Hot Spring activities in Asia
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King's Garden Villa
The leafy garden complex of this resort gets the hot-spring experience right, in our opinion. With 15 stone and wood pools to test, in addition to a swimming pool, mud-bath room, and lounging area, the hours spent here melt away. Rooms and cabins are also available for private soaking or overnight stays.
To get to the resort, which is 500m up a side road, look for the signs in English as you drive up the main road in the upper village.
reviewed
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Wakoto Onsen
Special not for what it has, but for what it doesn't, Wakoto is merely a scalding-hot pool in the middle of nowhere on the southern shore of a beautiful lake. Best reached by car or bicycle, the onsen has none of the razzle-dazzle of most spa resorts. There's no electricity, no soap, no buckets, not even any doors on the bathhouse: you just strip, dip and enjoy. Not for everyone, but true onsen buffs will appreciate it. It has a view of the western side of Kussharo-ko and, in season, snow geese fly overhead as the sun slips behind the mountains. Not for the shy either, as it's a konyoku (mixed-sex bath) and there's algae on the rocks, which makes getting in and out a…
reviewed