Hello readers. I'm happy to say that I'm alive and well back in the US, but I'm sure you couldn't care less. I do read your comments and write back when appropriate. Thank you for your continued support and for your attention, even to my old posts. Thankfully, not too much changes in the spa world, but as usual please let me know if my information is out of date. I do my best to stay on top of it but it's difficult when I'm continents away.
Now, for the purpose of this post. I recently found a couple of very interesting articles that I thought would be of interest to you as spa-seekers in (or even not in) Korea. I'd like to introduce one of them here first, and I will post the others separately so they can get their own spotlight.
Firstly, this is an older (updated in 2015) article, but I just came across it. CNN reporter Frances Cha wrote about her experience at Busan's SpaLand jjimjilbang. It's a great little article to remind us all how great things can be when they are a bit more luxe than expected!
First off, it's pretty cute that this place translates 해수 into "Sea" in their name. I mostly notice places call themselves "Haesu World" or "Haesu Land" or whatever. But it does mean "sea" so there you go.
Secondly, the location is great. I've had this place on my radar for the past couple months but haven't had the opportunity to visit until recently. It's just up the road from Bukyung and Kyungsung Universities so it's not only conveniently & centrally located, but also excellent for a quick sleep after the bars!
You can reach this sauna by a cheap taxi from Namcheon or Kyungsung subway stations or by bus (lines 20, 22, 24, 27, 39, 131 stop just out front at Yongmoon Middle School). The Sea Land is right across from LG Metrocity building 107.
Inside the sauna you'll find a seated half-bath, a hinoki (Japanese-style therapeutic wood) bath, along with mugwort (artemisia), lemon, and the signature sea-water bath. There are also beautifully decorated dry and humid sauna rooms which are great for warming up and keeping your skin supple.
Then there is the spacious jjimjilbang which includes a large main room on both the 3rd & 4th floors, charcoal room, a stalactite cave, a wood-paneled forest room, snack corner/juice bar, and yellow soil standard & sleeping rooms. The sleeping rooms are located up on the 4th floor along with the PC room, movie theater, restaurant, skin & nail care, and sports massage.
Basically, this spa has every bath & room you could want and is well worth a visit.
부산 남구 용호1동 170
Busan, Namgu, Yongho-1-dong #170
051-622-8499
Open 24 Hours
Vesta Spa & Fitness is currently under construction. It is scheduled to be completed on June 1, 2010. I believe they are closed for business during this time; I'd recommend calling ahead if you plan on visiting this month.
This large, well-located spa has a long reputation among foreigners and Koreans alike in Busan. Since I've heard so many good things about the place, I had high expectations. Luckily, I had the treat of visiting with someone who had been there many times before, including once long ago. She was able to offer some well-needed insight on my experience.
As soon as I arrived, from the back of the building it turned out, I noticed the unassuming entrance with a boardwalk around to the front. That's where I first saw the incredible view from their excellent location. Inside, it was clear how long they've been at their excellent location. The lockers are worn, and the keys and outfits show it too. Once in the water, you'll notice even the shower water is a bit salty (not sure what that's about, though my friend said it wasn't always like that) and the tubs could be filtered better. I was there on a Thursday afternoon and they were cleaning one of the main baths~ a tad disappointing.
Despite this, the view from the sauna was enough to make me forget the downsides. Just outside on the veranda there's a nice hot tub with some sunshine, surrounding privacy fence, and foliage. It faces seaside, so bring your shades: it gets bright!
In the jjimjilbang you can find most of the traditional rooms like yellow-soil, fire-hot (bulgama), and pretty jewelry room. There's also a small ice room, sports massage, nail art, aroma therapy, and a DVD resting room. Again, the view from here makes up for a lot.
Outside of the jjimjilbang you can find some small co-ed swimming pools (you can rent a suit for 2,000 won!) and the Sky Lounge, perfect for relaxing in the sun or enjoying some sea air with your sweetie. Since I visited during wintertime I didn't get to enjoy it. (Look for updates soon.^^)
I had a nice time here but I'd say it doesn't exactly live up to it's reputation any more. According to my friend, when it was a much nicer newer place it was the best in town. After years of heavy tourist traffic Vesta has started to show it's age, but don't cross it off your list yet - it still offers one of the best views of the seaside in Haeundae and is overall a lovely place to relax.
