A jimjilbang is a pretty unique experience for the Western traveler, especially an American. But these Korean spas are pretty ordinary over here. Since before we came here, we’d heard about the public baths and decided that we’d go to at least one before we left. Because of the nature of how they work, this post will be for a male jimjilbang.

Male Jimjilbang – Onyang Hot Springs

At first, we thought about heading up into Seoul and going to more of the newer or more Western Jimjilbangs for a full experience. However, as we were getting nearer the end of our stay, we decided instead to venture south to the Onyang Hot Spring Hotel Jimjilbang. We wanted to get a little more authentic experience that would not be catering to tourists or the cosmopolitan.

The spa is situated in the basement of the Onyang Hotel in Oncheon and is a bit smaller than many of the newer ones that you’ll find in Seoul. However, it is probably one of the oldest in the country and was the official jimjilbang of the Joseon dynasty as early as the 14th century.

It took us a little while to find where to go when we arrived. The hotel wasn’t clearly marked – or maybe it was and we just couldn’t read the signs. Once we did, we took a set of stairs down towards the basement and then wandered around a somewhat empty lobby. However, with a bit of quick searching, we found the main lobby down the hall. Upon entering the lobby, they’ll separate you by men and women. So naturally, I would be heading for the male jimjilbang.

Gender Segregation Made it a Male Jimjilbang for Me

I went off to the men’s side and entered the locker room where I was handed a key for my locker. Right away is the first shock to Westerners – blatant nudity. There is no covering up or privacy here, so if you plan on coming to a jimjilbang, be prepared for walking around naked and seeing lots of other people doing the same. This was definitely uncomfortable for me, but I managed to get over it as I knew I would never see any of these people again. Some people get bothered, because locals may stare at the “foreigner”, but I was ignored mostly.

Before entering the changing room, there is a rack where you can grab towels, rags, and store various accessories you might have brought (shampoo, toothpaste, cologne, etc). It is rather common for locals to bathe regularly in jimjilbangs, especially during winter months because Korean bathrooms are often unheated.

Upon entering the bathing room, you can see that it is divided pretty much in half, to the left are the showers – many rows of waist level walls with seats, sinks, and attached flexible showerheads. And to the right is the baths. First, you take a shower to clean yourself off (soap is provided) and then you can proceed into the bath. It is important to take a bath first so that you do not dirty the spring water, and it is considered very rude to just jump in.

The water at Onyang is supplied from a hot spring, so it has very rich mineral water – ever so slightly sulfuric – and has a pretty constant water temp ~42C, though the fresh flows of water which pour out of many openings are much hotter.

Hot, Cold, Wet, Dry

I started off with the hot water pool. It was like a hot tub, except only around two and a half feet deep the whole way around. It was perfect for sitting down and submersing yourself fully in. The pool could hold roughly fifty people comfortably, which was good because it was very crowded – despite it being the middle of the day on a Tuesday. There were people of all ages and rank just bathing naked together – certainly not something you’ll ever encounter in the US.

After about fifteen minutes, I decided to go and try the wet sauna. Upon opening the door I was taken aback pretty quick. It was incredibly hot, the dial said 90C, which seems incredible to me since that would be 194F, but regardless it felt it. I managed to stay in for about 4 to 5 minutes before having to leave. The air burned to breathe, and my hair was so hot it actually burned to touch.

Be Careful With The Temperature Changes

So, with a lightheaded feeling, I went to the part I dreaded initially – the cold pool.  I was so hot, I knew that I needed to cool down. The cool bath was 70F, which usually is way too cold for me, however, I was so hot that I managed to walk in and get up to my neck within a second and just sit there for close to ten minutes before I started to get chilly. Once I got cool enough, I went back to the hot pool and began the cycle over.

The next time I got out, I tried the dry sauna. It was a little bit cooler than the wet sauna, but only by so much. You begin to sweat pretty quickly in here and it really cleanses you. There is also an outdoor hot pool, which was pretty nice to try out for a bit. The fresh air was quite refreshing after the extreme humidity indoors. However, you needed to be quick getting in, it was winter after all and when we went it was roughly 28F out.

Rinse, Repeat, Relax

I repeated the cycle of hot water, saunas, and cold water baths many times more. Each time, my muscles became more and more loose. In its own way, it felt like a massage. By the time I left, just under two hours, I felt incredibly relaxed, a little tired, and a little light headed. I weighed myself before and after the whole thing and lost 2kgs in sweat. Kinda crazy honestly, but it felt good.

One thing I noticed that particularly stood out, was just how comfortable and nonchalant everyone was about the nudity. Granted, as the only westerner, I did get a few curious looks. Children went about playing with toys, friends chatted with each other, some even bathed each other.  All completely nude and not caring in the slightest. It was a little uncomfortable for me, but it really wasn’t that difficult to adjust and not care.

Many Additional Options

If I had wanted, I could have also gotten a scrub. However, this cost extra and I did not want to pay any more. It only cost 7,000 Won to enter, but additions such as massage, and mani/pedis could run the bill up quickly. The scrub is professionally done using a rough loofa and oil to rub you down and scrape off dead skin or dirt.

It is supposedly pretty good, aside from costing extra. They also clean ALL of you, which was just too much for me to want to partake in. As I mentioned before, this Jimjilbang was smaller and older, without all the amenities some newer ones have. Many have sleeping rooms – considering I fell asleep in the lobby waiting for Briana – I can fully understand.

Some have restaurants, regular pools for swimming and having fun, and shared saunas. However, these will differ by the place. Another great thing about these is there is no time limit, just stay as long as you’d like.

All in all, I can say it was a great, unique, and weird experience. You should absolutely give a shot at while staying in Korea.

You can also check out Briana’s experience here for a female perspective on it all.

Prepare For Your Soak

There really isn’t too much you need to do to ensure that you enjoy yourself at a male jimjilbang, just show up and you’re pretty much good. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make it even better. The best way to do this is to personalize your experience to your preference.

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• Travel Towel – You are provided with a small towel entering a jimjilbang. However, the towels tend to be small and uncomfortable. This microfiber towel is really comfortable and easy to carry. Plus, it is all yours. The towel is also great because you can bring it with you for just about anything in Korea, hiking, swimming, beach – you name it. Relefree Microfiber Travel Towel
• Travel Bottles – I do wish that I could have given myself a full wash – I really didn’t know what to expect! Now, I’m not going to tell you which shampoo or soap to bring, we all have our preferences, which is why I recommend these little bottles. They’re 3 oz each, so you can easily travel with them and you can fill each one with your favorites. Shampoo, Conditioner, Soap – check! Kitdine Silicone Travel Bottles
• Water Bottles – Collapsible Water Bottles – These are some of our favorite items to bring with us. They’re really light-weight and you can also roll them up so you can store them away easily. There isn’t anywhere to drink in jimjilbangs, so be sure to bring some for yourself. If there is one item that is most important to bring with you, it is water – and this is a great way to carry it.
• Toothbrush – Might as well give your whole body the clean treatment! These foldable toothbrushes are easy to carry, and there’s two just in case you lose one, or you have a partner who could use one themselves. Travel Toothbrush
• Cash – Even though South Korea is pretty modern, they still don’t accept cards everywhere. If you want to fully enjoy a jimjilbang, you’re going to need to bring cash because that is what they take for – literally everything. Don’t make the mistake of showing up with just a card.

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