I got naked in Spa Land in Centum City Busan a South Korean spa experience
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Call me crazy, but I generally try to avoid getting naked in large crowds. Obviously, it's generally frowned upon in the eyes of the law, but there's also a level of… let's call it 'quiet discomfort' that comes with getting down to skins in front of hundreds.
Unless, of course, I'm in South Korea and I'm headed to a bathhouse, then all rules go out the window and I can't strip down fast enough.
True, being of Turkish ancestry, I'm no stranger to a group bathing experience, but unlike hamams which are positively lawless compared to its Asian counterparts, a Korean bathhouse experience (known locally as Jjimjilbang. or quite literally, 'heated rooms') involves a specific set of rules to abide by.
The best place to immerse yourself in the local spa culture? The port city of Busan which has been an international bathhouse destination since the Joseon Dynasty.
If you like bath houses, Busan should be on your bucket list.
Now, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the choice of spa complexes dotted around Busan. Some may prefer the dazzle of the all-new (and positively gargantuan) ClubD Oasis, a spa and waterpark which can accommodate up to 3,500 people, while others might prefer a 2am bathing option with the 24-hour Hill Spa.
I'm a sucker for a multitude of glowing reviews, so I opt for a day at Spa Land, located in Centum City, one of the world's largest department stores. Here, those willing to part with 25,000 Won (around $28) for a four-hour bathhouse adventure can make the most of 18 hot spring baths and 13 themed steam baths drawn from natural hot spring water some 1,000 metres underground.
Guests are given these cute head towels. Picture: Dilvin Yasa
Spa Land, like most Jjimjilbang, has two distinct areas: the baths, which are same-sex only, and the saunas, which are for everyone to share. First, you have to put your shoes in an assigned locker before collecting your fetching spa uniform of chequered shorts and oversized grey marle t-shirt at the linen counter and then heading back to a locker to decide if you want to put on your uniform to enjoy the sauna facilities (yep, no towel wearing in the saunas here), or if you want to disrobe completely and head to the baths.
Towels are forbidden in saunas here.
Of course, you also have the option of heading upstairs to the 2nd floor to make the most of the entertainment quarter, which includes a restaurant, a casual noodle bar, a relaxation zone and many massage chairs.
I dump my clothes, gather my courage and strut my naked self through the change rooms out to the hot springs (they give you a hand towel, but it is nowhere near enough to protect your modesty). Everyone has to scrub down at a washing station before entering the bath and I do, but the minute I enter a body of 40-degree water some five minutes later, a spa mistress becomes incensed that I haven't washed my hair (which is up in a bun) and starts shouting at me to get back out and try again.
The floral decor is a nice touch too.
Instead, I run away, taking my time to try all the baths, which range in size and temperature, from cold plunge (15 degrees) to 45 degrees (more my speed). There is, I should note, an option to book in for a scrub or a massage in a room nearby, but I'm so relaxed I can barely move (also, the spa mistress terrifies me). After yet another shower, it's time to put on my spa uniform and head up to the saunas.
See also: Why you can't trust reviews in South Korea
Will it be a Finnish sauna, a Roman sauna, a salt room, clay room or a hamam? Whatever your preference, you can be sure to open a door to a roomful of locals staring at their phones under a thick cloak of steam. I involuntarily listen to endless TikTok videos in all of the rooms (with the exception of the ice room) and before I know it, I have just enough time for my complimentary ice-cream and yet another shower before my locker key is handed back and I'm back out in the department store.
Is a Jjimjilbang experience for you? Only if you're completely comfortable with public nudity. Me? I plan to go back, but next time, I'll be sure to bring ear plugs.
Originally published as I got naked in a sauna in South Korea, I didn't expect this
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