부산 해운대구 중동 1509-6
Busan, Haeundae-gu, Jung-dong 1509-6
051-743-5705
Open 24 Hours
RATES
Sauna : Adults 5,000 Children 3,000
Sauna & Jjimjilbang : Adults 8,000 Children 5,000
Recently, a friend of mine told me his parents own a jjimjilbang near Gwangan. We got to talking about it and I decided I ought to check it out for you. I mean, I have a list of places I need to visit, but he is my friend after all, and I wanted to see what kind of place it was.
Here's how to get there: As you exit Gwangan subway station take exit 2. On your left immediately out of the exit you'll see a large Busan band - turn left around the bank and walk straight up that hill. After you pass the Top Mart (on your right ~5 minutes from the subway) you'll see the KA Sporex on the left.
So last Sunday I headed out to see KA Sporex. Firstly, my internet searches revealed inconsistencies. The Daum local listing only categorizes this place as a sauna or mok-yok-tang, not a jjimjilbang, though a search on Naver maps will show it as a jjimjilbang. Likewise, the reviews, ratings, and few photos visible on Naver cannot be found from Daum. Despite this trouble, the KA Sporex website includes some English words to help you navigate the site and shows many photos of the rooms and facilities.
My friend had said his place was a jjimjilbang so I trusted him. Sure enough, I was handed the little brown spa clothes when I asked for them. At only 5,000 won, this is a pretty cheap jjimjilbang (7,000 overnight).
From the locker room through the sauna everything is pretty typical. A couple special bits- shown below- are the individual tubs similar to what you might find in your house back in the West and the nicely designed hot rooms found at the back of the sauna. There are 3 small, shallow event baths which feature different herbal treatments to the water, massage tubs, and an ice bath, in addition to the usual hot tubs and showers.
Up in the jjimjilbang (3F) you'll notice it's remarkably dark. Could be a bad thing, but I thought it was nice on a lazy Sunday afternoon. If your thing is reading or studying you'll want to go up one more floor to the 4F "hyu-gae-sil" or resting area (휴게실). On this floor you can find the restaurant & snack corner, PC room, book stacks, massage, skin clinic & nail art, movie room, and sleeping rooms.
Back on the 3F jjimjilbang each room has a small window to let in a small amount of light but, like I said, don't expect to be able to read the newspaper in there! On the upside there are multiple rooms at a comfortable temperature - combined with the darkness it's the perfect place for a nap. A couple special rooms made my day: The forest room (산림욕방) which has fragrant woods lining the walls and fresh woodsy air and a similar pine room (소나무방). Sporex also offers a super-hot bulgama (fire) room, rooms with salt/charcoal, gold, yellow soil, an ice room, and two beautifully decorated stone rooms (보석방- jewelry, 마노방- agate). Best thing? The small TVs in some rooms are placed where you can easily change the program or switch them off if you want peace and quiet.
In addition to all this, KA Sporex has recently developed their 6th floor to house a health club, yoga studio and a dance/aerobics room. My friend told me that his parents felt it was important to focus on the fitness aspect of the spa in order to compete with other saunas in the area. Just from the looks of the membership packages and yoga schedule (4 classes a day weekdays & 2 on Saturday?!) I can see they're taking it seriously.
This nice place is tucked away near the coast, north of the Gwangali Beach area but, unfortunately, a long walk from the subway (Gwangan station or Millak station will do). The good news is, it's right outside the Gwangan Amusement Park, Mi World. Bus number 210 will bring you right by the building and 38, 62, and 108 also come along one main street (closer than the subway line), stopping on this side of the Suyeong 2 Bridge. Find it here, or in the center of the wikimap below.
It is a full sauna and jjimjilbang with a swimming pool for the kid in you. (Or the kids you bring!) Expect a good experience at this large facility, though most of the sleeping areas are pretty warm. There is a lovely view of the sea out the windows; you can even see the beach and Gwangali Bridge from the jjimjilbang main area. The bathing area has large windows to bring in the daylight, though they are on the city-side of the building.
