Hot Soda Pool of Parbubu

Imagine... soaking yourself in a hot natural spring pool while enjoying the awesome sight of the surrounding paddy fields and lush green mountains. Well... an extraordinary experience some may say.

But what if I were to say that the pool mentioned actually contains gallons and gallons of 'soda' warm water. Now... that is an 'extra extra ordinary' experience, isnt it?

To put it bluntly...it is like immersing oneself in a pool filled with gallons of warm fizzy drinks. Yeah. Soaking in hot, bubbly 'Sprite' or '7 Up'!

Indeed, that is exactly what one would experience when he/she goes to Parbubu Soda Water Hot Spring in Tarutung, Sumatera Island of Indonesia.

After I landed at the Polonia International Airport of Medan, Sumatera, I quickly made my way to Medan City. The next day I took a bus to Parapat. The 176 km trip took about 4 hours.

Parapat is a small scenic town located at the edge of Danau Toba/Lake Toba. There are all types of accommodation available to suit one's budget. So, worry not:)

Now... Lake Toba is an awesomely well known tourist destination within the Malay Archipelago region and infos related to the place can be found in abundance. So I would not go into details here about this heavenly place except for some 'quickies'....

• Danau Toba/Lake Toba is the biggest volacnic lake in the world
• 100km long & 30km wide
• 505m maximum depth! (longer than the Petronas Twin Towers! Its like... 'diving' from top of the twin towers all the way down to the ground level...and more! Brrr...eerily deep!)

Early next day I took a boat to cross the lake and landed myself at a spot called 'Tomok'. The place is actually the 'gateway' to Samosir Island.
This fascinatingly beautiful island is located right in the middle of Lake Toba. With an area of 50km long and 15km wide, Samosir Island is actually about the size of Singapore! Samosir is also the heartland of 'Batak' people and their culture.
Done with Lake Toba, Samosir and other popular 'touristy' spots of the area, I then decided it was time for me to move on. I was thinking of the 'soda' hot spring of Parbubu.
In order to reach Parbubu from Parapat, one needs to take the road that leads to Padang Sidempuan via a small town called Tarutung. Tarutung is actually some sort of a 'transit' town for people traveling through Medan, Parapat and Padang.

From Tarutung one can take the Public Transport (called 'mikrolet') to go to Parbubu. It is only a 15" drive from Tarutung town centre and the 'soda' hot pool is located by the road side. Surpringly, one will find that the entrance to the pool is actually for... FREE! Yeah, quite hard to believe but then again this is due to the fact that the site is used as a common pool for locals to take a bath.


Parbubu 'Soda' Hot Spring is truly a unique bathing site. The warm water of the pool really does taste like soda water! But please be cautious as not to actually try to 'gulp down' or drink the water. This may make you feel 'sick', especially in the areas around the eyes and nose.
And also, as advised by the locals...please,please refrain yourself from saying any bad words while bathing! If you may ask me why is that so and what will happen if one to ignore the advise... wellll...let's just say that ... after done with Parbubu, one would later be on the road again to head back to where one comes from. And that presumably would be a one hell of a looong journey. Along the way...many 'things' or possibilities can happen... so... 'watch' your words.

But then again... the experience of soaking and indulging oneself in the hot 'soda' water while enjoying the beautiful view of the paddy fields and the green hills is truly a remarkable experience one should not try to miss. Even, when one has to 'zipped-up' his/her mouth all the way while soaking in that bubbly-good-feeling hot soda water of Parbubu! Enjoy!

Hot Eden of the Philippines

When my Filipino friend, Jo, suggested that I should visit the 'Eden' of the Philippine (while we were busy doing our 'window shopping' in a crowded mall in Makati, Manila) I thought he meant a place not far from the city. Indeed, when I asked him how far his 'eden' was, he quickly (and cheekily) answered "... oh... only a few hours away". So, before noon on the next day, I found myself already seated comfortably beside Jo in an air-conditioned bus heading to a place called 'Baguio'.


It turned out that Baguio was a place situated at an altitude of 1,500m above the sea level... about 250km from Manila... and the trip actually took almost 6 long hours! Of course, Jo had 'tricked' me into agreeing to go to Baguio... but the truth is... I could not have thanked him enough for that. Baguio turned out to be a very unique place indeed!



