The UK's Secret Sauna.
A few years ago, I went on a trip of a lifetime to Lapland. And before you ask, YES it was freezing cold and YES I did meet Santa.
One thing I feel in love with other than nature and overall scenery, was the sauna ritual that the Scandinavian countries swear by.
Imagine cold weather and a swim in the cold lake, followed by a hot sauna experience. I wish I was brave enough (& had enough time) to actually experience this. Instead, I ended up spending an afternoon at a spa and using the sauna as many times as humanely possible.
Since then, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of saunas. I even started making plans to find a way to build one at my house. A girl can dream I guess, right?
Until I collect the funds to do that though I decided to go on a mission to find another sauna experience, somewhere close by. I then came across the Sauna Experience hidden somewhere in Suffolk, at an area called Bungay, which according to the trusty ol’ google, it’s located in ‘north Suffolk close the the Norfolk border, along the River Waveney valley, about 12 miles south of Norwich and only 20 mins from Southwold and the Suffolk Heritage Coast’.
The truth is that with experiences like these, you rarely find ‘good’ availability and it was definitely true in my case as well. I managed to find a slot at 8am on a Saturday morning so there I was, waking up at 6am on a Saturday morning to make it on time.
Heads Up: Be prepared to book well in advance if you’d like to book a more convenient time.
Once we arrived, we were greeted by a lovely lady, who was also up from very early in the morning. Is it just me or the older we get, the less we sleep? And I don’t even have kids yet!
The lady also asked us how we’ve heard of the secret sauna because…duh, it’s a secret. I ended up explaining my Lapland story as documented here. Then, she gave us a short tour and explained how the sauna worked.
Something positive about the experience is that they give you plenty of time to relax, you have privacy (almost, more on this later) and time to enjoy and get ready to pack up and leave. They’re is no real rush!
A Few More Thoughts On The Experience:
It’s recommended to experience the sauna naked. Yes naked, but for the love of God, please bring a towel and sit on it. The sauna is hidden enough that you can do that…however…you might still encounter kayakers or paddle borders or anyone else trying to enjoy the river. Then I’d say, go naked at your own risk. And a towel is definitely your best friend because if someone comes passes by and if you’re fast enough, you can cover yourself up… or just accept your fate and just…wave!
If you end up doing this naked, I can confidently say that it is a very liberating experience.
Bring water and towel(s).
You can swim in the river if you like dirty water. It is just me though, I have a love/hate relationship with UK rivers.
There is a cooling alternative to the river which is a bucket full of cold water. I challenge you to try it after the sauna. The first few seconds will be very traumatic but it gets better, I promise.
You will become one with nature. The birds, cows, greenery.
Now that I am thinking about it, the 8am slot was a good shout. We found parking very easily and the river was very calm and quiet. So if you’re looking for a similar experience then book an early appointment.
Don’t be afraid to book the experience when it’s raining or when it’s cold outside. Besides, living in the UK means that it is very likely that you will encounter a day like that.
The Coffee Experience
What a better way to finish the adventure off with a coffee and a snack at Silo which is the coffee shop in front of the sauna. Another reason for booking an earlier slot is the higher probability of finding space at the coffee shop.
Documented below is an almond latte and a cinnamon roll!
