My Jjimjilbanging Seoul
01.28.2013 Seoul, South Korea
My Jjimjilbanging Seoul
Korea is a busy place. The work hours are long and vacations are short for most locals. A 12 hour work day is customary. A five-day a year vacation – a norm. The kids are not exempt from this working frenzy – an average child attends 4 after-school academies, making “Johnny a dull boy.”
Yet, no complaint is to be heard. Neither from an adult nor from a child. To a question “How do you do it?” a frequent response is “oh, it's just my job...” while the kids just shrug their shoulders as if it hasn't even occurred for them to question this state of affairs. Truly, a a curious way of acceptance.
However, I believe, there is one “escape hatch” that helps Koreans brave the freezing winters and intense working conditions in this tiny, densely-populated country. The Jjimjilbangs, a Korean spin on the Roman Baths, and Oncheon – jjimjilbangs built on the natural hot springs, of which there are over 400 in Korea.
If you have been to a public bath before and enjoyed it, prepare to have your world transformed – in a pleasant way. I am convinced, these tranquil oases of rejuvenation and relaxation are the best-kept secret in Korea. Ok, maybe, it's that and kimchi [and that's a highly acquired taste!].
Often a jjimjilbang will be in a multi-story building taking up a good block in length. The bottom floors are “wet” and gender-segregated. Rubens would not let his brush rest, feasting on the scenes of the peaceful naked bodies cleansing themselves and soaking in various flavours of healing waters and sweating profusely in the sauna, scrubbing each other with salt and crushed apricot seeds and suction-cupping one another's backs. Such is Korean medicine.
Often, there will be many pools to soak in – each with huge digital thermometer, alerting you before the plunge. A cold [~20 C], hot [~45 C] and body-temperature pools are the staples. Usually, there is also a larger cool pool to splash around in with a few fire-hydrant grade pressure hoses for hydro-massage. Beyond that – every jjimjilbang will have its own variations of the theme.
Some have semi-precious stone sweat rooms. Some – herbal tea soaking pools. Some have “lemon pools” with an almost fluorescently-yellow water. Some offer “mugwort soaks” of fragrant brown-greenish water. You just know – this stuff simply can't NOT be good for you!
I remember once walking into a steam room and being amazed that the entire room was clad – walls and ceiling – with gigantic agate “eggs.”
Another jjimjilbang had an amethyst sauna, the walls of which presented an epic mosaic of amethyst druzes. Yet another – one fully lined with dark pink himalayan salt bricks. A different one – had a huge drum full of fine salt on the floor. With it, one was free to scrub oneself or another as the body sloughed off all the old skin layers. One cannot help but appreciate the ingenuity and loving hands of the people who built these healing works of art.
Here one can also get the traditional Korean scrub-and-massage. For that, you lay down on a plastic-covered cot, and black lacy bra-and-panty-clad maidens fiercely scrub every inch of your body. The black lacy bra and panties seem to be the traditional “uniform” for these wonderful masseuses.
Not a toe or a pinky is spared. Then oil is poured plentifully upon you, and long strokes of their powerful hands squeeze away the stress and tension in a hurry. Your face is cucumber-masked and massaged with it. Your hair – shampooed. The oil is followed by a whole-body yogurt covering. When you finally arise, your body squeaks a song of joy – that's how clean it is!
Once thoroughly cleansed, you may proceed to the dry, co-ed floors. One can easily spend a couple days oscillating between the different facilities of the larger jjimjilbangs. Some will have as many as 14 different healing rooms. Infra-red “beds,” oxygen rooms, bamboo rooms, jade rooms, salt rooms, clay rooms, fire-breathing room, charcoal room and an ice cave are just some to name. Often, the floor in a room will be covered with a certain mineral. Sometimes – jade. Sometimes – amethyst. Sometimes – just salt crystals or fine red clay balls.
The rooms will vary in temperature – from a “-10” ice cave to an 85 C Fire-breathing room. It is sheer pleasure to burrow under layers of salt crystals and drift away in meditation.