Their website shows interactive maps of the floors so you can click around to see pictures and get an idea of what to expect. My favorite place was the yellow soil room on the 4th floor (황토볼 황열정): there's seating around the curved window with a view to the bridge and you can sink your feet into small, warm, clay balls (sit down on them if you like).
Overall, a nice place to relax and escape the city. Because it's near Gwangali, you may find a lot of people sleeping here on Friday or Saturday nights, or during events in the area. Users on Naver rate this spa 8.0/10.0, and I'd be inclined to agree. ^^
부산 수영구 민락동 110-14번지
Busan, Suyeong-gu, Millak-dong, 110-14
051-754-2009
Open 24 Hours
RATES
Sauna : Adults 7,000 Children 4,000
Sauna/Swimming pool : Adults 12,000 Children 10,000
Just the pool : Adults 10,000 Children 10,000
Add Jjimjilbang : Adults 2,000 extra Children 1,000 extra *
* I think this is right. It wasn't very clear on their website... ㅠ.ㅠ
Said to be the largest hot spring spa in Asia, Hurshimchung can accommodate up to 3000 guests. It's located just up the street from Oncheon-jang subway stop on line 1. The hotel also houses a brauhaus, several restaurants, a wedding hall and a night club. At the sauna's reception desk, you'll be given a key and instructed to pay upon leaving. You can use this key to secure your shoes, open your locker, and pay for anything in the spa. Towels and jjimjilbang clothes are available inside the locker room, then you can head to the sauna.
Facilities there include hot, lukewarm, and cool baths, dry sauna rooms, fountains, showers, a half-bath with tables, and massage and exfoliation services. There's an open-air section with a couple baths and another shower area. The alkali spring water emerges at 45°C to 56°C and has the highest concentration of magnesium in Korea. Forty different bath types are available during different seasons, including cherry, pepper, champagne, lavender, or citrus water. All baths use natural ingredients such as salts and medicinal herbs. There's even a large cave-type bathing area with several tubs of different temperatures. This large, open sauna is a wonderful place to relax.
From the locker room you'll find the entrance to the jjimjilbang area where you can enjoy laying on a heated floor and watching TV in the main room, relaxing in one of the smaller rooms, enjoying doctor fish foot treatment, or eating carefully prepared traditional Korean foods at the snack corner or restaurant. The yellow ocher, jewelry, and charcoal rooms are all quite hot, but dry feeling. The segregated sleeping rooms, found at the ends of the two halls, are dark and quiet, and a comfortable resting temperature. There is room called the Aroma Room where you can lay below peaceful, if plastic, green bamboo and treat your lungs to highly oxygenated air. Another small room is the igloo-shaped ice room; this is usually one of my favorite places to hang out. Unfortunately, the ice room was closed due to H1N1 (swine flu) concerns this fall. For an additional cost, you can indulge in mug-wort cauterizing therapy with moxa (moxibustion), which stimulates circulation and improves qi.
In my opinion, Hurshimchung's strength is clearly the sauna. The jjimjilbang itself is cozy and I kept feeling like there should be more space. (Where do those 3,000 people hang out?) On the other hand, the sauna is spacious, appropriately lit, and has many different areas to explore. Almost the opposite of other spas I've visited, I found the sauna offered greater variety than the jjimjilbang. So, if you enjoy bathing in spas or want to check out a Korean sauna for the first time, Hurshimchung is sure to provide you with a great experience.
HOURS:
5:30 am until 10 pm everyday.
RATES:
7,900 won for adults
5,000 for students aged 8-18
3,000 for kids aged 1-7
Unfortunately for them, Spa Land has no English website. Unimaginable, I know. I mean, after all Shinsegae is one of the world's largest department stores. Whatever guys, don't worry about it...
Actually that's one of the few complaints I had about this place. 5 to be exact; shall we get them out of the way, in a classic bad-news-first way?
1. The aforementioned lack of a comprehensive English website.
2. Not enough showers. Maybe 30 sit-down and only 12 standing ones. Even on a Thursday evening, there was a short queue at times to rinse off.
