HOT in Bandung

No... not that 'kind' of hot:) I'm talking about the beautiful natural hot-spring located at the foot of Mount Tangkuban Perahu in the region of Subang Mountain Range in Bandung.

As usual, I did not opt for any package tour or hired a guide. Instead, after some reading from the brochures and Internet, I took an 'angkut'-some kind of a modified pick-up truck which is used to carry passengers (Bandung's version of a mini bus, if you may call it...) to the city's Terminal Station. From there I hopped on to another 'angkut' which is bound to go to Subang via Lembang. The 'angkut' then dropped me at the entrance to Mount Tangkuban Perahu. The whole trip took about 1 hour 30 minutes and cost me only RP8000.

Note: 'Angkut' literally means 'carry'. This is another aspect of Bahasa Indonesia which I truly love. Practical, unpretentious and it does not even bother to 'glossify' words in order to make them sound good or proper or even 'politically correct'. Awesome:)

And what da ya know... the place was closed for the day due to safety reason! Apparently there had been some minor 'seismic movements' around the area of an active crater called 'Bomas'. So, naturally the officials did what there were supposed to do: closed the place and chased visitors away from the area. I was so dissappointed, devastated!

Well... me and my bright idea:(
In order to 'cool down' and console my sorry self, I decided to hang around at a nearby 'warung' (kiosk) and had a few cups of 'Kapal Api' coffee. Hmmm... they were so yummy!

But wait... my disappointment did not last that long though. I was later approached by one local who 'whispered' to me that he was willing to take me on his motorbike all the way to the mouth of the volcano(... of course for a price).

And did I take his offer? You bet I did! And what a ride that was! I would tell you more about that 'little adventure' of mine at Mount Tangkuban Perahu in another post. Now, let me continue with my story of 'getting hot' at the foot of Mount Tangkuban Perahu.

After I came down from the volcano crater, my local biker/guide/saviour offered to take me for a sight-seeing at the nearby tea plantation. And would finally drop me at 'Taman Wisata Air Panas Alam Sari Ater' (Ciater Natural Hot Spring Park) - without any additional charges. All inclusive, said my local biker/guide/saviour! Well... that kind of 'kind' offer doesn't come that often, does it? I gladly accepted his 'generous' offer:)

Anyway, the short trip to the natural hot spring via the tea estates was truly amazing! The view was superbly fantastic! And when I finally arrived at the Siater Hot Spring, I could not wait any longer to jump into those very 'inviting' looking hot pools! The entrance fee: RP9000

I was told that the pools at this resort were probably the BEST of all the hot spring pools around Bandung (yes, there are a few others scattered all around the region). Siater Resort has actually pools in which you can either just sit around and soak your tired feet or swim. These pools were fed by hot mineral springs which were created by the heat of the nearby volcanoes. All in all, the size of the park was about 5 hectares. Besides the pools, it also offered accommodation, restaurants, playground, shower & changing rooms and also lockable cubicles.

At the end of the day, I walked out of hot-spring park feeling very fresh, rejuvenated and satisfied. And then, as if in 'cue' from ' some heavenly conspiracy' in ruining the beautiful day that I had till that moment... I was told that I had to walk for some distance in order to catch an 'angkut' to take me back to Bandung. Well... surprise, surprise! I did not complain at all.

Truth is, the cool mountain air in the area had such a

special effect on me. Thus, I then enjoyed a truly nice 'leisurely' evening walk through a small village and upon reaching the end of the village, a sardine-packed 'angkut' was already waiting for its last passenger to board... ME!

Unfortunately, the 'angkut' didnt go all the way to Bandung! Instead its last stop was at a place called 'Lendeng'. And from there I had to take another 'angkut' to bring me back to the city. At the end of the day, I had enough of 'angkut' experiences that I was so tired and felt like I need to be 'angkut' to my bed in the hotel:)))

KLAH Hot Spring... simply the BEST!