Usually,
these amazing spas will also have massage chairs galore and foot
massage machines, cafes, traditional Korean restaurants, dry sports
massage sections, karaoke singing rooms, PC rooms and common resting
areas. Some even have a movie theatre! No need to go outside, really!
Jjimjilbanging is a family affair in Korea. Often, the whole family will come to spend a fine Saturday there...and stay for the night. Some jjimjilbangs will actually have sleeping rooms with bunk-beds. I've seen one in Seoul – the fair Siloam Spa – that had 3 huge sleeping rooms full of beds. One for boys, another for girls, and yet another – for snorers! All in all, I was beginning to sea how Koreans recharged in their busy lives!
Since I “ran into” a vacation shortly after arriving to Jeonju, I figured, this would be a good time to explore the fine jjimjilbangs of Seoul. The comforting thought was that Seoul is very easy to get around, thanks to the extensive, efficient subway network. Much more so than Jeonju – that doesn't even have a city bus map, let alone – a subway. And on the self-created tour I went. There's nothing like a -15 C degree weather to propel one towards the warm, steamy waters of the rejuvenation havens.
For the readers that might be visiting Seoul, I will mention a few jjimjilbangs that have impressed me especially. Perchance, if you are visiting Korea – or even living here – you might find this part helpful.
Siloam Fire-Pot Spa
This sprawling oasis of relaxation is by far my favourite in the Seoul area. Everything about it is convenient and efficient. It's thought-out to the core. It's every detail is cozy, warm and inviting. The jjimjilbang takes up 5 expansive floors. The bottom floor is the “wet” area full of medicinal pools of varying temperatures and cozy wooden saunas, where ajummas [Korean for “older lady”] scrub each other with salt.
The wet floor is quite compact compared to many other jjimjilbangs, however, everything you need is there. Several hot pools, a smaller warm pool and a larger cold pool with a supercharged vertical jet that is sure to plunge all your energy channels con gusto. Great lighting. Overall – a very cozy feel to the space.
The main lounging area is on the fourth floor. That is where one may find over ten different relaxation rooms – all supposedly with fabulous health benefits. There is a scorching hot jade room where you may fry your bones and relax the muscles knee-deep in jade – little pieces of it – while all the walls and ceiling are studded with beautiful jade crystals as well. An inside-out green hedgehog, if you will.
There are several salt room – a warm and a hot one. There you may bury yourself in salt crystals and drift away. Once that's done, you may float off to a charcoal and indigo-lit oxygen room. There is a theory that with all the pollution around we are not getting quite as much oxygen as we need for optimal functioning. Hence, you can lounge here and get all the O2 you might be missing.
If you got too cool in the O2 room, you might proceed to a fire-breathing room, as I like to call it. It's a staple amongst the jjimjilbang. Heated to around 90 C and filled with large infra-red bulbs hanging from the ceiling, this giant dome is the place to sweat in peace. Some Korean folks cover their heads with woolen blankets here – presumably, to protect the hair from the heat. Traditionally, the door is tiny and you have to bend half-way to climb in. If you look up, you might think you are in a giant bee's nest – the charred dome ceiling has bulging concentric rings on it.
If your brain has melted sufficiently, you can cool off a bit in the giant freezer that is the cold room. The walls are covered with ice and the air is crispy and feels delightful after a nice sweat.
If all the hot-cold migration has gotten you in the mood to just crawl into a warm lair and relax for a bit, you may do so in the “Dug Out room.” Imagine an oversized wine-cellar with “bottle holders” being made of clay. Each has a cozy mat, a marble floor and a warm infra-red bulb inside, individually controlled. A wonderfully cozy space. You may oscillate between the different rooms the whole day – they are wonderful.
Unlike many other Jjimjilbangs, the singular plasma TV in the relaxation area never gets loud and disruptive. Also, quite remarkably – EVERY floor has lockers for the valuables, so there is no need to scale the stairs or tote a bag with you. And the sleeping floor even has a charging station for the gadgets in the lockers! So very convenient!
