Tram Tau Hot Springs

The springs at Tram Tau come out at around fifty to sixty degrees in a valley in the mountains of southern Yen Bai, and they have been used by the H'mong and Thai villages around for a long time before anything was built at them. Simple pools and bath houses now take the water, run locally, at prices that are a fraction of a spa. What has changed the town is trekking: Tram Tau is the base for Ta Chi Nhu and Ta Xua is not far, so climbers coming off the mountains use the springs afterwards, which is the main custom in the cold months when the flowers and the cloud bring people up.

What you'll find

• Water at fifty to sixty degrees - out of the ground in the valley.
• Simple locally run pools - rather than a spa complex.
• A long local use - by the H'mong and Thai villages around.
• Trekkers off the mountains - the current main custom.

When to go

October to April, when the cold makes it worth it. Half a day.

Before you go

Facilities are basic - concrete pools and changing huts, not a resort. The road from Nghia Lo is winding. The town is small with limited services. It is busiest when the trekking seasons peak.

Nearby

Ta Chi Nhu is above; Nghia Lo and Muong Lo are north.