Hefong in Jiaushi serves an exquisite eight-course dinner for only NT$385. / Photo by Nancy T. Lu

Busloads of tourists are seen disembarking in Jiaushi, Yilan County, in increasing frequency at this time of the year. The drop-off points are along the main road, which also bears the name of Jiaushi. A heavy concentration of hot spring pools and bathhouses can be found here.

Operators of hot spring resorts and hotels are constantly in search of new ways to appeal to the senses or simply to excite the guests. Indoor, outdoor or even semi-covered baths are designed to delight those who get into the water.

A huge advertising billboard along Jiaushi Road, Sec. 6, nowadays invites motorists to stop for a rare massage. Tiny fishes thriving in hot spring water instinctively go to work as soon as Jiaushi visitors sit down by the poolside and put their feet in the warm spring water.

Balinese interior design makes No. 26 Corner Hot Spring in Baolai, Liouguei Township, rather unique in the area. / Photo by Nancy T. Lu

The house rule requires washing of the feet before going into the pool. Visitors are next instructed to sit still to attract the fishes measuring two to three centimeters in length.

The water creatures said to have been imported from Turkey at a cost of NT$150 each gather quickly around the resting feet to nibble away the dead cells. Some even try to wiggle between toes to forage for food. The tickling sensation results often in giggles. A 30-minute service at the Sun Spring Resort Co., Ltd. (tel. 03-988-7979) costs NT$100.

The use of so-called "doctor fish" in spa treatment originated from Turkey. Two brothers reportedly discovered by accident fishes thriving in a hot spring. They got into the water for a closer look. The fishes rushed over to bite their toes and calves. From that day on, they returned daily for the unusual fish massage. Word about their experience quickly spread.

Jiaushi nowadays continues to attract a heavy influx of tourists because of its hot springs. In some areas, spring water even flows directly into private homes inside apartment buildings through a pipe system.

Sybaritic souls, too, are discovering inexpensive gourmet dining in this famous hot spring town in Yilan County. Hefong (tel. 03-988-1133) located at 97 Jiaushi Road, Sec. 5, is serving an appetizing eight-course dinner for only NT$385 until Jan. 31, 2008. For a special price of NT$550, tourists can enjoy gourmet dining and bathing in a bubbling family pool.

Food courses of lobster and sea bream fish are designed to pamper palates. The set menu to drool over also taps local produce like the water bamboo, the water convolvulus as well as the sponge gourd, all transformed into delicious dishes to bring smiles to the faces of even the most jaded gourmets. Taro, pumpkin, potato, asparagus, tomato, bamboo pith, and mushroom are likewise locally sourced to keep the costs down. The culinary expertise of the chef-led kitchen team makes a trip to Jiaushi truly worthwhile.

Young girls frolic in the soothing spring water at Sun Spring Resort in Jiaushi, Yilan County. / Courtesy of Sun Spring Resort

While in Jiaushi, visit an orchid farm and be overwhelmed by the blooms in the greenhouses. Or make a trip to a fish pond and get into the water to help prepare for rounding up the healthy milkfish big enough to deliver to the market or simply the nearest kitchen. Stop by the roadside to inspect the fields full of the bigger variety of water convolvulus thriving in spring water.

Meanwhile the Taian Township residents take pride in telling visitors that the quality of the water flowing in their remote mountain hot spring resorts is the best in Taiwan. The clear water, said to be good enough to drink, has an average temperature of 48 degrees Centigrade.

Tourists, who turn up in this part of Miaoli County, must negotiate zigzag mountain roads. Tourist buses usually just drop off visitors at the resorts. Optional sightseeing to places like fruit orchards has to be done by car. Friendly Atayal natives, who are at home in the terrain, warmly welcome tourists and even take them to an old trekking trail dating back to the Japanese colonial days.

At this time of the year, paper-wrapped persimmons in orchards on the slopes are ripe enough for picking. Fruit growers slash and cut the trunks of the trees to prevent the fruits from becoming too juicy and ripening too fast. Crispy persimmons can keep longer.

The Taian Tangyue Resort, a wooden architectural landmark in the Atayal heartland of Miaoli County, serves an exquisite persimmon-flavored eight-course lunch for 10 for the price of NT$4,500, plus a 10 percent service charge. The restaurant has a good view of a running river.

Open-air pools with different temperatures to cater to users' whims at Guan Xiang Four Seasons look inviting. / Guan Xiang Four Seasons

Higher altitudes yield the aiyu jelly fig, a fruit usually turned inside out for sun-drying. The Atayal men are trained from childhood to climb the tall trees to pick the fruit.

Taian's best hot spring resorts are found along the Wenshui River. Hu Shan Hot Spring Hotel (tel. 037-941001) even requires busloads of tourists to cross a rather long hanging bridge on foot to arrive at the bathing destination.

The 66-room Onsen Papawaqa (tel. 037-941-777) boasts a must-see hot spring environment in Taian. The natural fragrance of "shao nan" wood greets every arriving guest at this most luxurious and elegant setting.

Designed for individuals seeking escape from their workaday world, this resort has uneven steps, forcing guests to slow down their walking pace. The outdoor bathing area, very romantic when lighted at night, has 21 different pools with a whole range of water temperatures. There are also two indoor public pools, segregating the men from the women, for those who prefer nude soaking.

A slice of exotic Bali explains the allure of the Sunrise Hot Spring Hotel (tel. 037-941988), also situated in Taian Township. Imported traditional woodcarvings and pieces of stone sculpture at every turn, showing the artistry and craftsmanship of the gifted Balinese people, give the setting special ambience.

Enjoy moments of leisure and comfort in the privacy of a suite at Onsen Papawaqa in Taian, Miaoli County. / Courtesy of Onsen Papawaqa

Head south to Baolai and Bulau in Liouguei Township, Kaohsiung County, for bathing in hot spring water, which renders the skin truly smooth and soft. The mountain road leading to the sites in the Maolin National Scenic Area offers misty glimpses of the 18 Arhats Mountain, a southern Taiwan tourist attraction often compared to Guilin in southern China with its dreamlike silhouettes of peaks. At least three enormous temples can be spotted in the distance along the way.

Fun Chen Resort Hotel (tel. 07-688-1229) at 132 Zhongzheng Road in Baolai has Japanese-style wooden bathhouses with stone floors. Elsewhere, No. 26 Corner Hot Spring (tel. 07-688-2680), which is painted in earthy ochre, stands out because of its trendy Balinese villa motif.

Hot springs fitted with facilities to satisfy the lovers of the good life are indeed plentiful in Taiwan. In addition to the fun-filled wet experience, the savoring of local tasty treats and the visiting of scenic attractions in the vicinity make great entries in the scrapbook of memories to keep and cherish for a long, long time.