On several floors, you may find comfy massage chairs. And, if the fancy might strike you, you may find more movement on the third floor, where there are several “galloping” exercise machines as well as a decent gym. Then, to make leaving the building obsolete, there is also a PC room and a karaoke room, remarkably well insulated.
The beautiful bit about Siloam is that anywhere you go – there is plenty of space. Even on the weekends. Plenty of room for everyone. And that's the one piece that few jjimjilbangs can boast.
If you need some rest from your day of relaxation, you may ascend to the top floor, where you will face a choice of 3 sleeping rooms filled with spacious bunk beds. Men's, Women's and Snorer's. Yes – finally, someone said it. Loud sleepers can join other loud sleepers and leave the rest to slumber in peace, at last
It is quite unusual for a jjimjilbang to have beds. In most of them, people will simply sleep on the floor. Not only does this one have beds, however, but also the warm cozy huge sheets as blankets. And the sleeping rooms have a temperature gradient. The heat-loving folk can stay in the front and the cooler sleepers can proceed to the back. The rooms are dark and fabulously quiet.
Massages can be had in the dry or wet fashion. The wet kind one can get on the wet floor, where the strong adjummas will scrub you silly, after which they will give you a fabulous oil massage [and I mean, drenched in oil!]. The dry kind – a deep tissue sports massage as well as a few other varieties – can happen on the second floor in the massage center.
Overall, Siloam definitely takes the cake around Seoul. Not to mention – it's all of two steps from the Seoul station. Location-location!
Siloam's site:
http://silloamsauna.com/site_en/sub1/sub1_01.asp
A great review by another passionate jjimjilbanger:
http://grrrltraveler.com/2012/03/siloam-spa/
DETAILED INFO:
No,
they are not sponsoring my recommendtation of the spa. I simply want
to share the treasure with the fellow expats who might be looking for
warmth in the freezing Korean winters.
Spa Lei – jjimjilbanging Gangnam-style
This is a close favourite around Seoul. The unusual bit about this jjimjilbang is that it's a Ladies-only space. This, naturally, makes for a very different energy around the sauna. It is about luxury, beauty and comfort. A deeply relaxing space.
As one enters, a beautiful parlor opens up with a modern orange chandelier and walls of tasteful mosaic. Instead of the usual cotton shirt and pants, one is given an elegant white cotton spa robe. A classy touch.
Spa Lei definitely wins in terms of ambiance. The materials are of high quality and are put together with great taste. The lighting is cozy and strategic. The women's powder room is lit with lanterns of rose petals...
The wet floor is beautiful. There are two giant yellow-orange circular glass panels above the two hot pools creating an atmosphere of warmth. Next to the pools, there is a glass infra-red sauna and – my personal favourite – a body-temperature salt-water pool. It's an amazing meditative space. One can just float into oblivion there...I'm pretty sure the place warps time.
The
sleeping space is dark and quiet and has comfy mats and blankets, if
you consider staying the night.
The top floor has the massage chair area, foot massaging stations, a mud and herb therapy room [additional services], a fiery clay room, where one may roll around amidst the tiny clay balls and a hot charcoal room.
Unfortunately, there is not much in terms of the intermediate or cooler temperature relaxation rooms, though the common area has long comfortable cushions where one may lounge surrounded by beautiful art, soft lighting and some lovely antique Korean lacquered furniture.
There is a good Korean restaurant on this floor as well. As an extra perk – there are a couple of vibra-plate machines here that jiggle all those toxins that the heat has brought up out of the system.
Even
though this spa is not as expansive as many other jjimjilbangs, it is
very stylish, comfortable and fabulously Yin. To me, in its
atmosphere, it is a quintessential spa.
The spa's direct site link:
http://www.spalei.co.kr/eng/e_spa1.php
DETAILED INFO:
Dragon Hill Spa
This spa is probably the most well-known of all the Seoul jjimjilbangs. Naturally, I was curious to see what all the noise was about. I'll give it that – this spa has a “swing.” It's sheer scale is impressive. It is definitely the largest one I've seen thus far.
