After days of walking, commuting and getting a little lost, I felt I needed a special treat to alleviate my weariness. Really, it had taken its toll on my body, especially my feet. And I had planned the perfect immediate solution to relieve my tiredness: a hot springs bath in Beitou!
At the Beitou MRT Station.
Special Train to Xinbeitou.
The last time I went to Taiwan, I had a hot springs bath in a Japanese-style common bath house, the ones you read in mangas where most probably, older people go to. I got really scared and uptight during my first first bath house experience since I had to go buck naked. Yup, in my birthday suit. I was so shy! But, I overcame it eventually since there was only a middle-aged lady in the communal bath who was then preparing to leave. So, in the end, I got the whole ladies' bath to myself.
I still am not accustomed to bathing and dipping in the hot springs bath with other people, naked, so when I returned to Taiwan, I researched thoroughly where I can get a private hot springs bath. I considered Villa32, but it's really expensive, and it's only for 90 minutes. A private hot springs room at Villa32 costs NTD 2,000 on weekdays and NTD 3,000 on weekends and holidays, good for two persons. I considered taking the buck-naked-route at Villa32 since it's just NTD 1,500 and NTD 2,000 per person for four hours, for weekdays and weekends/holidays, respectively. But I didn't have that too long a time to relax at a hot springs resort. So, I decided to just go to Spring City Resort which offers a private room for NTD 600 for an hour. I promised myself that I'd just go to Villa32 the next time I visit Taiwan.
According to my research, I could ride the shuttle from the Xinbeitou station to Spring City Resort. So, I waited just outside the station, near the taxi stand, and waited for the shuttle since it's free. They also drop-off customers back to the station, too. You'd easily find the pick-up point. It's at the left side of Xinbeitou station from the exit. Just look for the particular resort's poster/information on a pole with the time tables for the shuttles.
I think I waited for 20 minutes before the shuttle arrived. I was contemplating on getting a cab but I had no reason to rush, so I just waited there. Besides, even if I was standing near the taxi stands, the queuing drivers did not approach me to ask me where I'd want to go. Probably because it was obvious that I was waiting for the free shuttle since I was standing at the proper pick-up point. Oh, if you're planning to hike the Spring City Resort, don't do it. It's kinda hard to go there; you had to take a turn every so often and it's very easy to get lost. I think it's about a 10-minute drive from Xinbeitou.
Spa Spring Resort lobby.
Finally, the shuttle arrived and I got a room right away. When I saw my room, it was small! It's just like the size of a regular bathroom hotel. And there was only a puny window. But its still cute, with the wooden basin and stool. It's also complete in toiletries, just like in hotels, and soft towels and hand towels, too. I was constrained to mix the bath a little colder because there's just a tiny window and it was very easy for the room to get really hot. Besides, if I don't mix the hot springs water with regular cold water, the room would smell really, really nasty. Remember that the Beitou hot springs water is very sulfuric and it smells like rotten eggs. Heehee.
Although the private room is very nice and welcoming, I quickly appreciated the old bath house I went to before in Taipei since there were 4 baths with varying degrees of hot springs water: really hot, regularly hot, cold water bath and a private tub which a customer can fill with water in her desired temperature. In the old bath house, I was able to take 15 minute-alternate dips in the hot springs water and the cold springs water. It's really beneficial to the skin that way. In the private hot springs room, I only had one tub to dip in, and after every 15 minutes, I'd go to the wash area beside the tub and take a cold shower. And it was kinda suffocating, too, because the room was not well-ventilated. Thus, while I was dipping in the hot springs tub, I thought to myself that I should have gone to Villa32, or Spring City Resort's outdoor hot springs (but I didn't have a swimsuit with me) or to another hot springs with private outdoor hot springs, like the Asia Pacific Resort.
My favorite photo coz it shows the color of the hot springs water.
While the rooms are pretty small, there's a common area outside the rooms where you can take a breather, watch tv, drink water or tea. And before I forget, there's a bottle of water inside the private room.
It was already dark when I got out of my hot springs room, and I had to take a cab instead of the free shuttle since I'd have to wait for 30 more minutes. I paid NTD 110 and I got off at the Beitou station. Afterwards, I picked up my luggage at the Star Hostel, bade goodbye to the staff, and walked all the way to the Taipei Main Station to take the bus going to the airport. I thought the airport bus will pick up passengers where I got off from when I came from the airport, so I boarded the bus that dropped-off passengers from the airport there. It turns out that I had to go to the bus station at the other side of the Taipei Main Station and buy my ticket board the bus there. Good thing the driver was nice and he allowed me to hitch, helped with my luggage, took me to the correct ticket counter, and when he saw that another ticketing officer beckoned me to take a ticket, he told me that it's for the next bus that will depart some time after and not the one that is about to depart. The bus driver was really too kind. And I was glad that the whole time I was in Taiwan, I've met people who were really kind and helped me even if it meant going out of their way. So, I really want to thank those people from the bottom of my heart. Xiexie!
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