This week we visit various hot springs and indulge in panoramic baths with scenic views. We’ll soak in refreshing hot spring baths, and later treat ourselves to superb local delicacies. From open-air baths in the sea to those surrounded by nature and mountains, there is no better way to relax our minds and soothe our bodies. It is a healing and blissful treat indeed!

For the first spa adventure, take a bus from Matsumoto Station of Nagano to Okuhida Spa Resort, located at the foot of the North Alps. The Okuhida Spa Resort in Gifu is a tasteful mountain village which has many open-air baths with a superb view of the North Alps. When you arrive at the Hirayu onsen bus terminal - the gateway to Okuhida - start your adventure by exploring the spa town. Hirayu onsen has the longest history in Okuhida. It boasts abundant spring water and has many inns. While waiting for the bus, you can visit an open-air bath on the third floor, and which features an excellent view of the North Alps. The European-style open-air bath looks like a shrine. You can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley and magnificent mountains, as you enjoy the relaxing bath.

After this, take a route bus to the spa town of Fukuji onsen. "The village of old tales" depicts the living styles of old Okuhida. Go to a restaurant, which is actually a 150-year old Japanese house. Here you can tuck into delicious local cuisine. The dishes are cooked by the hearth; this method of cooking is unique to this area. In fact, in the past, all the houses in Okuhida area had hearths. Order the mountain vegetables soba set meal. The homemade soba is popular among customers. After your meal, view a demonstration before trying your hand at weaving different patterns. Next, visit the Okuhida Bears farm, a theme park where you can get up close and personal with 150 bears. You can feed them and even enjoy a unique bear performance. Watch the clever bears perform skills like balancing on a ball and doing a handstand. Go to the bear kindergarten, where you can take a photo with the cute baby bears sitting on your lap!

Next, take a bus to Shinhodaka onsen. Get off at Hodakaso, Yamano Hotel, where you can stay the night. The resort hotel in Okuhida has a hot spring pool, a terrace and an open-air bath with an excellent view. You can see the highest peak of the North Alps, Mt. Yari, from the room window and the open-air bath. Besides Japanese-style rooms, the hotel also has Western-style rooms with an equally nice view. After freshening up, take a slope car of the hotel and head to Okuhida Shiawase Station. Go to the Sankyoyari no Yu, the biggest spa in Okuhida with a view of Mt. Yari. A clear stream that leads to the North Alps runs by its side. Soak in the delightful hot spring, which is surrounded by nature. After the relaxing spa, don a yugata and feast on some delicious French cuisine. Dishes include home-smoked big trout, and Japanese beef fillet steak. Besides French cuisine, Japanese meals using lots of local ingredients are also available.

The next day, after breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant, travel by a hotel car to the ropeway station. Take the ropeway to an observation deck, from where you can get a panoramic view of the North Alps. On a clear day, Mt. Nishi Hotaka, Mt. Yake and the main peak of the North Alps, Mt. Yari, can be seen. You will feel as if you are in a dream world above the clouds. From here, go to the last spa of this trip - Okuhida, Shinhodaka no Yu. This rustic public open-air bath is located by the side of a stream and boasts superb views. Do note that you have a pay a cleaning fee before you enter. Soak in the crystal clear warm water of this natural open-air bath. It is surrounded by huge rocks and the soothing sound of the river. It is the perfect end to this trip to Okuhida and its various open-air baths with scenic views.

The next adventure of visiting various hot springs starts in Tokyo Bay. Take a jet boat from Takeshiba terminal to Niijima, one of the Seven Islands of Izu. The journey takes about 2.5 hours - Niijima is located 150km south from the centre of Tokyo. The isolated island is full of nature and traditional culture, with a population of 2700. Take in the unique island atmosphere as you explore the place. It is so quiet here that you will feel as if time as stopped. You can climb up an observation deck and admire the wonderful view of the island and the sea. Habushiura Coast features a beach spanning 6.5km. It is one of the new eight views of Tokyo, and a symbol of Niijima. Take a walk along the beach, where you will notice several huge stone statues, each with its own unique gestures. They are called Moyai statues. In Niijima dialect, “moyai” means “help each other and work together”. The statues are carved out of precious volcanic rock, which is normally only found on Lipari Island in Italy and Niijima.