The main common area has cathedral ceilings, which grants the space an echoing quality, as much of the floor and walls are marble. On the weekends it can get quite loud as many bring small children there. Jjimjilbanging can be a family affair in Korea. Try bouncing the screams of 50 off of three floors of marble and see what happens!
The most impressive feature of the spa is the marble and jade Egyptian complex. Two huge pyramids grace the main hall – jade and clay. One may rest inside them, upon a golden mandala in the center...it is warm and the lighting is beautiful.
The salt room is also quite magnificent. Floor to ceiling – it's lined with glowing pink salt bricks. A warm, inviting space. Another unique bit is the presence of a movie theatre. Then there are the usual staples of the fire-breathing room, a freezer room and a salt room. Nothing to write home about there.
The Great Hall has a curious center-pieces – a traditional podium with a beautiful golden “throne,” upon which one may lounge.
Unfortunately, adjoining the Great Hall is the video arcade lacking any sound insulation. And,with its popularity, that makes for a mightily noisy space. For the resources clearly spent on the creation of this space, I marveled at how much has been spent for the “bling,” the “wow effect,” and how little – actually thought through. Though, perchance, the noise was a part of the grand plan.
The wet floor is quite impressive. The unusual part here is the presence of the outside section. A large outside pool and a few outside hot tubs do add a certain flavour. A dark Himalayan salt sauna adds a nice touch. As does a sauna where one can lay in a slow fountain and be heated from above as one is cooled from below. A variety of pools and jets abound. A wide gradient of temperatures and jet strength, which I appreciated much. One can actually sit in a body-temperature fountain, as some lions and cupids sprout water one's head.
Somehow, I just couldn't get over the feeling of “it's mostly for show.”Overall, if one is looking for a quieter experience of relaxation...this is not the place to come for it. It's much, much too loud for that. However, if one wants to see a large-scale jjimjilbang that really “swong-out,” it's here.
The official link through the Korean Tourism site:
http://visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=309648
And another expansive review “with a face” and pictures:
http://veganaroundtheworld.com/2012/02/19/dragon-hill-spa-review-by-grrrl-traveler/
DETAILED INFO:
1. Location: 40-713 Hangang-no 3-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
2. Contact: +82-2-792-0001 (English), +82-2-797-0002 (Japanese)
3. Business Hours: 24 hours / 365 days (open all year round)
4. Admission Fee: Day rates: 6 years old and above: 10,000won / 5am~8pm
♣ Night rates: 6 years old and above: 12,000won / 8pm~5am
♣ Children under 5 years of age is 6,000won. (daytime or nighttime)
5. Directions: Take Subway Line No.1 to Yongsan Station, and go out of exit in the direction of Yongsan Station Plaza (Gwangjang). Cross the small street on the right of Yongsan Station Plaza toward Yongsan Convention Hall (a wedding hall), and you’ll see Dragon Hill Spa next to the wedding hall.
Thank you for reading! Enjoy the soaks!
My Jjimjilbanging Seoul
Korea is a busy place. The work hours are long and vacations are short for most locals. A 12 hour work day is customary. A five-day a year vacation – a norm. The kids are not exempt from this working frenzy – an average child attends 4 after-school academies, making “Johnny a dull boy.”
Yet, no complaint is to be heard. Neither from an adult nor from a child. To a question “How do you do it?” a frequent response is “oh, it's just my job...” while the kids just shrug their shoulders as if it hasn't even occurred for them to question this state of affairs. Truly, a a curious way of acceptance.
However, I believe, there is one “escape hatch” that helps Koreans brave the freezing winters and intense working conditions in this tiny, densely-populated country. The Jjimjilbangs, a Korean spin on the Roman Baths, and Oncheon – jjimjilbangs built on the natural hot springs, of which there are over 400 in Korea.