Access to this fabled Mountain City took us through spectacular winding roads. Hair-raising experience it was indeed, but then again, the Kennon (zig-zag) Road showcased a breathtaking view of the mighty Cordillera mountain chain. Labeled as the Philippine's 'Summer City, Baguio is also often referred as the 'City of Pines'.

During my stay in Baguio, the temperature rarely rose above 25 degree C and at night it was really freezing cold! . So, it was not surprising to know that this beautiful place is a favourite among the locals for its cool, refreshing climate and spectacular scenery.

Baguio also served as the commercial and industrial heart of the highlands region. I was truly amazed to see offers of dazzling array of native arts, crafts and mountain foods when I browsed the markets in Baguio.

There were many attractions in Baguio, such as Burnham Park, Botanical Garden, Session Road or City Market... just to name a few. But the most famous 'crowd-drawer' to this city is the Baguio Flower Festival, or better known locally as 'Panabenga'. Unfortunately, it is held only once a year and that happens to be in the month of February. And no, it was not in February when I visited Baguio. Talk about 'wrong timing':(

But... there was actually another surprise waiting for me at Baguio. The 'Eden' that my good friend Jo talked about was not actually referring to Baguio City itself. Indeed, he was actually referring to another place called 'Asin'. Now... this 'Asin' place, according to Jo, was 'very near' to Baguio. Another trick? Again? And it was just a 45" ride from the city. And we could take a 'jeepney' to go to this 'eden'. Oh, really?

Well... this time around it turned out to be true. Jo was not pulling my legs. Indeed, Asin was located only 16km away from Baguio. The place was located in a town called Tuba in Benguet (just outside of Baguio's city limits). The spot was actually resided between mountains and at a lower altitude (290m above sea level). Naturally, the weather here was more 'warm' but without too much of humidity.

Asin was actually a 'complex' of several old and new resorts. The sulfuric water of the hot springs came from the underground vents deep in the mountains and foothills of the southern Cordillera. The Asin Hot Springs complex caters to all sorts of expectations and budgets. So, you would find accommodation with rates as low as Php 800 right to as high as Php2,000. Even the entrance fees to the pools are varied with a range starting from Php80 right to Php100 for days and night swimming.

Now... why would my friend Jo referred Asin as the 'Hot Eden of the Philippines'? Well... you may find/see the answer from the photos below...

A bridge in Asin.

Asin Hot Spring


Kids Corner @ Asin Hot Spring


Another view of Asin Hot Spring

Now... after spending 3 nights and 4 days in Baguio... I was getting restless thinking of that long, long trip back to Manila. And, ohhh... those winding roads again:(

Luckily, thanks to Jo(... again), in his effort of somehow saying 'sorry' to me for playing a 'cruel' prank at the beginning of this trip, he 'offered' to take both of us back to the city by taking... a plane! And what a brilliant idea that was!

All the flights leaving Baguio only in the morning. This is due to the visibility which normally would approach almost to zero in the afternoon. The fog starts to move in and cover most of the area surrounding the airport.

Loakan Airport, Baguio is located only 20" drive from the city. Oh yeah... only propeller driven aircraft is available. So... hang on tight to your seat...

SELAYANG Threesome

Lying under the shades of cooling trees... looking at the bright sky which is filled with various shape of clouds moving about above the head... feeling the gentle touch of the late afternoon breeze... while having your legs soaked in a wonderful, warm water of natural hot spring pond. How does that make you feel? Relaxing? Rejuvenating? And what if I were to tell you that the place where you can actually experience this is located only about 20km away from Kuala Lumpur city? Welcome to Selayang Natural Hot Spring.

And how can get yourself to this place? Its pretty easy actually. You can travel along Jalan Ipoh towards Rawang town. After you have passed the 'Pasar Borong Selayang' (Selayang Wholesale Market) on your right, continue traveling until you approach the KIA Service Centre. From

here, take note of a signboard on your left just before approaching the flyover leading to Bandar Baru Selayang (Selayang New Town). You are almost there. The hot spring is just about 20 metres away from the main road. Another useful landmark for you is the Selayang Hospital. The hot spring is located about 2 km north of the hospital.

Selayang Hot Spring has been around for about 10 years but realtively 'unknown' to many people until last year

when it was 'upgraded'. A new signboard has also been erected at the slip road leading to the site. The entrance fee is RM2 per vehicle.