From the beach, head to a Greek-style spa. The free Yu no Hama open-air bath is made of the precious rock of Niijima. Another unique spa, which is actually a shrine, is located on a mountain. The beautiful spa with an exotic atmosphere boasts splendid views of Izu’s Seven Islands, and makes you feel as if you’re floating in the sky. For lunch, try Niijima’s famous sushi at the well-known Maruto restaurant. It serves local food and sushi made of fresh ingredients. The sushi is made by the restaurant’s 53-year-old master. His unique shimazushi is eaten with a secret sauce, which enhances the taste of the ingredients. After your meal, go to the only spa inn on the island, Niijimamura Onsen Lodge, where you can stay the night. This comfortable lodge is run by Niijimamura. You can choose to stay at a big Western-style room. Next, wear your yukata and head to a healing hot spring, Mamashita spa. Its steaming sand bath is also well-known among the locals. It has a spacious open-air bath with a nice view. Later, have a simple dinner consisting of fresh local food. The healthy dishes include ashitaba tempura and other homecooked Niijima specialities.

The next day, the hotel’s pick-up car will take you to Niijima Port, from where you can take a boat to Shikinejima. Enjoy the view of the surroundings during the 10-minute boat ride. The circumference of Shikinejima is 12km. On a clear day, you can see Izu Peninsula and Mt. Fuji from here. Visit the tourist information centre to get recommendations on nice spas and popular eating spots. One popular spa here, Matsugashita Miyabi-yu onsen, features open-air baths with superb views. Facing the sea, it has a cosy atmosphere and the water is warm, clear and smooth. Matsugashita Miyabi-yu onsen is also famous for its rusty red spring. You can enjoy the wonderful sea breeze as you relax in the open-air bath. Another hot spring worth visiting is Ashizuke onsen, which springs out from the rocky seaside. Do note that the water here can get quite hot, as its temperature varies according to the ebb and flow of the sea. It is said that people used to recognise this hot spring by seeing injured deer soaking in it.

After your refreshing bath, go to the Sengyo restaurant for lunch. Popular among local fishermen, it serves country cuisine which uses fresh fish caught in the area. Recommended dishes include fresh ground mackerel scad and flying fish which are seasoned and fried. The meat is tender and it tastes like satsuma age (fried fish cake). From here, head to a kaichu onsen in the sea with gorgeous views. Before that, go to Yukagen no Ana, where you can place your hands in a hole to find out the temperature of the spa which is 200m ahead. End your trip to Shikinejima by visiting another hot spring in the sea, called Jinata onsen. Here, hot spring gushes out from the rocks, forming several natural bathtubs.

The next hot spring adventure takes place in East Izu. First, travel by Express Odoriko from Tokyo to Atagawa, Shizuoka. Atagawa is a famous spa town located in East Izu. Here you can visit the origin of Atagawa onsen, before making your way to the Banana Crocodile Park. Spanning 10,000 tsubos (33057 square meters), the park is full of tropical flowers and banana trees. There are also several animals here such as manatees, over 200 crocodiles and 35 cute red pandas. You can feed and even touch the small crocodiles. From here, go to an ashiyu park by the seaside, called Atagawa Hot Park. It is a popular spot and is often teeming with locals and visitors. Dip your feet into the rather hot but soothing water, while enjoying the sea view. A panoramic hot spring in the sea is three minutes away by foot from the ashiyu park. It is a municipal spa with abundant spring water. If you’re hungry, you can have a meal at Yamamomojaya. It used to belong to a village headman in the quiet mountains and boasts 300 years of history. The restaurant specialises in local cuisine and mountain vegetables. Try the healthy Yamamomo set meal, which comprises mildly-seasoned vegetables such as seasonal bamboo shoot kinpira. It also includes a snack called herahera mochi, a speciality of Atagawa which has been passed down for generations. It is actually Japanese yam which is mixed with flour and rice flour and boiled. The key to its taste is the sesame miso sauce.

After leaving Atagawa, head to a hotel, Hama no Yu, where you can stay the night. It is a five-minute drive from Izu Inatori Station and a hotel bus will pick you up. It is an old but luxurious hotel within the spa town. The hotel stands on a cape facing the Pacific Ocean, and offers panoramic views of the sea from the lobby and its rooms. If you pay 1000 yen (S$15.06) more per person, you can stay in a room with a deck terrace and enjoy the sea view to the fullest. There is even a hammock on the deck terrace. The Japanese-style standard room by the seaside lets you enjoy the sea view and the refreshing sea breeze up close and personal.