If you have been to a public bath before and enjoyed it, prepare to have your world transformed – in a pleasant way. I am convinced, these tranquil oases of rejuvenation and relaxation are the best-kept secret in Korea. Ok, maybe, it's that and kimchi [and that's a highly acquired taste!].
Often a jjimjilbang will be in a multi-story building taking up a good block in length. The bottom floors are “wet” and gender-segregated. Rubens would not let his brush rest, feasting on the scenes of the peaceful naked bodies cleansing themselves and soaking in various flavours of healing waters and sweating profusely in the sauna, scrubbing each other with salt and crushed apricot seeds and suction-cupping one another's backs. Such is Korean medicine.
Often, there will be many pools to soak in – each with huge digital thermometer, alerting you before the plunge. A cold [~20 C], hot [~45 C] and body-temperature pools are the staples. Usually, there is also a larger cool pool to splash around in with a few fire-hydrant grade pressure hoses for hydro-massage. Beyond that – every jjimjilbang will have its own variations of the theme.
Some have semi-precious stone sweat rooms. Some – herbal tea soaking pools. Some have “lemon pools” with an almost fluorescently-yellow water. Some offer “mugwort soaks” of fragrant brown-greenish water. You just know – this stuff simply can't NOT be good for you!
I remember once walking into a steam room and being amazed that the entire room was clad – walls and ceiling – with gigantic agate “eggs.”
 |
| The best that my camera could muster, given the steam! |
Another jjimjilbang had an amethyst sauna, the walls of which presented an epic mosaic of amethyst druzes. Yet another – one fully lined with dark pink himalayan salt bricks. A different one – had a huge drum full of fine salt on the floor. With it, one was free to scrub oneself or another as the body sloughed off all the old skin layers. One cannot help but appreciate the ingenuity and loving hands of the people who built these healing works of art.
Here one can also get the traditional Korean scrub-and-massage. For that, you lay down on a plastic-covered cot, and black lacy bra-and-panty-clad maidens fiercely scrub every inch of your body. The black lacy bra and panties seem to be the traditional “uniform” for these wonderful masseuses.
Not a toe or a pinky is spared. Then oil is poured plentifully upon you, and long strokes of their powerful hands squeeze away the stress and tension in a hurry. Your face is cucumber-masked and massaged with it. Your hair – shampooed. The oil is followed by a whole-body yogurt covering. When you finally arise, your body squeaks a song of joy – that's how clean it is!
Once thoroughly cleansed, you may proceed to the dry, co-ed floors. One can easily spend a couple days oscillating between the different facilities of the larger jjimjilbangs. Some will have as many as 14 different healing rooms. Infra-red “beds,” oxygen rooms, bamboo rooms, jade rooms, salt rooms, clay rooms, fire-breathing room, charcoal room and an ice cave are just some to name. Often, the floor in a room will be covered with a certain mineral. Sometimes – jade. Sometimes – amethyst. Sometimes – just salt crystals or fine red clay balls.
The rooms will vary in temperature – from a “-10” ice cave to an 85 C Fire-breathing room. It is sheer pleasure to burrow under layers of salt crystals and drift away in meditation.
 |
| Ice Room |
Jjimjilbanging is a family affair in Korea. Often, the whole family will come to spend a fine Saturday there...and stay for the night. Some jjimjilbangs will actually have sleeping rooms with bunk-beds. I've seen one in Seoul – the fair Siloam Spa – that had 3 huge sleeping rooms full of beds. One for boys, another for girls, and yet another – for snorers! All in all, I was beginning to sea how Koreans recharged in their busy lives!
Since I “ran into” a vacation shortly after arriving to Jeonju, I figured, this would be a good time to explore the fine jjimjilbangs of Seoul. The comforting thought was that Seoul is very easy to get around, thanks to the extensive, efficient subway network. Much more so than Jeonju – that doesn't even have a city bus map, let alone – a subway. And on the self-created tour I went. There's nothing like a -15 C degree weather to propel one towards the warm, steamy waters of the rejuvenation havens.
