San Kamphaeng Hot Springs

The springs sit in a landscaped park in the hills east of Chiang Mai, where geothermally heated water reaches the surface at around a hundred degrees and is piped into a pair of jets that shoot several metres up, plus a hot channel running through the grounds. The standard visit has a fixed sequence: buy a basket of quail or hen eggs at the entrance, lower it into the boiling channel on a string for a few minutes, eat them, then sit with your feet in the cooler mineral channels, and afterwards use the swimming pool or private bathing rooms where the water is mixed down to a bearable temperature. Sulphur is present but mild. It is a domestic tourism site rather than a spa, well organised, with gardens, camping and simple accommodation. The water in the source channel is genuinely at boiling point and scalds - the barriers are there for a reason and children need watching closely.

What you actually see

• The geyser jets - water forced several metres into the air.
• The egg boiling - baskets lowered into the hot channel on strings.
• The foot channels - cooler water for soaking, running through the grounds.
• The bathing pools - mixed to a usable temperature, plus private rooms.

When to go

November to February, when the cooler air makes the hot water worthwhile. Mornings are quietest; Thai families arrive through the day at weekends.

Honest expectations

The source water is at boiling point and scalds - keep clear of the channels and watch children. It is a landscaped domestic attraction rather than a natural pool. Ticketed, with additional charges for pools and private baths.

Nearby

San Kamphaeng and its craft workshops are west; Mae On and the Bua Thong sticky waterfalls are north.