Sankampaeng Hot Springs

Yesterday (Thursday), after a little morning homework, we drove out toward the Sankampaeng Hot Springs. The drive on the scooter took about 45 minutes. Near the hot springs, we stopped at the Muang-On Cave. You had to climb up a number of stairs to the entrance of the cave and then once inside, descend a series of concrete stairs to the chambers below. Various large alcoves and niches were occupied by gold-leaf statues of the Buddha.

The hot springs were pretty cool as well. Our first stop was a hot spring resort with beautifully manicured grounds, geysers, etc. The place was more of a spa specializing in massage, individual mineral baths, etc. The clientele primarily consisted of foreigners; in particular, we noticed a number of Korean tourists. We boiled some eggs in the source pool, ate, and played some farkel before heading over to the main Sankampaeng Springs. Again, there was no opportunity for soaking in natural pools but they did have a very nice mineral pool with a waterfall we could use for a nominal fee. This place catered more to the locals with the comforting corresponding degree of kitsch. You may have noticed that boiling eggs is a popular pastime at Thai hot spring and I can certainly understand why. It’s kind of neat to take some raw eggs, dangle them in some boiling cauldron of water and end up with perfectly done eggs. We’re partial to the medium done eggs. In our opinion, the only good yolk is a runny yolk. Besides, it’s so much fun to slurp up the gelatinous goo through pursed lips. We, like the Thais, prefer them with soy sauce. These hot springs featured an homage to the boiled egg in the form of a fountain featuring, you guessed it, a whole clutch of eggs.