For the readers that might be visiting Seoul, I will mention a few jjimjilbangs that have impressed me especially. Perchance, if you are visiting Korea – or even living here – you might find this part helpful.
Siloam Fire-Pot Spa
This sprawling oasis of relaxation is by far my favourite in the Seoul area. Everything about it is convenient and efficient. It's thought-out to the core. It's every detail is cozy, warm and inviting. The jjimjilbang takes up 5 expansive floors. The bottom floor is the “wet” area full of medicinal pools of varying temperatures and cozy wooden saunas, where ajummas [Korean for “older lady”] scrub each other with salt.
The wet floor is quite compact compared to many other jjimjilbangs, however, everything you need is there. Several hot pools, a smaller warm pool and a larger cold pool with a supercharged vertical jet that is sure to plunge all your energy channels con gusto. Great lighting. Overall – a very cozy feel to the space.
The main lounging area is on the fourth floor. That is where one may find over ten different relaxation rooms – all supposedly with fabulous health benefits. There is a scorching hot jade room where you may fry your bones and relax the muscles knee-deep in jade – little pieces of it – while all the walls and ceiling are studded with beautiful jade crystals as well. An inside-out green hedgehog, if you will.
There are several salt room – a warm and a hot one. There you may bury yourself in salt crystals and drift away. Once that's done, you may float off to a charcoal and indigo-lit oxygen room. There is a theory that with all the pollution around we are not getting quite as much oxygen as we need for optimal functioning. Hence, you can lounge here and get all the O2 you might be missing.
If you got too cool in the O2 room, you might proceed to a fire-breathing room, as I like to call it. It's a staple amongst the jjimjilbang. Heated to around 90 C and filled with large infra-red bulbs hanging from the ceiling, this giant dome is the place to sweat in peace. Some Korean folks cover their heads with woolen blankets here – presumably, to protect the hair from the heat. Traditionally, the door is tiny and you have to bend half-way to climb in. If you look up, you might think you are in a giant bee's nest – the charred dome ceiling has bulging concentric rings on it.
If your brain has melted sufficiently, you can cool off a bit in the giant freezer that is the cold room. The walls are covered with ice and the air is crispy and feels delightful after a nice sweat.
If all the hot-cold migration has gotten you in the mood to just crawl into a warm lair and relax for a bit, you may do so in the “Dug Out room.” Imagine an oversized wine-cellar with “bottle holders” being made of clay. Each has a cozy mat, a marble floor and a warm infra-red bulb inside, individually controlled. A wonderfully cozy space. You may oscillate between the different rooms the whole day – they are wonderful.
Unlike many other Jjimjilbangs, the singular plasma TV in the relaxation area never gets loud and disruptive. Also, quite remarkably – EVERY floor has lockers for the valuables, so there is no need to scale the stairs or tote a bag with you. And the sleeping floor even has a charging station for the gadgets in the lockers! So very convenient!
On several floors, you may find comfy massage chairs. And, if the fancy might strike you, you may find more movement on the third floor, where there are several “galloping” exercise machines as well as a decent gym. Then, to make leaving the building obsolete, there is also a PC room and a karaoke room, remarkably well insulated.
The beautiful bit about Siloam is that anywhere you go – there is plenty of space. Even on the weekends. Plenty of room for everyone. And that's the one piece that few jjimjilbangs can boast.
If you need some rest from your day of relaxation, you may ascend to the top floor, where you will face a choice of 3 sleeping rooms filled with spacious bunk beds. Men's, Women's and Snorer's. Yes – finally, someone said it. Loud sleepers can join other loud sleepers and leave the rest to slumber in peace, at last
It is quite unusual for a jjimjilbang to have beds. In most of them, people will simply sleep on the floor. Not only does this one have beds, however, but also the warm cozy huge sheets as blankets. And the sleeping rooms have a temperature gradient. The heat-loving folk can stay in the front and the cooler sleepers can proceed to the back. The rooms are dark and fabulously quiet.
