The island of Taiwan owes it’s origins to volcanic activity and even though it’s volcanoes have long been dormant, there are still traces of this past to be seen in huge mountain ranges and boiling hot hotspring water.
Unfortunately a lot of Taiwan’s hotspring resort towns are over-developed, with too many hotels, too many people and not enough water to go around. So why pay silly money for something comes naturally from the ground? All over Taiwan there are natural wild springs that bubble up through the rock and mix with river water. All you need to do is to make a small pool with some rocks and you’re chilling in a hotspring tub surrounded by natural beauty!
Here’s some links to places around Taipei. Often these springs are not easy to get unless you have you’re own transport so I’ve included a map at the bottom of each for directions.
Xinxing Wild Hotsprings 新興溫泉 In Taoyuan County, a relatively easy walk to get to.
Ba Yan Wild Springs – 八煙野溪溫泉 In Yangmingshan, a very popular place
Sileng Wild Springs – 四稜溫泉 On the number 7 highway past Baling, a beautiful hotspring waterfall
Great pictures ! It seems a lot less developed than most of what I have seen in Japan.
Thanks! Most hotspring towns and villages are actually overdeveloped in Taiwan too, fortunately there are still more remote springs to find…. getting there is the only problem!
You cannot compare any country and anything with Japan. Because it is Japan.
Wow this looks amazing! I hope I get to visit this! I am going to taiwan next week and found your site through google, looking at the places I can go to.
I think its so great that the internet has made it so easy for us to research and likewise share information that we know.. don’t you think? 🙂
Look forward to sharing this experience… 😉
~Love, Estelle Kiora
Wonderful blog post. I am crazy about hot springs. Many years ago, I went to an outdoor spring at Tarako Gorge, if I remember the name correctly. Nowadays, I blog about hot springs in Japan. I also like to hike and snowshoe, so I connect these activities with exploring hot springs. Would it be okay to make a link to your site, and would you add mine on your list of Blogs Outside of Taiwan? First, please look at my latest post (http://hotspringaddict.blogspot.jp/2013/11/best-japanese-hot-spring-renge-onsen.html) and then give me your answer. I thank you in advance.
Your great photos really show the scale of the Hot Springs. We have quite a number of Hot Springs – natural and commercial here in Western Canada.
[…] (c) Taking a soak in a hot spring hotel (or a wild hot spring, if you dare): Beitou, in the north of Taipei, is full of hot spring hotels, ranging from large, cheap public pools to luxury hotels with private hot spring tubs in each room. It’s relaxing, relatively inexpensive, and so good for the skin. If you’re a bit more daring and looking for a more adventurous experience, you can also go straight to the source by hiking into the forest in search of some wild hot springs. […]
I took it down because people have been getting in trouble for going there. Don’t want to be responsible for someone getting a massive fine.