HEALING POWERS: Dawos pointing to the hot spring earmarked for upgrading.
KUCHING: The Panchor Hot Spring is believed to be a popular spot for people seeking natural healing.
Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Datuk Sri Dr James Dawos said about 2,500 people visited the hot spring every month last year and the number could be more now.
He said the Panchor Hot Spring, which was upgraded by the Tourism Ministry last year at a cost of about RM500,000, is currently managed by the village security and development committee.
“I was told by the committee chairman last year that they can easily collect RM10,000 in entrance fee a month, which means about 2,500 people visited the hot spring a month. Now, the number of visitors going there could be more as electricity has been connected to the facilities.
“I believe people go there not just for recreation, but also to seek natural treatment,” said Dawos, who was formerly tourism deputy minister.
It is said the hot spring in Panchor has the ability to cure some diseases.
Dawos said like most hot springs, the hot water there contains various dissolved minerals, which can cure certain skin diseases and even heart disease.
He said the village headman of Kampung Panchor had related to him that he (the headman) had his heart problem improved after soaking himself in the hot spring everyday for six months.
“I have also been told by some of the women, who I saw putting mud from the hot water on their skin during my visit there last year, that the mud does some wonders to their skin,” he said.
In fact, Europe and Japan have long discovered that bathing in mineral springs can have a profound effect on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
The use of natural mineral water for the prevention and cure of disease is also an accepted form of mainstream medicine around the world.
Dawos said aside from providing health benefits, Panchor hot spring is also good for recreation.
Hot spring is produced by the emergence of geothermal heated ground water from the Earth’s crust. The heated water contains minerals that are claimed to have medicinal value and can cure various kinds of ailments, among them skin diseases.
Dissolved minerals in hot springs are absorbed by the skin. This kind of absorption through the skin is less harmful to the digestive tract and more beneficial than ingesting the equivalent in the form of mineral supplements.
Kampung Panchor Hot Spring, which is located at Kampung Panchor Dayak, 40 km from Kuching City, is surrounded by forest and nature, offering serene and calm atmosphere, and is accessible via Kuching-Serian Road.
The hot spring is open to the public daily from 7.00am till 10.00pm with a nominal entrance fee of RM4 is charged per adult and children over 12 years.