Massages can be had in the dry or wet fashion. The wet kind one can get on the wet floor, where the strong adjummas will scrub you silly, after which they will give you a fabulous oil massage [and I mean, drenched in oil!]. The dry kind – a deep tissue sports massage as well as a few other varieties – can happen on the second floor in the massage center.
Overall, Siloam definitely takes the cake around Seoul. Not to mention – it's all of two steps from the Seoul station. Location-location!
Siloam's site:
http://silloamsauna.com/site_en/sub1/sub1_01.asp
A great review by another passionate jjimjilbanger:
http://grrrltraveler.com/2012/03/siloam-spa/
DETAILED INFO:
| Silloam Fire Pot Sauna : 128-104 Jungrim-dong Jung-gu Seoul Tel. 02-364-3944~5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spa Lei – jjimjilbanging Gangnam-style
This is a close favourite around Seoul. The unusual bit about this jjimjilbang is that it's a Ladies-only space. This, naturally, makes for a very different energy around the sauna. It is about luxury, beauty and comfort. A deeply relaxing space.
 |
| A common area |
As one enters, a beautiful parlor opens up with a modern orange chandelier and walls of tasteful mosaic. Instead of the usual cotton shirt and pants, one is given an elegant white cotton spa robe. A classy touch.
Spa Lei definitely wins in terms of ambiance. The materials are of high quality and are put together with great taste. The lighting is cozy and strategic. The women's powder room is lit with lanterns of rose petals...
The wet floor is beautiful. There are two giant yellow-orange circular glass panels above the two hot pools creating an atmosphere of warmth. Next to the pools, there is a glass infra-red sauna and – my personal favourite – a body-temperature salt-water pool. It's an amazing meditative space. One can just float into oblivion there...I'm pretty sure the place warps time.
 |
| The body-temperature salt-water Pool |
The top floor has the massage chair area, foot massaging stations, a mud and herb therapy room [additional services], a fiery clay room, where one may roll around amidst the tiny clay balls and a hot charcoal room.
 |
| The Charcoal room wall sample |
Unfortunately, there is not much in terms of the intermediate or cooler temperature relaxation rooms, though the common area has long comfortable cushions where one may lounge surrounded by beautiful art, soft lighting and some lovely antique Korean lacquered furniture.
There is a good Korean restaurant on this floor as well. As an extra perk – there are a couple of vibra-plate machines here that jiggle all those toxins that the heat has brought up out of the system.
 |
| The vibra-plates |
 |
| Massage chairs galore....the foot reflexology stations are nearby |
 |
| The roof-top terrace reflected here gets much snow...there you may cool off after the fire clay room. |
The spa's direct site link:
http://www.spalei.co.kr/eng/e_spa1.php
DETAILED INFO:
| Oriented to traditional Eastern European and Hungarian style, |
| Spa Lei provides luxurious facilities and various satisfactory |
| services for females |
 Address :
Leimong Town 8-22 Cresyn Building, Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul,
Korea |
Basement
1,2 level and 3rd level on ground In front of Riverside Hotel.
|
Tel
02-545-4113
|
| Public
transportation |
-
Subway : Take exit # 5 at Shinsa station on Line #3
|
-
Bus Line : Take 41/ 144/ 145/ 148/ 4212/ 4312/
4417/ 4422/ 4424/ 4431 from Shinsa intersection |
Dragon Hill Spa
 |
| The main shoe-locker room |
This spa is probably the most well-known of all the Seoul jjimjilbangs. Naturally, I was curious to see what all the noise was about. I'll give it that – this spa has a “swing.” It's sheer scale is impressive. It is definitely the largest one I've seen thus far.
 |
| Merry Christmas! Hence - the giant snow-dome. |
The main common area has cathedral ceilings, which grants the space an echoing quality, as much of the floor and walls are marble. On the weekends it can get quite loud as many bring small children there. Jjimjilbanging can be a family affair in Korea. Try bouncing the screams of 50 off of three floors of marble and see what happens!
