One of the most essential joys of travel is discovering not just new places to bathe, but new ways to bathe. Whether it's submerging yourself in a Japanese hot spring on a snowy, cypress-studded mountain, or taking in a traditional hammam in Morocco and emerging to the scent of freshly baked bread from the communal ovens next door—or simply melting into that extra-deep tub in your hotel room after a day of trekking along foriegn trails or cobblestones—the bath experience can open new portals of sensory delight. Luckily, many of the tools needed to recreate bathing nirvana at home are just a click away. Here are the best tools of the trade from around the world guaranteed to offer a fully transporting bathing experience—just add water.
Bath Brush with Knob
Country of origin: Sweden
Iris Handverk in Stockholm creates these maple and horsehair brushes by hand, stitching in each fiber to the wooden base. The workshop continues the tradition adopted by the company over a hundred years ago of employing visually impaired artisans to create the brushes in their exclusive designs. This handsome bath brush serves double duty as a soft exfoliator and superlative sudser, and as an exemplar of Swedish craftsmanship and social responsibility.
Raw Loofah Sponge
Country of origin: Greece
A natural, biodegradable alternative to the washcloth. This 100-percent raw loofah version is made from a type of fibrous cucumber that’s been gently dried in the coastal breezes of the Greek Islands – a state we all hope to achieve at least once in our lives. If you prefer your loofah pre-soaped, this sweet-smelling honey option offers built-in suds – and the added bonus of donkey milk, claimed to be a favorite beauty treatment of Cleopatra.
Exfoliating Bath Washcloth
Country of origin: South Korea
These exfoliating towels were originally made from a viscose fabric imported from Italy, giving these cult-status washcloths their name. Today, they are used throughout spas in Korea and, thanks to the power of the internet, throughout the world. Because of their abrasiveness, these come with a max dosage: use once a weekly to make you, according to one reviewer, "slippery like a baby eel." Which is a thing we have all decided we want.
Dr. Singha’s Ayurvedic Mustard Bath
Country of origin: Europe, USA, India
