In Quest Of: The healing power of Taiwan’s hot springs

The onsen at The Gaia Hotel, a 48-key hot-spring hotel. PHOTO: THE GAIA HOTEL
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

TAIPEI – With small squares of wet towels placed on their heads, two elderly women chat softly inside the steaming pool. Next to me, a middle-aged woman and her daughter scrub themselves briskly while seated, before rinsing under a shower.

We are a group of strangers in our birthday suits, performing our ablutions before entering pools of misty water, in scenes reminiscent of a Japanese onsen.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.