3. Sauna is well-lit... A little too well. It's like a doctor's exam room in there! Though I've heard this varies- some have had a similar experience, and I have friends who go often and report sometimes it's your normal dimly-lit bath area.
4. A couple of times while in the jjimjilbang rooms, I heard water rushing through pipes somewhere. Not so relaxing.
5. Minor, but there's nowhere in the jjimjilbang to fill up a water bottle. Get yours filled in the sauna.
OK, there. The band-aid's off. Now for the good stuff. This place is (as expected) gorgeous. What I didn't expect was for it to be so different from any other jjimjilbang I'd been to. Instead of being just an up-scale version of a nice jjimjilbang, this is like stepping into a 5-star, ultra-modern hotel. Cool, flat stone; glass partitions; restrained decorative appearance; and plentiful meditation areas distinguish both the sauna and jjimjilbang from others I've reviewed. An open floor plan and high glass ceilings also lend themselves to the modern aesthetic.
At first, you'll notice the grand lobby welcoming you to buy a ticket. It will cost you 12,000 won for a visit on a weekday, 14,000 on Saturday or Sunday (4 hour limit). You may notice the lack of screaming, running rugrats. The first real advantage of this spa: no children under 13 are allowed in. This most certainly improves the overall peace. As a side note, there's no sauna-only ticket option, so everyone gets 3 extra fluffy towels and a set of clothes. The locker room isn't really much different from another nice sauna's locker room. The lockers are full-size, and have shelves and a jewelry rack inside.
In the bathing area you'll start to notice the stark beauty and opulence of the place: lots of small baths, each of a different temperature. In the center of the room are the naturally-fed hot springs. One is sodium chloride (salt, benefiting the muscles and joints, as well as other body systems), the second is sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, said to "improve beauty of the skin"). Both have the added benefit of reducing the amount of water absorbed by the skin due to higher concentrations of salts in the water, so you don't prune up! Now that's nice-uh!
There are also a massaging tub (around 38* with varied positions and a cave), a cool tub (~25*), a cold tub (18*), 2 dry sauna rooms, and an outdoor spa (women's sauna only). Outdoors are two more naturally fed pools. They are pretty hot - welcome this time of year, though. The outdoor area is covered by a slatted wood dome to maintain privacy. Hint 1: Next to the entrance from the locker room, they provide soaps and natural sea salt to scrub or soak your skin with, and all showers are stocked with shampoo and body wash.
Hint 2: You can pay for anything in the jjimjilbang with your locker key, so don't bother bringing any money up. Once you venture down the hall towards the jjimjilbang you'll be transported to the hotel I was talking about before. Let me just list the rooms available to you here, with some description.
Charcoal Room -참숯방
Ice Room - 아이스방 / 어름방
Yellow Ocher Room - Hwang-to / 황토방. Hot, but comfortably dry.
Hammam Room - 하맘룸, meant to replicate a Turkish-style bath sauna.
Bali Room - 발리룸, an open area with soft floor-mattresses where you can congregate with your friends and loved ones and talk freely.
Pyramid room - angled walls for a relaxing mood, or something.
Roman Room - 로만룸, replicates the feeling of a traditional Roman sauna room. Warm and very humid, like Korean summers. Stand over the steamer in the center with your towel over your head for max effect.
Body Sound Room -raised platforms which vibrate with the bass in the calming background music. Bonus fake bamboo along the walls. Wave Dream Room - places to lay along the sides, and from the middle lights are reflected through water waves for a meditative, colourful view on the ceiling.
SEV Room - therapeutic ions emitted into semi-private, wooden 2-seater benches lit by dim coloured lights.
Relax Room - an amazing 3-tiered arc-shaped space with reclining leather chairs together by two's, each one equipped with it's own mini TV!
Outdoor foot spa - In the chilly months, don one of the quilted jackets at the entrance to this patio with various temperatures of walking- and soaking-foot-tubs with seats for small or large groups, singles, or couples.
Massage & Therapy, nail shop, cafe & beverages, restaurant, DVD, PC, business rooms.
