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JJIMJILBANG [찜질방]

A jjimjilbang is a Korean public bathhouse. 

I had my first jjimjilbang experience last month, and it was stellar! I met up with some friends in Seoul, and we decided when in Korea...do as the Koreans do!

We spent the night at the oh so swanky Dragon Hill Spa near Yongsan Station for 12,000 ₩ [less than $12] each. To say that it is just a bathhouse is quite an understatement. It has two restaurants, two snack stands [complete with bing-sus and baked eggs], an arcade, a cinema, a common room with TVs and tons of people and automatic massage chairs, a computer room, a gym, a kiddie play place, a few outdoor pools, a putting green, and sleeping rooms. As far as the spa part goes there is a hair salon, a nail salon, Emperor's Stiz Hip room, a facial thread shaving area [yes, like in the Auburn mall], rooms with their own temperature and ambiance [charcoal kiln room, ice room, pine tree wood fire sweating room, pyramid room, salt room, and a Finnish sauna] and places for facials and massages. 

 [photos from Dragon Hill Spa's website]

Okay so...public bathhouse?? I must say I was rather nervous about that [naked] part when we were waiting in line to get in, but it really was not a big deal...or even awkward at all! The baths range from rather chilly to almost scalding [my favorite] and are gender separated, attached to the men's or women's locker rooms. Then, to go into the co-ed area everyone puts on these snazzy green outfits:

Also, upon entry everyone is given a handy wristband that can be used to charge things like food and spa treatments with a locker key attached.

 V for victory from the jjimjilbang!