Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
What's in the Water?
Water bubbling up from underground picks up a variety of minerals that offer a veritable
bouquet of health benefits (some more believable than others) according to aficionados.
WATER TYPE
BENEFICIAL FOR
WHERE TO FIND
alkaloid carbonic
nervousness, improving skin tone
Taian
sodium bicarbonate general feelings of malaise, broken bones Jiaoxi
alkaline
making good coffee
Antong
sodium carbonate
skin tone
Wulai
ferrous
conceiving a male child
Ruisui
sulphurous
arthritis, sore muscles
Beitou
mud spring
improving skin tone
Guanziling
Hotels & Resorts
The best developed springs are set in forested valleys, meadows or overlooking the
ocean. Private rooms and public spas in these areas are usually both available. Private
rooms featuring wood or stone tubs can be basic or very luxurious and are rented out by
the hour (average NT$600 to NT$1200). Rooms with beds can also be rented for the
night (average NT$2500 to NT$8000). Public spas (indoors and outdoors) are sometimes
just a few stone-lined pools, but some are a whole bathing complex, with multiple pools,
jets and showers. The average cost for unlimited time at a public spa is NT$300 to
NT$800.
Hot springs worth checking out are in Beitou, Yangmingshan National Park, Wulai,
Jiaoxi, Taian, Antong, Green Island and Guanziling.
Wild Springs
There are still probably one hundred or more wild springs deep in the mountains. Some
can be hiked into relatively easily while others require several days. Wild springs worth
checking out are Wenshan (
Click here
)
in Taroko Gorge, Sileng (
Click here
) on the North
Cross-Island Highway, and Lisong on the South Cross-Island Highway.
River Tracing
River tracing (
suòxī
) is the sport of walking and climbing up a riverbed. At the beginning
stages it involves merely walking on slippery rocks. At advanced stages it can involve
climbing up and down waterfalls. Taiwan has hundreds of fast clean streams and rivers,
