If you want a treat that’s a bit different from the crowded usual attractions, then Firewater Pond is for you. A signal that you’re about to stumble upon a hidden gem known more to locals than tourists is the winding, rutted road leading up to the secluded grotto. On the way, I’ll share the history of the pond you’re about to discover. Once we arrive at a clearing, I’ll guide you to the bamboo- and tarpaulin-shielded enclosure that protects the pond, which is said to have healing properties due to the high concentration of minerals. But it’s the methane that seeps up into the water from the ground below that gives the pond its name. The pond “keeper” (grandson of the woman who discovered the pond’s “magic”) regularly sets the water on fire, allowing visitors the unique experience of bathing safely in flames. If requested, the keeper will give your legs a fire “massage,” using a towel soaked in the water. It’s like no other experience you’ve ever had.