I believe this is the BEST natural hot-spring complex in Malaysia! The place is really,really very clean and well kept. It is also a very 'friendly' place for children, elderly and handicapped people. But, most of all... I truly admire & love its lush and shady green surroundings. A modern hot-spring park located right in the middle of mesmerising and exotic rainforest surroundings! I could not have asked for more....:)

Its pretty easy to get to this place. I took the PLUS highway (north-bound) out of KL city and enjoyed my long-distance drive by feasting my eyes on the beautiful view of the Titiwangsa mountain range. I later took the Sungkai Exit and from there on one could easily follow the numerous signboards placed on the roadside leading all the way to the resort. Not that far really (from the Sungkai Exit)... it took me only about half an hour to reach the main entrance of the hot-spring complex. Along the way one could observe the 'laid-back' life style of a typical 'kampung'(village). Phewww... what a contrast to the one that one normally see in a city like KL...

I paid RM5 for the entrance fee(normal price for adult). My mom, who was almost 80 years at the time, was charged a bit less - only RM4. The management actually gives special privileges (ticket price) for senior citizen and children. So my niece who was only 9 years old was charged for RM3. And they even give an extra discount for handicapped children - only RM1! And it is FREE entrance for kids under 2 years old. Very thoughtful indeed. I was already feeling very good about the whole thing before I even had the chance to step into the pool!

But then again, before I could do anything else, my mom and my niece had already started complaining of wanting to get something to eat and drink. Welll... mind you... its not always that fun travelling with elderly people and small kids. Especially if they decide to 'gang-up' on you! They are THE boss:) Luckily, we found a nice small cafeteria not far from the parking lot. Actually its more like a 'mini' food-court, really. There were at least 4 different stalls managed by different operators selling varieties of f&b. There was even one small gift shop! I was impressed even more...

When both my 'babies' were stuffed and happy, then we began to proceed to the pool. My oh my.... it was just truly amazing! A huge pool surrounded by shady, tall, matured trees. One could also enjoy the beautiful background of scenic tropical hills and jungle. Don't believe me...? Look at these pictures:)


I must say that I had no complain whatsoever with the facilities and amenities provided at this place. And, as I had mentioned earlier... the cleanliness of the place in general, and the changing rooms/toilets in particular was very satisfying. I really, really hope that they would maintain it that way for a very, very long time to come....


After almost half-day spent at the Hot Pool, we then ventured to the other side of the resort. The Cool Pool. 'Strangely' designed (a giant squid and all...) but nevertheless still an impressive sight to see. I guess children & young ones (and those 'young ' at heart too) would really love this place, as proven by my niece who was so extremely awed by the sight of the 'squid' and I guess I don't have to tell you that she ended up jumping into the pool at no time at all!

Honestly speaking, I like the place very much. Indeed, I actually went back there again, twice, after that very first trip! To me, Klah Hot Spring IS the best (of its kind) in Malaysia. Otherwise, you could always advice me on other places (in Malaysia) which you think could overtake the top-spot placing of this wonderful hot-spring resort on my list...?

KRABI's Hidden 'Twin-Jewels'

Normally when someone talks about Krabi (Thailand), he or she would normally mention the beautiful beaches of Ao Nang, the exotic nearby islands or even the serene and laid-back town of Krabi itself.

Not many would speak of the rarely-talked about 'twin-jewels' of Krabi: the natural hot spring & the emerald pool of Klong Thom. And even rarer to hear of anyone who rides a bicycle to go those two places. And yet, I did exactly just that!

I started my 'little-adventure' by taking a 'mini-bus' from Krabi town to the Krabi Bus Terminal. A short trip of about 15 minutes (for 30 Bhat). From there, I took a bus that was destined to go to Trang. About 45 minutes later I got down at a small town called Nam Phrong. The bus ride-

50 Bhat.

It was from this small town that I cycled, 10 km altogether, all the way to .... a junction that would lead me to the Emerald Pool! And from the junction, that would be another 7 km of cycling over hills & slopes!!! So, I decided to leave my bicycle at a small shop by the junction and then looked for, found and paid a local boy to take me to the pool on his motorbike! Cost me another 50 Bhat:)

And as the pool itself... well... just look at these pictures. Also please try to watch the short videos. Upon reaching the pool... I was ... actually... hmmm... speechless, mesmerised! The Emerald Pool was truly a 'hidden jewel' of Krabi. Oh yes, the entrance fee to this 'Eden of Krabi' is only for 20 Bhat!

