Banjar Hot Springs

Air Panas Banjar sits in a wooded gully south of Lovina in north Bali, where sulphurous water comes up at around thirty-eight degrees and is channelled through carved stone naga heads into three pools stepping down the slope - the upper one shallow, the middle deeper with the spouts pouring from about three metres so bathers stand under them for the pressure on shoulders and back, and a lower one. The stonework is moss-covered and set in tropical planting, which is a good part of the appeal. The water is mildly sulphurous rather than overpowering and is said locally to help skin complaints. It gets busy in the middle of the day when tour groups come through from Lovina; early morning is the time to have it quiet. Brahmavihara-Arama, a Buddhist monastery, is a short drive up the hill.

What you actually see

• Naga-head spouts - carved stone dragons pouring the water into the pools.
• Three stepped pools - shallow above, deeper below with the falling spouts.
• A wooded gully - moss-covered stonework in tropical planting.
• Mild sulphur water - around thirty-eight degrees, not overpowering.

When to go

April to October; early morning to avoid tour groups. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Midday brings coach groups and the pools fill. Changing facilities are basic. Modest swimwear is expected. The sulphur is mild but will still mark silver jewellery.

Nearby

Lovina is on the coast; the Brahmavihara-Arama monastery is up the hill.