Really enjoyed visiting this sauna! Heard about it through our travel guidebook and ended up having a great time. The sauna is HOT and the attendant will circulate the air in a way that blasts your nose and eyes. Not for the faint of heart! But jumping in the lake in between sessions made it all worth it. Echoing the previous reviewer in that, traditionally, I'm used to low voices or no talking in saunas. The opposite was true here, but once I got over that, we had some really great conversations with our sauna mates, some of whom were locals which was nice. We found ourselves tempted to come back the next day, but the price and intensity of the experience made it perfect for a one-and-done type of attraction. read more

What a cool experience! This is located onsite at The Camp at Lake Hawea, and I'm so glad we found this hidden gem and booked ahead for our stay here. This barrel sauna is situated right on the lake's waters, with an incredible view of the lake and mountains beyond. The attendant working the check in tent greeted us with a beverage and shared the procedure and details for our time there. You get an hour time slot, and we chose the community sauna which meant we shared it with about 8 others. This made for a pretty tight squeeze in the sauna - especially with strangers! LOVED: - The attendant came in every 10-15 minutes to check on us and do the traditional air movement practice where she spun a towel above her head to distribute the heat. - The view is INSANE. - You can take breaks during by plunging into the chilly waters of Lake Hawea! SO-SO: To no fault of the Secret Sauna staff, a large portion of the group we went with were VERY chatty friends, so most of the time was listening to their loud stories and inside jokes - not the most relaxing. One other guest complained to the attendant, and she requested a silent round for the last 15 minutes, which the guests did not obey. It might be worth requesting the community sauna sessions be silent or have groups book separately. Overall, definitely worth the experience - just might recommend booking for yourself only or being prepared for chatty groups! read more

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