Taiwan is a weird country. It’s freezing in the winter where we live, with temperatures in the low tens or under; boiling in the summer when temps rise to 38C or more. But within those extremes are a huge variety of conditions depending on where you are, what time of year it is, and the proximity of cold fronts from China.
Despite these extreme conditions, Taiwan has one feature shared with Japan that makes it worth living: the spa with natural volcanic waters. For most cities, you’re only an hour or so away from natural springs and spas that can soothe the mind, body and spirit in some remote locations away from the noise of the incessant city life.
And they are popular. There are waves of visitors from all across the island who go to the hot spring spas in the winter, though this is something I don’t like to do particularly. There is even a cold-spring in Suao that is welcoming in the hot summers.
The spas can be rather basic, crowded and (perhaps) unclean if you visit the more popular ones. Enough to make you wonder how often the spa management clean the spa filters during the year. But if you pay a little more, you can have a private suite with a view, and hot running water. The more plush spas have hotels and other visitor centers attached to them. And if you can really afford it, you can have a hotel room with a private spa in the bathroom. This is, of course, the wife’s favorite!