The spring site has also now been provided with proper washrooms and even the ground is cemented. There is also ample parking space available. And if you feel hungry or need to quench your thirst, there are a few kiosks selling food & beverages located at the side of the area.

To be honest with you, in general, Selayang Hot Spring has 'nothing to shout about' ... really. But then again, people from all over Kuala

Lumpur come here to fetch the water and some even bring home to

their elderly parents! The water is believed to have healing properties and could cure some skin or aching feet. But most interestingly, the locals claimed that the water can actually remain hot for as long as for 6 hours even after they were brought back home! Must be awesomely hot!

And while you are there, you can see all sort of antics and interesting behaviour of some of the bathers. Some of them can be downright funny though...but then again...of course...they have own reasons for behaving in such peculiar manners:)

By the way, there are actually 3 different pools in this area. The first 3 pictures above were taken at the 1st

pool. This is actually the hottest of all! Only the brave &

those with really, really 'thick skin' would dare to dip in their feet into this pool:) Bubbles and steam can be seen rising from this turquoise colored pool. There is also a faint smell of sulfur detected at the site.

The 2nd pool (picture above on the left) is shallower and also less hot compared to the 1st one. The water looks a bit 'musky' but still has the same 'turquoise' color.

The picture on the right shows the 3rd pool. This is actually the favourite pool of the visitors. Eventhough the water in the pool looks really

muddy but strangely enough it seems that the crowd love to flock to this particular one. As with the 2nd pool, this is also a shallow pool.

Just as a gentle reminder to you, the very 1st pool that I've mentioned above is actually considered by many as a 'dangerous pool'. Indeed, several cases of drowning have been reported related to the said pool! So I guess, if you intend to venture out to this place, just bear on mind to be a little bit extra cautious and have a safe fun. And talking about 'fun', I remember that I could'nt stopped laughing when I read what was written on a signboard placed on the site....

Loosely translated:

Please Take Note: To all visitors, kindly adhere to these guidelines

- do not place your feet in the pool

- do not wash clothings in the pool

- do not wear underwear while bathing!

HOT In The City

That's right, you can get 'hot' even without leaving the city! Located right in the middle of the city (welll...almost. It is about 6km from the heart of Kuala Lumpur city), this used to be a very, very popular spot for getting 'hot & steamy in the city' back in the 60's & 70's! Wow! Talk about 'hot spot' retro style:)

The place I'm referring to is no other than the Setapak Hot Spring.

Back in those days, Setapak Hot Spring was indeed the centre of the community of the area! People living nearby would gather at this 15' wide natural thermal pool each morning to either wash their clothes (!) or just simply take bath. And now... in this present time...the place is not as popular as it was before. Indeed, not many people living in KL even know that the city has its very own natural hot spring spot. Nevertheless, this hot spring site still remain as one of the favourite places in the city for those 'faithful and in the know' who still loyally flock to the spot.

I went to check out the place recently. It was pretty easy to locate the site. I took the Jalan Pahang route and went all the way to Setapak via Jalan Genting Kelang. Setapak Hot Spring is located about 1/2 km from the junction of Jalan Genting Kelang and Jalan Air Panas. And to make things easier, it is actually located within the compound of a residential building which is aptly named 'Resource Spring Apartment'. Parking space is available on the road shoulder... or you might even want to ask the friendly guards if they could allow you to park in the apartment's compound.

The entrance fee is only for RM1, and that would even entitled you for a 'timba' (through used for scooping water). You see, no one is allowed to jump into the pool. Or swim in any part of the 'wavy pool' area. And to be honest with you, I don't think anyone would even dare to do such things. The water is piping hot! And... the water is believed to be even HOTTER during rainy season and also between the months of January until April. Don't ask me why....?

So, the 'timba' can be used to collect or scoop up the water from the pool. Oh yeah, by the way, you need to return the 'timba' before leaving the place, OK:))

Setapak Hot Spring is opened everyday from 7am - 7pm.

The site is generally comprises of 4 different zones:

1) The 'wavy pool' area
2) The 'spring outlets' area
3) Foot Soaking area
4) Bath Cubicles

To be honest with you, I was very disappointed with the condition of the Bath Cubicles area. The less said here is the better.

