Jiaoxi | 4everdiscovering

A Relaxing Trip to Jiaoxi

A Day Filled with Pampering, Hungry Fish, and Bathing Caps

Emily and I have been to Jiaoxi two times now, and each time did not disappoint. Located along the northeastern coast in Yilan county, Jiaoxi is famous for its natural hot springs in the area. The first time we ventured over here, we were coming home from a weekend getaway at Wai’ao beach. It was only about 3 stops past the beach on the train, so we decided to check it out (and hopefully find a hot spring). The best part about Jiaoxi is the buses that run every 10 minutes back to Taipei. Believe it or not, the bus is a much faster option to get back to the city. The local train makes so many stops, we save over a half hour taking the bus back home. This makes our trips to the beach that much better now!

Like the tourists we are, we started our day in Jiaoxi at the Visitor’s Centre. These places usually have a lot of information for people who are looking to explore the city; we were just hoping they could speak English! Luckily for us, the lady could understand a little bit of English; however, the public hot spring was closed for the day. She really couldn’t explain why it was closed, but told us there was another one we could try. It was only about a 10 minute walk to the private hot spring, and Emily and I found it easily. That’s the great thing about smaller cities and towns; it isn’t as hard to get lost in.

When we arrived, there was a sign outside saying ‘Taiwan’s No. 9 Best Fish Spa’. Immediately, I was intrigued. I’ve heard of these fish spas in Europe before, but never really thought of trying it. I wasn’t sure how I felt about fish eating at the skin on my feet (I think I would be way too ticklish for it). Emily and I decided to try the hot spring first, and followed the worker into the back room. When I pictured a hot spring, I only imagined a public one, outside with people wearing bathing suits. When we walked into this back room, it was definitely not what I was expecting. There were naked women everywhere; some in the pool of sulphur water, and some showering. Emily and I were already wearing our bathing suits, and tried to ask the lady if we could wear them. She simply said ‘be free’. We looked at each other, and weren’t quite ready to take our friendship to the next level. Thankfully, the lady understood and gave us our money back. Instead, we decided to try the fish spa. When one door closes, another one opens.

The fish pool was definitely an experience. As soon as I put my feet into the water, the orange fish started to swarm around me. The first 30 seconds were the worst; you are trying to get used to the feeling of them nibbling at your toes, and it is just hilarious. My favourite part was watching everyone’s initial reaction when the fish started eating away. Their faces were priceless, and I’m sure ours looked just as funny. There were hundreds of fish in the pool, and let me tell you, they were very hungry. I think my feet were a little extra delicious that day from all of my blisters I had from walking around so much; the fish loved it! Emily and I weren’t really sure how long we were supposed to stay, so we ended up leaving after about 45 minutes. Our clue was when the fish weren’t eating as much, our feet were probably good to go. The worst part about the fish spa was when the fish tried to get in between my toes; my instant reaction was to start kicking, which obviously scared off the fish for a bit. But they always came back! I don’t think it was the most relaxing experience I’ve ever had, but we liked it enough to go back when Sarah and Rachel came for a visit!

When we came to Jiaoxi for the second time, the public hot spring was opened! It was a cool, rainy day, so we were looking forward to getting into the hot sulphur water. There was only one small obstacle: we weren’t allowed into the hot spring without a swimming cap. In order to maintain the cleanliness of the pool, everyone is required to wear a cap to keep their hair from shedding into the water. Totally understandable; we just wished we knew before we came. After not knowing where to buy a swimming cap (and no one really understanding what we were asking), we found ourselves back at the Visitor’s Centre. The lady working didn’t know where exactly we could buy a cap, but suggested one of the nearby hotels. It turned out to be a great idea because luckily for us, they sold them. It was probably the fanciest hotel in the town, and actually had a hot spring on their property. We couldn’t afford to stay, so we bought our caps and went back to the cheap public one.

If you’ve read our previous blog about Beitou hot springs, you know this isn’t our first rodeo. We were expecting the smell of eggs from the sulphur, and the initial shock of the hot water when we stepped into the pool. The only difference between Beitou and Jiaoxi is the number of pools offered. Jiaoxi only had two pools, whereas Beitou had three different temperature ones. Either way, it was still a relaxing day in the water. This hot spring was actually less busy than Beitou as well. I guess because it is outside of Taipei, not as many people take the trip here. It worked out in our favour!

Overall, our trip(s) to Jiaoxi were more than relaxing. It’s always nice to spend a day pampering yourself (especially when the price is next to nothing). Even the bus ride from Taipei is only about $5 Canadian. You really can’t beat the price. Both times Emily and I have went to Jiaoxi, we have always left with some funny stories. Whether it was walking in a nude hot spring, or strutting out bathing caps like champs, there was never a dull moment. I think trying the fish spa is a must! As long as you can get over the initial shock, your body will begin to relax and get used to the fish nibbling away. If you ever want to try it, you know where to find me!