B1, 20, Lane 353, Lin-sen N. Rd, Utopia Map, 2564-1069, email. Gay-owned Aniki Club is a world-class, private recreational club for gentlemen who want to enjoy 5-star pampering with club services. They aim to provide a space with the highest standard of safety, cleanliness, and privacy. From the minute you enter their garden path sliding door and are greeted by their smiling staff (tall, tan and gorgeous) you realize that the level of service here is as high as the top-notch decor and facility design (with subtle accents that change with the season). Lockers can accommodate up to 500 men. Restaurant (open 24-hours on weekends), three online Mac stations, relaxing TV lounge with a dozen beds, and high-quality toiletries in the bathroom. The wet area is stunning, with three large pools: hot, cool and jacuzzi, steam, plus dry sauna imported from Scandinavia, and dark shower area. Large number of private cabins available free and dim cruising corridors. Admission fee includes a 16 hour stay, with in and out privileges. Lockers can accommodate your backpack and staff can manage larger luggage (some visitors just check in and stay for days). They also offer massage (see listing under Massage and Spas). 林森北路353巷20號地下室 Utopia Member Discount

Comments from Utopians:

"Aniki is one of the best saunas anywhere in the world. I don't waste my time and money going to the others in Taipei, which are dark, garish, and a little scary. I always have amazing experiences there (I love Taipei and Taiwanese guys!). Keep in mind that this crowd is young, hip, and hot. If you are older and out of shape, you might not have fun (try Rainbow or Han Men's instead (an older, blue collar crowd). Easiest way to find it: turn right from exit #1 of Shunglian Station walking to the Gloria Hotel. Cross the street at the intersection and walk to the Gloria Hotel, then go right along the sidewalk to the second small street after the hotel (Linsen Rd). Walk about 70 paces to the blue lighted Aniki sign on the right side of the street. Walk down the short gravel path with tan stone steps to the wooden sliding door and stand underneath the automatic door sensor. The building in front of Aniki was recently torn down, with rubble in its place. Bring sexy underwear for the theme nights and don't whine about the slightly higher price (it's a bargain for what you are getting), but enjoy the loveliness! Bring your own condoms and be grateful each room has BIG lube dispensers. Last week the staff was great; they kept my bag during the day while I toured Taipei. Very professional and welcoming, even though they are young. The CEO is great. Every sauna should be this good! FIVE STARS." -- ernst, Aug 14, 2010

"Entry has increased to NT$700. No more free rooms - if you need a private room, pay NT$500 for two hours, so bring more cash." -- camtop72, Apr 8, 2010

"High quality venue, up there with Bangkok's Babylon (although much smaller) and KL's OTOT2. However there are already signs of deteriorating facilities: broken or missing showerheads, etc. Attention to detail is what makes a good facility great. Also, cutesy theme nights can be a turn-off for casuals and tourists. On a recent visit, the three of us from the west were clearly not in demand - even on the 'bear night'. Hopefully just a bad night and not racism or xenophobia. Well worth a visit if you're in Taipei." -- bear4unz, Feb 8, 2010

"WOW the place is like something out of Wallpaper Magazine. It was very very clean inside with lots of differnt types of people. Tall, skinny, short, chubs a mainly younger crowd when i was there ranging from 18-35. It has a good restaurant inside with good service. Also has a very nice spa if you want a massage. The whole place is run by gays for gays even the owner is gay. The rooms are clean, comfortable and have dimmable lights, condoms, lube and tissue. You can also get blankets, sheets and a pillow. They also have 3 dipping pools: one which is very hot, one not so hot and one that is quite cold. In the video room they play western movies with English subtitles. They also have themed nights like wearing your underwear or naked nights. Overall I rate this place 10 out of 10. FUN FUN FUN!" -- kyearmour, Nov 19, 2009

"Probably the best sauna I've ever been to. This place is new and clean with a really sexy vibe. The architecture and layout reeks of modern taste. The best part is it's super busy, even though I went on a week day. The sauna has a theme every day of the week. You can check out their website for their themes. It's a little confusing to find the entrance, however. I was at the address for almost an hour until I figured out how to get in. The neon sign that says Aniki Sauna for Men definitely stands out in a quiet alley. However, when you go down the path, there's several doorways. Go down the pathway where the sign is and there's a very discreet door on your left. It looks like a wooden garage door. I tried pushing it a couple times, but it wouldn't budge. The trick is there's a small censor on top of the door. You almost literally have to have your nose touch the door until the censor goes off and the door opens a secret passageway down to Aniki. The workers at Aniki are all sexy, hot, cute, or all of the above. They also mostly wear underwear and a tanktops, so it was even sexier. They are also very, very nice and friendly. They had a large movie room with really comfortable beds. It showed American movies with subtitles. They also had a small PC room, a club/dance room, and a restaurant/lounge area. Some of the cons were that they only offer you a very small towel. It was almost impossible to completely dry off after a shower or bath, so a lot of people came out of the shower area still wet which made the wooden floors very slippery sometimes. However, I think the workers realized this issue as I heard them talking about it. Also, they put slanted mirrors in the corners of hallways which made it really hard to see where hallways ended. I saw a few people accidently walk into walls because of this. Non-Asians didn't seem to get much attention and were sometimes avoided. I believe there's a stigma against foreigners in Taiwan. This wasn't a problem for me, but I saw a pretty attractive white guy who didn't get any action the whole time I was there. Another possible is that if you aren't in shape, you most likely won't get any attention either, unless you go on Thu which is bear/chub/chaser theme day. About 90% of the people there had bodies like supermodels. Since almost everyone was in shape, the people who weren't were also avoided. I also couldn't find any condoms or condom vending machines. I'm not even sure if they use it there, so I would suggest bringing your own. Other then that, the place was amazing, and I had tons of fun and would most definitely come back. You even get the privilege to go in and out of the sauna without any extra fees." -- daisuke69, Sep 28, 2009