Anyway, I would recommend you to enjoy your 'hot-dipping-and-soaking' activities restricted only to those 3 areas (wavy pool, spring outlet & foot soaking areas). Enjoy!

HOT Kerling

Kerling Hot Spring is a spot that has not been greatly advertised. Thus, if you do not keep your eye on the signboards along the way to the place, you could have easily missed this little-known 'hidden-gem' located not far from KL city.

But then again, mind you, it is not that a pleasant ride all the way to this beautiful 'eden'.

Well... first of all, the place is actually located some kilometres away on the northern side of Batang Kali town. I dont know about you, but I am not familiar at all with this part of the city. So for me, even to reach Batang Kali town from KL itself was already some sort of a 'mini-adventure' on its own!

After you have reached Batang Kali town, go all the way to a place called 'New Village'. Then, continue along... the place is located approximately 2 km from the 'New Village'. After you leave the housing area, you will soon notice that the paved road has changed into a 'dirty road'(unpaved). This means that you are already off the beaten track. You might want to slow down a bit here because the 'road' is laid with tons of loose gravel and stones. Mind your tyres!

Nevertheless, as you make your way along this unpaved stretch of road, you might have the chance to observe some farmers and workers go about their routines in the rubber plantation areas.

And watch out for the trucks! Yes, timber trucks carrying huge logs use the same dirty road you are taking now. So be careful.

Soon after that, you will find yourself driving on a paved road again! Yeahhhh... strange, but dont ask me why and how? Anyway, from here on you will realise that you are actually driving along or parallel to a small beautiful clear water stream. That is actually Kerling River. Well... that means you are almost there!

Some quick facts about the Kerling Hot Spring....

- water temperature: approximately 104C!

- yessssaaa... very HOT indeed

- infact, it is claimed that Kerling Hot Spring is the ... listen to this... the 5th hottest in the WORLD!

- even the rocks are almost too hot to touch...ouch!

- frequently, you can see steam rise off the surface of the water

- and there is slight smell of sulphur

- the main pond is a mix of colors... with green from the algae & shades of brown from the minerals

- a 'slim' concrete walkway/bridge gives access to the main source of the spring(the main pond)

Within a stone-throw away distance from the hot spring pond is a stream which is deep enough for you to jump in for a quick cooling plunge. Indeed, that would be the best way to enjoy hot spring!

First dip yourself in the cool stream, then come out of it and go the hot pond and immerse your body in it. Stay for in the pond for at least 10 minutes. Then jump into the stream again. And continue the cyle until you feel so, very, very refreshed and rejuvenated. But then maybe.... these kind of acts are not really meant for those with heart related problems. So, you've been warned. Dont do it unless you are really fit, wokay?

HOT in KL

Wanna get 'hot' but dont want to go that far away from KL city? Not to worry. There are actually a few 'hot spots' that you can reach within 1/2 hour to an hour from KL. One of them is Hulu Tamu natural hot spring.


Where exactly is this Hulu Tamu place...? Well first of all it is located in the Hulu Selangor district. There are a number of ways on how you can reach the place.

Nevertheless, you may want to try out this route:

First of all, head on to Batang Kali town. At the traffic light junction in Batang Kali, turn to the road that leads to Genting Highland. The Hulu Tamu hot spring is located about 7 km from this traffic light junction. After passing a residential area called 'Ligamas', turn to left at the 1st junction you see. The 'Kampung Sungai Masin' signboard will then come into your view. Keep on driving.
This will take you through some traditional villages as well as rubber and oil palm plantations. Nice view, fresh air, friendly people... what more could you ask for?

Not long after that you will be able to see the 'Majlis Daerah Hulu Selangor' signboard placed strategically right infront of you.
The signboard gives the direction pointing to your destination... the Hulu Tamu natural hot spring.

There are only 2 pools built in the area.

And, yes... they do look a bit 'old' and somehow as if they have been 'abandoned'. Indeed, some visitors may find that they do look a bit 'eerie'... hmmm. I leave the rest to your own 'creative imagination'...

Anyway, about those 2 pools - one has 'not-so-piping-hot' spring water in it, while the other one is much more hotter.

Or, if you dont want to take the trouble of changing & getting yourself wet... you can always do the 'skinny dipping' thingy. Ooops. I mean 'feet dipping'.