The most impressive feature of the spa is the marble and jade Egyptian complex. Two huge pyramids grace the main hall – jade and clay. One may rest inside them, upon a golden mandala in the center...it is warm and the lighting is beautiful.
The salt room is also quite magnificent. Floor to ceiling – it's lined with glowing pink salt bricks. A warm, inviting space. Another unique bit is the presence of a movie theatre. Then there are the usual staples of the fire-breathing room, a freezer room and a salt room. Nothing to write home about there.
 |
| The Salt Room |
The Great Hall has a curious center-pieces – a traditional podium with a beautiful golden “throne,” upon which one may lounge.
Unfortunately, adjoining the Great Hall is the video arcade lacking any sound insulation. And,with its popularity, that makes for a mightily noisy space. For the resources clearly spent on the creation of this space, I marveled at how much has been spent for the “bling,” the “wow effect,” and how little – actually thought through. Though, perchance, the noise was a part of the grand plan.
The wet floor is quite impressive. The unusual part here is the presence of the outside section. A large outside pool and a few outside hot tubs do add a certain flavour. A dark Himalayan salt sauna adds a nice touch. As does a sauna where one can lay in a slow fountain and be heated from above as one is cooled from below. A variety of pools and jets abound. A wide gradient of temperatures and jet strength, which I appreciated much. One can actually sit in a body-temperature fountain, as some lions and cupids sprout water one's head.
Somehow, I just couldn't get over the feeling of “it's mostly for show.”Overall, if one is looking for a quieter experience of relaxation...this is not the place to come for it. It's much, much too loud for that. However, if one wants to see a large-scale jjimjilbang that really “swong-out,” it's here.
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| Bamboo Cool Room |
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| A lovely piece of interior design |
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| A boy and the fire-dome |
The official link through the Korean Tourism site:
http://visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=309648
And another expansive review “with a face” and pictures:
http://veganaroundtheworld.com/2012/02/19/dragon-hill-spa-review-by-grrrl-traveler/
DETAILED INFO:
1. Location: 40-713 Hangang-no 3-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
2. Contact: +82-2-792-0001 (English), +82-2-797-0002 (Japanese)
3. Business Hours: 24 hours / 365 days (open all year round)
4. Admission Fee: Day rates: 6 years old and above: 10,000won / 5am~8pm
♣ Night rates: 6 years old and above: 12,000won / 8pm~5am
♣ Children under 5 years of age is 6,000won. (daytime or nighttime)
5. Directions: Take Subway Line No.1 to Yongsan Station, and go out of exit in the direction of Yongsan Station Plaza (Gwangjang). Cross the small street on the right of Yongsan Station Plaza toward Yongsan Convention Hall (a wedding hall), and you’ll see Dragon Hill Spa next to the wedding hall.
Thank you for reading! Enjoy the soaks!
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| Spa Lei Chandelier |
ReplyDeleteHello,
We are basically Manufacturers and Exporters of Himalayan Edible Salts, Bath Salts, Salt Inhalers and Salt products such as lamps, tiles, block, bricks and many more.
We also have Lapis Lazuli, Tawas Crystal ALUM and Dried Rose Petals products availabe,
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We are also ISO 9001:2000, HACCP AND FDA approved Company,
We are Proud to announce that we have made the world's tallest salt crystal lamp,
Height 8 feet and 4 inches and weight approx 3500 KG,
Also visit our website to see the world’s biggest salt crystal Lamp,
We gained trust and good reputation in international market as most popular brands in Europe, USA and Far East countries are using our products regularly.
Thanks,
Questions?
Faizan Hussain | Marketing & Sales Director | Multi Rock Salt Company
U.S Office: +1 (415) 513 0044 | Pakistan Office: +92 321 882 6829 | Netherlands Office: +31(0) 611448394| | Skype : multi.rocksalt
www.multirocksalt.com | info@multirocksalt.com / multi.rocksalt@gmail.com