5/F, N0. 8 Min Tsu East Rd, Utopia Map, 2598-8856. Large sign. A gay-owned and operated gym and sauna. MRT Dan-shui Line, Yuan-shan station. Walk along Min-Zu E. Rd to the intersection of Zhong-shan N. Rd and look for number 8. 民權東路8號5樓 – 樓下為詹氏運動用品

Comments from Utopians:

"Nice place. Good equipment in the gym with guys really working out. Lay-out has changed and is now very good. Muscular and good-looking patrons. Hot atmosphere and generally no attitude." -- Sergeant, Dec 29, 2009

265 Chang An West Rd, Utopia Map, 2550-7766, email. Open 24 hours. Seven floor facility with steam room, restaurant, maze, private rooms. Massage available. Attracts locals and visitors. Popular with middle-aged men and bears. 長安西路256號, 近塔城街口

Comments from Utopians:

"Office Sauna should be pulled down. It stinks, is filthy dirty and now has the added attraction of doors hanging off on some floors. Those who go there are ever fewer and uninteresting. My advice is to somewhere else."-- HKtoTaiwan, Dec 7, 2009

RAILWAY STATION

5/F 72 Jhongsiao W. Rd, Utopia Map, 2311-8258. Popular and very easy to find. Standing in front of the Taipei Railway Station, look to the opposite side of the street, to the right. You will see a 10 storey building with a giant neon Panasonic sign on the top. Enter the building, take the lift to 5/F and pay the entry fee. It occupies the entire floor. The locker room has over 300 lockers. Big steam room, dry sauna and nice shower room. There are about 40 private rooms where you can have fun or just sleep. There is a large video room (almost like a movie theatre) with 60 recliners where people sleep and/or have fun (clean blankets provided), plus several dark rooms. They also have many free Net stations. No time limit and you can easily spend the night here. Mixed age crowd. Open daily 24-hours. Busiest on Fri nights and all day on weekends and holidays. 忠孝西路72號5樓

Comments from Utopians:

"NT$280 for 16 hours. My first time there and I was totally lost as there do not seem to be any facilities. A small pool in the shower area but no water, no movies in video rooms, all dark, not able to explore further as their steam rooms was too dark. They did not provide any info after you pay the entrance fee. Not worth spending money or time there if you are a visitor from other country." -- iwant88, May 14, 2010

"I agree, Genghis Khan Sauna has improved. Was just there and they've gotten rid of the bright light in each room that people checking you out could turn on, and there were no bad smells. Place wasn't real busy on a week night, but it wasn't dead there either. And there were many guys on the weekend." -- spup, Dec 19, 2009

"Genghis Khan Sauna seems be to under much improved management lately and is now clean and smells fresh and gets quite busy after midnight on a Sat night. An added bonus is the discount that they are currently offering - NT$150 per entry!" -- HKtoTaiwan, Dec 7, 2009

"Once you walk through the elevator, the owner greets you. He speaks several languages including Japanese and English. The owner was really nice and helpful. The place is massive with tons of private rooms, but the entire place is almost pitch black with only small red lights from the ceilings to guide you. I tripped a couple times on some stairs as well as bumping into some doors and walls. The shower room is in the back. Although there's a hot tub there, there was no water in it. Next to the shower area was the sauna which reeked. Filthy toilets. There was a man at the end of the hall, near the shower area, who was just staring at everyone. He was fully clothed though, so I think he was just a worker, but he made the experience even more awkward. I then proceeded to the only place where there were guys, which was the video room. There were only four guys, including me. I decided to wait a little longer, so I spent some time in the PC area. After about an hour with no new people coming in, I decided to leave. I would only recommend this place if you're looking for a cheap place to stay at and sleep. A waste of NT$400." -- daisuke69, Sep 28, 2009

