Jjimjilbang: Spa Land

 

When traveling to South Korea, you do not want to miss a visit at a jjimjilbang. They are located everywhere. A Jjimjilbang (찜질방) is a public bathhouse and a popular weekend destination for Korean families. Most jjimjilbangs are open 24 hours. Therefore, one can sleep overnight. The most picturesque and amazing designs jjimjilbang is Spa Land. This jjimjilbang located in Shinsegae Centum City Shopping Center in Busan. This jjimjilbang, however, do not allow overnight since they only open from 6 AM to 12 AM. In this jjimjilbang, the running man episode 82 was filming here with Lee Da Hee as a guest.

Credit @ Running Man - SBS & iSUBS

Direction:
Busan Station - Take Bus 1001 or 1003 from Busan Station to Centum City 
Haeundae Beach - Take Line 2 (Green) from Haeundae to Centum City (3 stops)

Fee: (Up to 4 hours)
Adults: 13,000 won weekday / 15,000 won weekend - Happy Hour 8,000 won weekday / 10,000 won weekend (Before 9 AM or After 8PM) Note: There is a coupon to enter this jjimjilbang. 

Spa Land Jjimjilbang Map

When we visited Busan, we chose to visit after 8 PM because it was less crowded. After pay for the entrance fee, they assigned us the locker number. 

Ticket Counter (Credit @ smshayne )

With the ticket, we went up to where the shoe lockers were located. We kept our shoes in the locker with the number that we had already assigned. The shoe locker key will also be used as the entrance and exit access key to the jjimjilbang and lockers inside the bath room. After scan the key at the entrance, we picked up our jjimjilbang clothing to use after the shower. Men and women have different color.

Shoe Lockers

From shoe locker, scan the key and enter from right side

Pick up the jjimjilbang clothing and waiting area (Credit @ CNN)

 At this time, men and women went separate to their locker room. 

Women enter this side

Inside the locker room, everything was weird at the first time because everyone was naked and walk around the lockers. I looked for my locker and put my clothing and stuffs inside the locker and naked. My dad and I then entered the bathtub area.

 

Bathtubs (Credit @ CNN)

 

Outdoor bathtubs - women only (Credit @ CNN)

Outdoor bathtubs - women only (Credit @ CNN)

Inside the bathtubs, there was an instruction board on how to use the jjimjilbang. Before getting in the bathtubs, we had to take a quick shower first. There are lots of bathtubs and saunas. Each bathtub and sauna had a different temperature. The saunas had a higher temperature than the bathtubs. The bathtubs fed by two different kinds of all-natural spring water pumped up from 1000 meter underground. After the quick shower, we started to enter the bathtub with the coldest temperature in 20s Celsius. After several minutes, we moved to the higher temperature bathtub. We did this until we tried all the bathtubs. After that, we tried the saunas from the lowest temperature to the highest temperature sauna. Inside the bathtub area, they also offered massaging service but they had already closed when we got there. We took the shower after we tried all the bathtubs and saunas. This time with soap and shampoo.

When we were done, we went back to the locker room and dry with the towels. Next thing everyone did after the bath was to drink water so that we did not get dehydration. There was a water dispenser inside the locker room. Then, I put the jjimjilbang clothing on. Inside the jjimjilbang, they also have a make-up desk area, where you can use the hairdryer, comb, and free skin - lotion - toner for face.

From the locker room, we followed the sign that brought us to the meeting point toward the saunas room.

At the meeting point, we met my mon and sister. We then headed out to an open-air foot spa. Each tub again have different temperature and we started from the lowest to the highest temperature.

The foot-spa closed at 10PM. We stayed until that time. We then went to try all the saunas. I got headache when my surrounding got too hot. Therefore, I did not try the saunas that were very hot. There were a total of 13 sauna rooms. Each sauna room had a different theme inside. 

Credit @ CNN

Credit @ CNN

Credit @ CNN

Credit @ CNN

Credit @ CNN

 

Food stand

 Inside the saunas,

Credit @ CNN

When we were done, we went back to the locker room and changed the clothing. We then go back to the entrance, exit , and pick up our shoes. In Spa Land, they also offered spa beauty and water massage at the second floor.

Credit @ CNN

Credit @ CNN

How to make a sheep-looked like head for jjimjilbang:

This hat is called as Yangmeori. It is very easy to make this head. Here is step-by-step how to make it with pictures.

1. Take a small regular towel and fold it three times

2. Fold both of the end of the towel couple times that fitted your head

3. Your sheep-head is ready

Note: try hardboiled and pakbingsu while you visit the jjimjilbang

3 Days 2 nights in Busan - II

Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part V

Part IV: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part IV
Part V: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part V
Part VI: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part VI

Itinerary to South Korea

Day 5: Busan

My dad and I woke up early in the morning to have a breakfast at 32nd Floor. The buffet breakfast at Park Hyatt Busan had lots of choice. I loved it so much. From the restaurant, I could see the view outside. The view itself was just fabulous.The same view can also be viewed from the lobby floor at 30th Floor.