A young couple from Haadyai were kind enough to gave me a lift in their car on the way out and dropped me at the shop. I collected my bike and started to ride to the other pool- the natural hot spring pool. It was for another 8 km from the junction.

The hot-spring was really some sort of a nature's own hot-tub jacuzzis! The pleasantly-hot water actually comes from thermal springs originating underground.

The water flows out and fills the naturally, hollowed-out 'bath-tubs' in the smooth stone.

By simply lazing in the hot water up to my chin, watching the clouds go by, enjoying the green and shady trees surrounding the pool... it had certainly made me feel that I had truly found the 'hidden-jewel' of Krabi!

And then... the ride back to Nam Phrong town! 10 km to go, all over again. Now... why in the world did I choose to cycle instead of joining a 'package-tour' like everybody else?

'Gadek' WHAT?

Hang Tuah, Hang Li Poh, A Famosa, 'Chencalok', 'Asam Pedas'... all these always remind me of Melaka. But, when I first heard of 'Kg. Gadek'... I was totally lost! Didn't quite know what or how to relate this 'cute'-sounding name of a place with anything or everything to do with Melaka. Then, I was told that it is a very good place for enjoying a 'therapeutic' dip in a very, very hot natural spring pool. Wah! Another hot-spring spot with a 'cute' name like that? ... that I must go & check it out!


Gadek Hot Spring is 30km from Melaka city. It is actually situated in the Alor Gajah district and indeed is only 5" away (driving) from Alor Gajah town. Its really quite easy to locate the Gadek Hot Spring complex. There are many signboards leading to the place along the way... just keep your eyes wide open:) And enjoy the scenery... typical Melaka villages, lush greenery, friendly people... and oops! Be careful with those chickens... goats... cows... and small children playing by the road side.

I later found out that the hot spring complex was .... just the way i like it! No 'water-theme-park' ambiance, surrounded by greenery, clean toilets/shower rooms... and more importantly... it was only RM2 for an adult to enter the place! And only RM1 for children.

I would say that the place was actually a 'semi' traditional hot spring complex. There were 2 main pools. One was 'just nice' hot and it was big and deep enough that you can actually swim in it. The other one was 'quite but bearable' hot. I preferred this one, of course.

But... there were another 4 more 'hot-tubs' located close to the changing room building. And these were my favorites. Each of these 'tubs' was big enough to accommodate a maximum of 4 average size adults. I guess they are very ideal for a family kind of 'hot-dipping-session' activity. The temperature of the hot spring water in each of these tubs was different! They ranged from... 'very-nice-that-i-want-to-dip in-for-as long as possible' to 'WHOA!-its sizzling hot-that-i-would-just-soak my feet-for awhile-only'! So... you choose:)

I was told that this place is frequented by visitors from far and wide. Infact, it seems that it is also very popular with Singaporean tourists. Some believe that the hot spring has strong healing elements and it is good for those seeking therapeutic cure for skin ailments. Well... I dont know about that, but one thing for sure, I truly enjoyed dipping myself in one of those 4 tubs. Which one of those 4? Hmmm...., definitely not the 'WHOA!-its sizzling hot-that-i-would-just-soak my feet-for awhile-only':))

Its...SPICY HOT!

Pedas Hot Spring Park is a world-apart from the one that I went to in Bentong. Of course - it is not a free park - as an adult you need to pay RM8 to enter the place. And RM5 for kids. Hence, I'm not surprise to find that the place was actually cleaner and well-kept in comparison to the one in Bentong. And also I believe, it is a very, very safe place for all ages.


Somehow, someway... the place made me feel like as if I was at an ordinary water-park! Except for the fact that the water in the pools was hot. Indeed, the place has all those usual things that you may find at an ordinary water-park...the slides, big pools, plenty of changing/shower rooms, a small kiosk selling f&b, staff going around doing their chores etc etc. And, off course, unlike those 'pools' in Bentong Hot-Spring, the ones here were all properly done/built... bricks, cement, tiles and all. No, you definitely would not find those 'slimy-greeny-thingy' lying down at the bottom of the pool! Happy?

Having said all that, I actually ended up spending the rest of the day only at ONE pool - the 'jacuzzi'-type-pool. This one is the very first pool you will see after entering the main gate of the park. . And I truly enjoyed it! Even my mom, who was a bit worried at first that she might got 'swept' away by those 'burbling' water, after much persuasion, eventually agreed to 'dip' herself into the pool and only got out of it almost an hour later!