XIMEN -- Red House

2/F 120 Xi-Ning South Rd, Utopia Map, 2311-8681. Look for the sign on 2/F at the front of the alley. Clean and small. Open 24 hours. Attracts a younger, body beautiful crowd. MRT Ban-chiao line, Xi-men stop, walk along Cheng-du Rd, turn left on Hsi Ning Rd for a short distance. Older facility, but very friendly. 漢士三溫暖

Comments from Utopians:

"I went to Han Men's Sauna during the week at about 11pm. It was clean and everyone was friendly, but the facility is dark, garish, and a little scary. Though I did meet men who were interested in me, I did not like the atmosphere of the place. I was put off by the lack of warmth." -- ernst, Aug 14, 2010

20 Hsi Ning South Rd (2 doors east of the Paradise Hotel), Utopia Map, 2381-5900. Open 24 hours. MRT Banchiao line, Ximen stop. Mature men. 西寧南路20號

Comments from Utopians:

"Huang Gong is not a large sauna. While older, it's clean and the staff are friendly. Not sure about weekends, but on a weeknight there were enough guys (mostly middle-aged) to keep things busy. Rooms are small but comfortable." -- spup, Dec 19, 2009

2/F No.142 Kunming St at Chengdu Rd (one block from Han Sauna and around the corner from Relax & Royal Spa), Utopia Map, 2370-2899. The most popular gay sauna in town even though its an aging facility. No sign, but once you get to the address you can't miss the exterior and stair hallway plastered with rainbow flags and banners. Large bath and scrub area, steam, dark video room, reading and TV lounge. Lots of private cabins on the upstairs floors. Busy, big, and well-worn working-class type of place. 昆明街142號2樓

Comments from Utopians:

"I went at about 11pm. Though I did meet a VERY hot young soldier, the concrete showers are dark and the black/white checkerboard vinyl tile floors are hideous." -- ernst, Aug 14, 2010

YANGMINGSHAN HOT SPRINGS

10, Alley 300, Singyi Rd, Utopia Map, 2874-7979. MRT Tamshui line, Shipai station, then take the main exit and turn right on the main road to the bus stop in front of the China Trust Bank (green sign). Take bus #508, 535 or 536 from here to Singyi RD #3 stop (there are 4 stops on the road). There are many hot springs here. You will have to locate this one. Not a gay place, but plenty of action and gays tend to be agressively cruisy, especially in the dark steam room. Best after 10pm and on Fri, Sat and Sun. Open 24 hours. Pool for men is closed on Thu morning. 北投行義路300巷10號

Comments from Utopians:

"I went from noon-4pm on a weekday and had a nice little time. There were about six customers there (all gay), with more arriving as it got closer to quitting time at work (around 4pm). It's a nice, small facility and the natural spring pool has mineral water. The only place for action is in the small sauna and only when your partner is not afraid of being interrupted by someone walking in on the play. It's not so difficult to find: Take bus #508, 535 or 536 from that China Trust Bank bus stop going up the road about ten minutes. Watch the street signs on the right; the numbers grow larger as the street ascends. Get off the bus when you see the the one that says 300 Lane (NOT 'alley'), which is at a bus stop right before the entrance to where this and other hot springs are. Go down the lane through the large parking lot which accommodates tour buses, keeping right. At the bottom of this lot is another smaller car lot on the left and steps to hot springs on the right, separated by a column with white, old-fashioned pictures of Japanese women in kimono. Chuan-Tang is on the right side under a covered walk of stone tile steps leading down to it. Turn left at the bottom of the steps to go to the desk to buy your ticket. If you turn right you will go towards the baths; men's is on the left at the back. You can get a decent one-hour non-erotic massage here for only NT$1000, which is cheaper than most places. Patrons here are middle-aged and nice. A local man told me this place is hot from midnight to dawn." -- ernst, Aug 14, 2010

Same area as Chuan Tang Hot Spring, Utopia Map. Lockers for your clothes. guys walk around naked or with small wash towels. outdoor showers and pools or various sorts. Two steam rooms. Not gay, but the gays are easy enough to spot. This place is popular with mature guys and bears and those who hunt them. 皇池

Comments from Utopians:

"Don't expect any action. It's a nice enough place and the spring water is really good and you feel smooth afterwards. Bring your own towels if you don't want to pay for them." -- khdaerb, Jan 15, 2010

7 Hu-shan Rd Sec 1, Yang-ming-shan, Utopia Map, 2861-7100. About 35-45 minutes to the hotel which is opposite the 7-Eleven. Take bus#260 from in front of the California Fitness at the Taipei train station to the mountain (last stop, in front of 7-Eleven and Starbucks). Walk back along the road about 20m. There you will see the old hotel built of stone. Small but very crowded from mid day. Not gay, but lots of action. under the water. Open 9am-4pm and again 4:30pm-9pm. Just before closing at 4pm things heat up as straight patrons leave. Don't bring valuables. Bring water to drink. 陽明山湖山路7號