View from the restaurant

Gamcheon Cultural Village

The first destination that we went to was Gamcheon Cultural Village. We took a cab to go this place. This village was also known as "Santorini of South Korea". This village was full with arts. You can buy a map for 2,000 at the visitor and collect a stamp around this village. 

Direction (Public Transportation):
1. Take Green Line, transfer to Red Line to Toseong Station Exit 6.
2. You will be facing an intersection. Turn right at the corner and walk straight. You will see a hospital on your right. The bus stop is right in front of the hospital.
3. Take either Bus 2 or 2-2
4. This will take you to Gamcheon Culture Village at top of the hill.

Santorini of South Korea

Credit @ Two Wandering Soles

 

We went to the community center in this village. At the roof of this community center, the running man TV show was filming with Choi Ji Woo as a guest.

In front of the community center, there was stairs to part of the village. My sister and I actually walked toward the community center from the other side of the stairs. My sister told me that she got dizzy. When we arrive at the community center, we saw a board and the stairs that we just went through was called as "Stairs to See Stars". The reason was that one felt dizzy when they climbed up the stairs.

Jagalchi Market 

It was already a lunch time. From Gamcheon Cultural Village, we then head out to Jagalchi market, the biggest fish market in South Korea, was bigger than Noryangjin fish market in Seoul. We visited one of the fish store. The ahjumma who stood in front of the store was holding a small calculator and pressed it when we asked the price for the seafood that we wanted to eat. We ordered a king crab, a raw abalone, a raw sea cucumber, and live octopus. The total was 80,000 won for 4 people. I would rate the restaurant 4.5/5 since the services were amazing. The taste of the abalone and sea cucumber was not bad at all and I would eat it again in the future.

Direction (Public Transportation): Jagalchi Station (Busan subway line 1), Exit 10.

Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan (Credit @ Two Wandering Soles)

 

Since we did not have a lot of time in Busan, we skipped BIFF square and the ssiat-hotteok. This ssiat-hotteok was very popular and became more popular after Lee Seung Gi ate it at one of the 1 night 2 days episode. For the information, please check this site Two Wondering Soles. From Jagalchi market, we headed out to Taejongdae before they closed. 

Taejongdae

Direction (Public Transportation): From Busan Station, take Bus 88 or 101 and get off at Taejongdae (태종대). This place was named after King Taejongmuyeol, the 29th king of Silla kingdom. He used to travel to this place for shooting arrows. Taejongdae was also a place to perform a ritual for rain during the droughts season. The rain on the 10th of lunar May is called as the Taejong rain.

From the entrance, we had to walk inside to the Danubi train ticket counter. It was free admission to the Taejongdae park by walking but it was a long walk from one place to another. Therefore, I would recommend to take a Danubi train. 

Fee: 1,600 won/person for a family group of 3 or more. 2,000/person for adults, 1,500/person for youths, and 1,000 won/person for children.

Danubi Train

The Danubi train stopped at 5 places:

1. Taewon Jagal Madang
2. Gumyeongsa Temple
3. Observatory
4. Yeongdo Lighthouse
5. Taejongsa Temple

 

The most famous stops were observatory and yeongdo lighthouse. From the platform, we directly went to the observatory as our first stop.

Inside the Danubi Train

View of a Tsushima island (Japan) from the observatory. It was foggy and cold during my visit.

Observatory Building

Mother and children statue in front of the observatory building

From the observatory, we then went to Yeongdo lighthouse. It was very close to the observatory. We ended taking the Danubi train since the train arrived when we are about to walk there. After we arrived at the Yeongdo lighthouse, we walked down thru stairs toward the light house. It was a long walk to the destination.The blue red looks like arrow statue called as "Light Beyond Limitation". The blue represents sky and sea, the red represents the sun, camellia flower, universe, five oceans, and six continents, and the arrow represents the light from the lighthouse. Under the lighthouse, there was a table rock called Sinseon Rock. At this rock, there is a figure called Mangbuseok, named after the story of a woman who waited for her husband who capture to Japan. 

We stopped at the red blue arrow and relaxed there for 30 minutes before we went back up to where the Danubi train was. From Taejongdae, we headed back to our hotel to take a rest. For the dinner tonight, we bought four bowls of noodle cup at the convenience store next to our hotel.  

Spa Land - Shinsegae Centum City

After took a rest, we headed to Spa Land at Centum City Shopping Center. Please click the link for information on Spa Land. Spa Land is a jimjilbang and one of the best jimjilbang in South Korea. I would recommend people to go there. They were open from 6 AM to 12 AM. In this jimjilbang, one of the running man episode filming here. I wrote a post for Spa Land itself due to lots of information about it.From Spa Land, then we headed back to our hotel with a cab. It was about 12:30 AM.

 Continue Part VI: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part VI