Turkish Hammam Room - smells A-mazing in here
Yeah, that's all. Ha! I only got lost a couple of times. The restaurant is opulent and offers some great cuisine other jjimjilbang don't (udon with fried Japanese things, bulgogi stew, even the simple Korean foods are high-quality) the therapy room looks top-notch, and the DVD theatre is also fitted with reclining chairs. Premium. I highly recommend this place for a special treat - best enjoyed with friends, guests, or in a couple. Off you go!
Below: Resting areas in the connecting hall Relax room's individual TV chairs
Lounging beds in Bali Room Steamy Roman Room
Shinsegae Spa Land - right outside the Centum City subway stop on line 2, exit 12.
신세계백화점
부산광역시 해운대구 우1동 1495 센텀시티, 1-3층
Busan, Haeundae Gu, Woo 1-dong, 1495 Centum City, 1st-3rd floor 6:00 - 24:00**Not open 24 hours - closes at midnight - cannot sleep overnight here!**
RATES
Basic: weekday - 12,000 / weekend* - 14,000
Early Bird (before 8AM): weekday - 7,000 / weekend* - 9,000
Night Owl: after 8PM Sun-Thurs -7,000 / after 10PM Fri, Sat - 9,000
* means Sat, Sun, & holidays
I'm expanding the overview on Haeundae. This entry will include a personal review and more details.
Rodeo Jjimjil Town (로데오찜질타운)
You can find this place in the Rodeo Outlet shopping area south of the Jung-dong subway station. Naver users rated this place 10.0 out of 10 (17 ratings)!
Rodeo is a great place to shop, there are a few good places to eat, and also this little gem. On the top floor of the outlet stores, a large reception desk greets you. The dressing room is a long hall with lots of little nooks for the lockers. That keeps the place cozy and quiet. It is overall a small place, but very nice and super clean. When I walked into the bath area, I was greeted by an amazing woodsy smell. Pine maybe? Or cedar? I'm not sure, but it was great. There are 3 tubs, cold, warm, and hot, and a dry sauna room. Lots of sit-down showers and 6 standing stalls. The standing showers are those huge, rainfall shower heads - stellar!
So, like I said, the facilities are a bit limited but what's there was really done right.
To get to the jjimjilbang, you walk through a long skyway across to the other building. There's an outdoor area with foot spas and doctor fish, but it wasn't open when I was there. (More info on that coming soon.) The main jjimjilbang area is a long rectangle with the TV positioned at one end. Although things are packed in pretty tightly, it seemed to stay quiet - maybe the high ceilings help dissipate sounds. Anyway, here you'll find the typical cafe, restaurant, rooms of varying temperatures, sleeping caves, and gender-segregated sleeping rooms. There's a second level on each side of the hall; on one side the stairs go up to the sleeping caves. Being up above keeps them very quiet. The other side's stairs lead to the skin care & massage, PC room, children's play area, and the singing rooms. Also, there were a couple rooms at or just above room-temperature. I hate it when there are only hot or super hot rooms to choose from. One room in particular was distinctive: room-temperature, and the walls are lined with trees. The outside parts of the tree, like a log cabin but with the bark on. Surprisingly, it wasn't that uncomfortable to lean up against either, and this room smelled like your grandparent's lake cabin in the summer.
Probably the best part is the fact that this jjimjilbang utilizes the fact that it's on the top floor. Just outside the entrance from the skyway into the jjimjilbang area there is a garden with platforms to relax on in good weather (pictured below). Also, the smoking area is a lovely patio with picnic tables out on the other corner. Because it's open-air and large enough, I could enjoy some time out there as well, without getting second-hand smoke.
I had a nice time there, and will definitely be going back. Remember everyone: if you take my advice and visit any of these saunas, please come back and comment or rate them for other readers!
In this post, I will give you an overview of 6 saunas and jjimjilbang in the Haeundae, Jung-dong, and Jangsan area of Busan. I'm looking for ratings, and comments about these places as I haven't been able to go to all of them yet.
This map link below will show the whole area with all places tagged. (The individual map links below will show a zoomed-in view of each building.)
Excellent spa on Dalmaji Hill just north of Haeundae Beach. A bit off the beaten path, but once you see it you won't regret the walk.
