World Wanderings: Thanh Tan Hot Springs

This week I was invited by my friend Minh to go to the hot springs with her group of friends. Being half-Japanese, I have a fondness for hot springs or onsen, so I jumped at the change to soak in hot water surrounded by nature. Thanh Tan is less than an hour motorcycle ride away, but we still were going overnight since one of the girls coming with us was able to secure a 50% discount! The package included a massage, a yummy supper, a hotel room, and access to their many hot spring baths.

Without realizing it, I had expectations to find something resembling the hot springs that I've visited in Japan or Indonesia... and learned once again to drop all expectations! Vietnamese-style hot springs resembles more a water park than a relaxing bath! There were also baths just to soak in, but the bulk of the resort was made up of water slides, a giant wave pool (which was being cleaned and sadly unusable), and play parks. Needless to say I was very happy have had wrong expectations. The mix of decadent relaxation (i.e. the two massages I indulged in) with sheer excitement (one of the slides was so fast that you actually went airborne on it! Not up to Canadian-safety standards if I had to guess...) was unique and refreshing! What a way to spend hump day...