Hot Springs in Nepal: Where to Soak After the Trail

The Nepali for hot spring is tatopani, literally "hot water", and so many places bear the name that it can cause confusion at bus stations. Thermal springs rise along the deep river valleys where the Himalaya is still being pushed upwards. A few have been turned into simple bathing pools, and for a trekker with aching legs there is no better discovery.

What to expect

These are not spas. A typical site consists of one or more concrete or stone pools beside a river, fed by a pipe from the spring, with a changing shelter and a ticket window. The water is usually between warm-bath and almost-too-hot. People come to ease joints and skin complaints as much as for pleasure, and many Nepalis make long journeys for a course of daily soaks.

Tatopani on the Kali Gandaki

The best-known spring lies in Myagdi district, in the village of Tatopani on the road and trail between Beni and Jomsom. It sits at about 1,200 metres on the riverbank, with two main pools kept at different temperatures.

For walkers finishing the Annapurna Circuit, or coming down from Ghorepani, it is a traditional place to stop. The village has lodges with gardens of orange and banana trees and a pleasantly warm climate after the high country. A small fee is charged for the pools, and cold drinks are sold at the side.

Access: by bus or jeep from Pokhara via Beni in five to seven hours, or on foot as part of a trek.

Singa Tatopani

Also in Myagdi, a short drive from the town of Beni, this spring is primarily a place of healing for Nepali visitors, who stay for a week or more and bathe several times a day according to a routine. The atmosphere is that of a rustic health resort, with basic guesthouses, shared pools and separate times or sections for men and women. Foreigners are few and welcome.

Jhinu Danda

On the trail to Annapurna Base Camp, stone pools sit right on the bank of the Modi Khola, about twenty minutes' walk downhill from the lodges. Trekkers descending from the sanctuary plan their last night around it. The setting, with the river roaring past and forest all round, is the prettiest of any spring in the country. After heavy rain the river can flood the pools.

Tatopani near the Tibetan border

In Sindhupalchok district, north-east of Kathmandu on the highway to the border, a spring emerges beside the Bhote Koshi River and is channelled through a row of spouts under which people stand and wash. The area was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake and by later floods, and facilities have been rebuilt. It can be combined with a visit to the river gorge used for rafting and bungee jumping nearby. Check road conditions before setting out, especially in the monsoon.

Others

Springs are scattered across the country, from the Langtang region, where some were affected by the earthquake, to remote valleys of the far west. Those on trekking routes are often no more than a rock basin beside the path. Ask lodge owners; they will know.

How to bathe

Customs are more conservative than in most Western countries.

• Wash first. Rinse thoroughly at the tap or spout before getting into the pool.

• Dress modestly. Men wear shorts. Local women usually bathe in a wrap-around cloth tied above the chest. Visitors should wear a one-piece swimsuit or shorts and a T-shirt; bikinis attract stares.

• No soap or shampoo in the pool.

• Change discreetly in the shelter provided.

• Keep voices down and do not splash. Many bathers are there for their health.

• Do not drink alcohol before or during a soak.

• Limit your time. Ten to twenty minutes, then a rest, then again.

Health and safety

• Hot water lowers blood pressure and can make you light-headed. Get out slowly.

• Drink plenty of water.

• People with heart conditions and pregnant women should seek medical advice first.

• Do not submerge your head.

• Keep cuts covered, or skip the bath if you have open wounds.

• Rocks around the pools are slippery.

When to go

Autumn, winter and spring. The pleasure of hot water is greatest on a cold evening or a frosty morning. In the monsoon, riverside pools may be muddy or submerged.

Planning a soak into a trek

If your route passes a spring, schedule a short walking day to arrive by mid-afternoon. Bathe before dinner, sleep deeply and bathe again at dawn before the crowd. Few things mark the end of a long walk so well as lowering yourself into a steaming pool with a river thundering a few metres away.