Proving once again that Mother Nature can outdo the resort industry, the golden crescent of steaming sands at Hot Water Beach is a free spa, bubbling with water as hot as 65˚C (149˚F). Shovels are available for rent from the beachfront store. (Shovels $4 per 2hr. $20 deposit. Open daily 9am-5pm.) For two hours on either side of low tide, you can soak in your own hollowed series of pools. The pools don’t always work; locals say the nature gods cooperate only 60-70% of the year. Chances are better in summer, though you may not have the only set of legs poking out of the sand; the Kiwi Experience Bus stops here, and as many as 1500 people try to dig pools in the limited space. The beach is beautiful, but the rips, reefs, and sandbars that bring good surfing breaks also make for treacherous swimming. Go Kiwi and the Purangi Winery both run shuttles to the beach (see above).
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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