Ever since ancient times, indulging oneself in a hot spa has always been an indispensable pleasure in life. From the royals like Queen Victoria to the literary masters like Goethe, all were allegedly obsessed with the warm mist rising from a hot spring. Granted by Mother Nature, hot springs around the world present themselves in different styles, complementing the captivating natural scenery or, to put it into Mark Twain's words, the experience can make you "forget the whole world."

People relax in the Blue Lagoon spa in Grindavik, Iceland. The Blue Lagoon came into being in the mid-1970s, when some communities on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula sought to harness heat generated by the geothermal area. [Photo/icpress]