the perfect place to sweat out impurities and relax with friends and family. You are provided with a fresh towel and bottled water, but bring your own bathing suit.

Fairbanks, Alaska

▶▶

$10

▶▶

www.chenahotsprings.com

80 ▶ spring 2013

Riviera Maya, Mexico

▶▶

576 pesos ($45)

▶▶

www.experiencexcaret.com/xcaret▶ -activities/xcaret-temazcal-a-ritual▶ -to-mind-and-soul-purification

Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa Reykjanes, Iceland

Perhaps no other hot spring has such a captivating harmony of natural beauty and complementary architecture. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa located in an Icelandic lava formation between the Eurasian and American tectonic plates. You can spend an afternoon soaking in the clean blue water, which is said to produce healing effects for skin conditions. You are even provided with white silica mud to exfoliate your skin. A 40-minute guided tour gives you the full story of how this wonder of the world was formed. ▶▶

35 euros ($45)

▶▶

www.bluelagoon.com

Sandunovskiye Baths

Photo by Peter Nijenhuis

Moscow, Russia

Moscow is home to some of the most famous Russian banyas (bathhouses). Stop by the Sandunovskiye Baths and be treated to an ancient tradition. First undress and rinse off in segregated showers, and then join others of your gender in a sauna. Afterward, head to the steam room where, if you can withstand the heat, you sit for eight to twelve minutes. Next, get ready to whip your own skin with a bundle of birch branches called venik, thought to increase circulation and improve skin with their oils. Finally, take a dip in an ice-cold pool to close your pores. Offer the phrase s lyogkim parom, meaning “I hope your steam was easy,” and then lather, rinse, and repeat the whole process again until you are content.

Silloam Jimjilbang Seoul, Korea

If you’re looking for a new and inexpensive way to spend the night in Seoul, try the jimjilbang. A more modern take on the traditional bathhouse, the jimjilbang is open 24 hours a day and offers you a chance to really interact with the locals. After enjoying a gender-segregated bath, you are welcome to put on pajamas (that are supplied to you) and then mingle with members of the opposite sex. There’s no lack of entertainment here. You can watch a movie, play games, or access the Internet. Eating is also part of the fun at Silloam and other bathhouses like it; they offer foods like the traditional saunabaked egg. At any point during the stay, you can bed down for the night on a mat in one of the jimjilbang’s sleeping rooms.

▶▶

1000 rubles ($29)

▶▶

10,000 won ($10)

▶▶

www.sanduny.ru

▶▶

www.silloamsauna.com

Jigokudani Hot Springs Nagano, Japan

In this onsen (hot spring), not only can you catch glimpses of Japanese snow monkeys, but you might also get to swim with them. The monkeys, year-round residents, use the spring to keep warm during the winter months and do not seem to mind sharing the water with human visitors. The site is out of the way from popular spots and requires a hike to get there, but this may be just the ticket for primate lovers. Bring a swimsuit and pay special attention to etiquette here: these particular locals don’t do well with strangers trying to pet them. ▶▶

500 yen ($7)

▶▶