Spa Monkeys

So, opposable thumbs aside, we have more in common with the Japanese Snow Monkey than previously thought.

Perched high in the Japanese Alps, in the village of Jigokudani, is a tranquil retreat for anyone needing some well-deserved R&R. At the Korakukan Inn, visitors can ease into natural hot springs and let the curing waters do wonders – the benefits of which are no longer strictly limited to the human race.

The Korakukan hot springs, originally for the inn’s paying guests, also have a regular following of local snow monkeys who often trek from the nearby Jigokudani Monkey Park for a delightful warm-water dip. They’re seen here year-round grooming each other or carelessly sprawled out with their arms over the spring’s edge. It’s during the winter months that their spa rendezvous becomes a notorious habit.

[via Spot Cool Stuff Travel]