Any which way you choose, the natural hot spring would definitely make you feel rejuvenated, de-stressed and relaxed. Enjoy!

Turkish Delights

Lets try something different this time. A different location in a different region and ... an experience that was oh sooo, sooo very delightfully amazing that I feel the need to include it in this site which I normally dedicate to places of interest found in the Malay Archipelago region only. Yup, as the title suggests, I want to share with you the heavenly experience of immersing in the warm, calm pools... lounging like a seal in the middle of the night... enjoying the mesmerising view of the twinkling lights of a small town below and the sparkling bright stars above... in a place known locally as the 'Cotton Castle'... or famously known as 'Pamukkale' located in Turkey.

I took a bus from Istanbul to a small lovely sea-side town called Izmir. 2 days later I wanted to continue my journey to Antalya, a popular sea-side resort town. That was when I found out about this fantastic and unique hot-spring spot which has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site back in 1998. Almost instantly I made some slight changes to my trip plan - It then became a trip to Antalya via Pamukkale! And I thanked God for that last-minute-change-of-mind:)

The bus trip to the little village of Pamukkale ( located on the western side of Turkey and in the Denizil Province) was itself a very interesting experience for me. I met some 'fast- but-nice-friends' on the bus. I enjoyed the view of beautiful and captivating scenery along the trip. But on top of everything, upon approaching the Denizili village ( a town closest to Pamukkale), my heart beats started to pound so heavily when I saw the glimpse of 'Cotton Castle' from afar. It was truly one of the most AWESOME sight I had ever encountered in my whole life!

First, I saw a rock platform which was about 100m high rising up suddenly, out of nowhere, from the plain. A white, mega, tall 'tower' in the middle of nowhere. It looked like something which was done of snow...or cloud...or cotton(then I understood why they called it such). It was really something which should be seen to be believed! No amount of photos or videos could do justice to the actual sight of the phenomenon.

As the bus approached nearer to Pamukkale,

I soon began to see that it looked or resembled more like frozen waterfall instead.

I was getting so excited already. Couldnt wait to climb up that white-cotton hill and take a closer look at this 'out-of-the-world' phenomenon.

Pamukkale village had many small hotels and 'pensions'. Indeed, at the foot of that 'Cotton in the Air' hill, there were numerous budget hotels, restaurants and such services as shops and bus ticket offices. And, not surprisingly, many of these small hotels had their very own small and warm mineral water pools! After hurriedly checking into one of the pensions (the one I chose was indeed very 'cute' looking, homely, clean and friendly small home which had been turned into a budget residence) , I started 'marching' up onto the 'cotton' hill.

It turned out that the slopes of the hill, which from a far looked like a white speck, were covered with large number of pools and terraces. The hill was a pristine sparkling white! And the pools of water a serene green, or blue, or... what color was that? The water could change color, indeed! How unbelievablely amazing! I was later informed the color of the water change in accordance with changes of the solar light that illuminates them. At times the water looked white, others looked blue or green. Whateverrrr. The only thing I remember was that the effect was SURPRISING!

Later... much, much later that night... I climbed up the hill again. It was almost at the end of a summer season and fall was approaching fast in Turkey at that time, so it was a bit cold but not that kind of 'freezing-cold'. Just nice. And the water in the pools was comfortably warm. So when I finally dipped my whole body into the pool... the feeling was... unspeakably enjoyable!

Sitting quietly in the pool...watching the flickering lights coming from Pamukkale Village down below... feasting my eyes on the thousand twinkling stars in the clear sky above... i thought I had died and went to Heaven!

No wonder then this 'cotton-in-the-air' hill has been a SPA since the Romans era. Indeed, the Romans had built the 'Hierapolis' (somesort like a spa resort of the ancient time) right on this very hill, and the 'Sacred Pool' - one of the spa pools they built - is still very much there, littered with marble colums from the Roman Temple of Apollo. How grand!

I finally continued my journey to Antalya TWO DAYS later (initially I planned to stay only for a night in Pamukkale...but then again... phewwwww...just look at the pictures... it was not easy at all for me to leave that heavenly 'eden'). From Antalya, I continued to Ankara. And on my last leg of the journey, I decided to ride a train from Ankara all the way back toIstanbul.

IZMIR

ANTALYAANKARA

Me enjoying 'Turkish Delights'...