부산 해운대구 중동 1509-6
051-743-5705 Map of Vesta Resort Haeundae
2. Haeundae Oncheon Center (해운대 온천센터)
Well-traveled, nice place to stay near the beach. No ice room, but otherwise well-equipped. Super convenient location between beach and Sfunz/Haeundae Station.
부산 해운대구 중동 1378-18
051-740-7000 Map of Haeundae Oncheon Center
4. Beach Leisure-Tel Jjimjilbang (비치레저텔해수이온찜질방)
This one is quite a ways up the beach, past Paradise Hotel. If you will be in this area, or if everywhere else is full, it will serve it's purpose though. It is next to the ferry terminal for harbor tours and overlooks the beach and sea. I'll have to visit on a nice day and check out the view!
부산 해운대구 중1동 957-2
051-742-3336 Map of Beach Leisure-Tel Jjimjilbang Haeundae
5. Haeundae Leisure (해운대 레저)
This looks to be a really nice place spanning 3 floors (5th -7th) of the Sejong World Plaza. It's conveniently located just outside the Jangsan subway station, exit 3 or 5. It is next to Primus Theatre, and across from 2001 Outlet and Cinus Theatre.
부산 해운대구 좌동 1479-3 세종월드프라자 5, 6, 7층
051-701-0391 Map of Haeundae Leisure/ Sejong World Plaza Building
6. Daeha Ga-jok Gungang Land (대하가족건강랜드)
To get to this place, use exit 10 from Jangsan subway station. Just walk straight a few minutes to the 5-way intersection. It will be on your right, before you cross the intersection. Users on Naver give this sauna a high rating and it covers 3 floors in the building. Seems to me like this may be a good alternative to the busy Haeundae Leisure at Jangsan.
부산 해운대구 좌동 1461-4 대하프라자 9-12층
051-702-0041~2 Map of 대하가족건강랜드
This jjimjilbang was my first FAVORITE out of all the jjimjil's and saunas I'd been to in Korea, and that's saying a lot. This particular one is huge, beautiful, and has all the amenities you could ask for. First advantage is it's amazing location right on a great beach in Busan. (For those of you who don't know, Songjeong Beach is less than 10 min north of Haeundae by taxi, and is cleaner and much quieter. It's lovely.) When you walk along Songjeong beach, head to the north end (towards the left if you're facing the ocean, towards the point with the little park/historic site Jukdo). You'll be able to see Haesurak just up the hill from the beach through a few winding alleys. It's a wide, yellow building that's easily visible in the area. You can get there through the seemingly direct but winding alleys, or you could walk up to the end of the beach, veer left at the 3-way intersection, then within 5 min walking you'll find the front of the building on your left.
(2009) North section of Songjeong Beach. Haesurak Jjimjilbang is circled.
(2009) You can see the yellow building here in the middle of the photo.
The sauna area is striking, as the walls are nearly all tiled or decorated with stones. My favorite tub is a moderately cool one with a massaging waterfall. If you head outside the wet areas, Haesurak has many types of rooms (including special ones like Gold Room and O2 Room), and their ice room is the most beautiful one I've seen. There are gender-segregated and mixed sleeping areas, all of which are far from the main areas and TV's, secluded and quiet.
There is a library, PC room, singing rooms, movie-screening room, cafe, foot massage machines, and the typical hot, moderate, and cool relaxation rooms spread over 3 floors. Each of these rooms are cleanly decorated or beautifully tiled along the walls. On the top floor, there's a nice open-air garden and smoking area, with a fish pond which overlooks the beach. (Gorgeous sunsets!)
부산광역시 해운대구 송정동 265
Busan, Haeundae Gu, Songjeong Dong 265
Open 24 hours a day/7 days a week
051-702-1995
Costs (according to their website, may be out of date):
Sauna only
Adults: 4,000 won / Kids: 3,000 won
Sauna & Jjimjilbang
4am ~ 9pm (day use) : Adults: 6,500 won / Kids: 4,000 won
9pm ~ 4am (overnight use) : Adults: 8,000 won / Kids: 5,000 won