The place is only an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur city. I took the North-South Highway/PLUS and took the Pedas-Linggi Exit. You could also take the Senawang Exit. It is actually only 13km away from Seremban town. From Seremban, you could also reach the place by taking the old trunk road to Tampin.



Would I go to this place again in the near future? Why not? As far as I know, this is the only proper-paying- natural hot water- cum- water park nearest to Kuala Lumpur. And as I've said earlier.... I love that jacuzzi-hot-water-pool. And yes... no greeny-slimy-thingy!

p/s: 'Spicy' in Malay is 'Pedas'. Same as the word 'Hot'... it can also means 'spicy' in Malay...

Yeah....its HOT, naturally!

Bentong Hot Spring may not be as popular as the other better known & more commercially 'hyped' hot spring spots in Malaysia. And I am truly thankful for that.

The place obviously has very much less crowd (infact it is almost deserted if you were to visit it on any of the working days... except for a few tired and very friendly lorry drivers - they are very chatty and more than eager to share their driving experiences with me!) compared to the others of its kind.

The place is very serene and green. Very lush, very green ... very 'Eden' indeed. All sorts of trees of those rainforest types could be seen around this place. And the best thing I like about this hot spring pool is that the bottom part of the pool is not covered by cement! So, you could actually step on to the original ground (can be a bit 'yucky' actually....those slimey and greenish weeds

and algae).

There are actually 2 separate pools located at this spot. The main one, which is the bigger one, looks like a normal giant swimming pool from the outside. Because of its size, you can really enjoy swimming in it. But children, elderly or anyone who doesnt swim well should be more cautious. Some parts of the pool are quite deep and can be dangerous for those group of people I had mentioned earlier. Oh yeah... and those 'slimey greeny thingy' at the bottom of the pool. Hmmm... I'm alright with it because I didnt allow my feet to touch the ground:)

And the other one, which is smaller in size, is located just beside the main pool. It looks more like a pond rather than a proper hot-spring pool. It is also surrounded by many matured, green and very shady trees. And there are no 'brick' & cement walls surrounding this small pool (except for the part where it shares a 'wall' with the bigger one). It is also 'hotter'. It sure is a very pleasant natural way of shedding unwanted fat off my waist. But then, it is a bit hot that I could not really stay 'inside' the pool more than 15 minutes at a time. Infact, this pond is actually the main source of the hot-spring water in the main pool. Nevertheless, I prefer this one better than the main pool.

Across the road, there is a hanging bridge crossing over a small stream... typical scene in small villages in the Malay Archipelago region. The stream is actually a good way of 'cooling' yourself after a nice 'hot-dip' in the pool. And I did exactly that. The water from the stream is cooling enough to make me wanted to jump back into the hot-spring pool! Yeah... you guessed it right:) For the whole day, I ended up making alternating rounds of dipping in the main pool, followed by the hot-pond and then off to the stream! And what a day it was:)

Sad to say, as with many other 'free-public-recreational' areas (yeah... its FREE! - no entrance charges) in and around Malaysia... the facilities found at this place are in a very, very sorry state. Not only the changing rooms/toilets are dirty & unkempt, they are quite scary too. The buildings are (there are 2 separate buildings meant for the purpose) all surrounded by tall bushes. Errr... my worst nightmare would be to step into a toilet cubicle to do my thing and found some slithery 'friend' crawling in to say 'Hi-sssss' to me! Brrrrrrr....

But then again, I did truly enjoy spending my day at this hot-spring pool. And I definitely would go back there again soon. I love driving to this place. It is only 45 minutes drive frm KL. And there are only 2 tolls along the way...which eventually cost me only about RM10 for one-way.

And you know what.... on the way home, I took the old Bentong-KL road all the way back to the city! It was FUN-tastic! Those century-old trees lining on both sides of the road. Those monkeys that went berserk every time they saw a vehicle approaching (there were lots and lots of them playing by the road-side). Those streams flowing down below. And most importatly.... try to do this.... switch off the radio....switch off the aircond...wind down the windows... and LISTEN.