Monkeying around in Japan

The bubbling volcanic springs for which Hell Valley in central Japan is famed are popular with bathers throughout the year - but in the winter they attract an unusual class of patron, says Sara Evans in the Sunday Telegraph. As temperatures plunge and the snow falls over the surrounding mountains, one inhabitant of the valley's evergreen forests is drawn irresistibly to the steaming waters: the Japanese macaque. These monkeys are not modest bathers. They'll let you watch at close quarters - the adults sitting motionless, like "grumpy old men", as snowflakes catch in their fur to form "judges' wigs" and "Father Christmas beards" around their red faces, while the young skirmish with snowballs at the water's edge. Inside Japan (0870 120 5600) has tours which include the Wild Monkey Park in Hell Valley. ·