Experience hot springs Vietnamese-style

The northern province of Ninh Binh not only has many beautiful areas, it also has a number of hot springs that are said to be quite good for one's health. Tourism companies say that Ninh Binh is a great place for sight-seeing and sitting with a lot of friendly people in a hot spring.

On the way to Kenh Ga hot spring.

Kenh Ga and Thuong Sung are two of the best hot springs in Ninh Binh. The Kenh Ga Resort sits on eight hectares from which one gets a view that is typical for Vietnam's countryside - banian trees, wells and communal houses and their yards.

Hot water from the spring is 45-50 degrees centigrade and is taken to different bathing tanks. There are big tanks into which 70 people can be squeezed, smaller tanks for just a few people and small tanks still for individuals.

Slipping into a hot mineral tank would truly be an unforgettable experience. Once out of the tank, one can lie down on a bench nearby, catch one's breath, and enjoy what might be a cool breeze blowing off the Hoang Long River. If one is still feeling frisky, one could amble off to enjoy the services of a lovely, professional masseuse.

While the Kenh Ga hot spring water is up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, the Thuong Sung Spring has water that is a constant 35 Celsius.

The Thuong Sung Hot Spring is in the Thuong Sung hamlet, Ky Phu commune, Nho Quan district (Ninh Binh). The spring is on the left side of the road when going from Nho Quan to Cuc Phuong National Park, about 8 km south of Nho Quan.

The spring was found in the 1960s by people who were in the area to map out a future Cuc Phuong National Park. At that time the hot spring water came to the surface out of fractures and holes on the northeast side of a karst mountain. At times spumes of steam could be seen erupting into the air.

In 1970, Geologic Group 54 surveyed the area and, in 1991, Geologic Group 47 carefully surveyed the hot spring for tourism purposes.

Many governmental offices have gone there to make their own surveys since then. These include the General Department of Geology, the Vietnam Academy of Science, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the Hanoi Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and a number of others.

Associate Doctor Ngo Ngoc Cat, the head of the Underground Water Research Department and a hot mineral water researcher at the Vietnam Academy of Science, said that the Thuong Sung Spring has bicarbonate manganese in the water making it a healing water. The water of the Thuong Sung Hot Spring can reduce inflammation and cold symptoms and aid digestion. The spring water is also bottled to serve as a refreshing drink. Many people bring a bottle of it home for their ailing parents.

Word is spreading about the Kenh Ga and Thuong Sung hot springs and more and more domestic and foreign visitors are dropping by for a plunge.