The notion of stripping down and relaxing in a tub filled with water with strangers isn’t popular with a lot of people. If you match this category, don’t feel as though you’re alone, but never to spend time in the Korean bathhouse, also called jjimjilbang, is always to overlook a unique Korean experience. Tubs stuffed with water heated to various temperatures, saunas, cold rooms, sweat rooms, food, and drinks for example sikhye, the Korean bathhouses have all the feaures you will need for the relaxing afternoon. For first-timers though, Korean jjimjilbangs may be tricky to navigate. With enough trips, you’ll soon have your sauna and tub routine down, but before you go, here’s the lowdown before starting planning your journey on the jjimjilbang in Korea.

Health Benefits of Jjimjilbang

jjimjilbangs, and saunas normally, are ideal for your heart and assistance to lower blood pressure. The humid environments combined with bathing aspect make Korean bathhouses an excellent spot to cleanse the body of the toxins and therefore are around perfect for reducing stress levels. By the time you depart the jjimjilbang, you’ll also notice your skin feeling more supple over the course of another couple of days. All of those benefits have helped position jjimjilbangs among the most sought after experiences when considering for the world of saunas.

Get Ready for Nudity, Lots of Nudity

This sounds obvious, it’s a bathhouse all things considered. You might be thinking that regardless of the nudity you are able to mask having a towel while you walk towards the tubs or even walk behind some lockers so you’re not running around out inside the open. If only it were that easy. There are lockers in which you put your clothes and bags, but between your lockers and also the room of tubs is really a large walkway that you must strut all the way through, out within the open. And if you still think you are able to cover up with a towel, the towels are generally from the tubs, on the other end from the room. Fortunately, this initial experience at Korean bathhouses only lasts the first few times. If you don’t feel safe running around naked, after enough visits you’ll be running around the jjimjilbang with the exact same confidence as if you were clothed.

Shower First, Hot Tubs Second

This may appear a bit redundant, but it is for sanitary reasons. Think about it, you don’t know where everyone has been before coming on the jjimjilbang. Would you want people washing their filth within the same water you’re soaking in? Most people would answer “no” to this particular. So, make sure you shower prior to getting into the jacuzzis. The Korean bathhouse veterans usually bring their own basket of soaps and shampoos together. Some jjimjilbangs also keep shampoo and soap stocked inside the shower area for many who don’t bring their particular supplies. After you’ve showered you’ll be able to finally go into the tubs.

This Tub’s too Hot, This Tub’s too Cold, This Tub is Just Right

Every jjimjilbang usually has about four tubs with different temperatures. These tubs usually range between cold, hot, sizzling hot, to very, very hot. The regular hot tub is often where everyone goes to heat up and gradually work their in place to the very, sizzling hot tub. Recommended Reading may notice someone else in the tub. Don’t feel too awkward about hopping in. The baths are communal so we’re not saving seats for any friend. After you’re heated up, go ahead and bounce throughout the different baths and find one which allows you to get the maximum bath time. It’s important too to note that you just shouldn’t skip the cold bath. It might appear odd to unwind within the cold tub, but if allowing yourself a soak inside the cold tub for any few minutes, your skin is a little more smooth and softer. After visiting jjimjilbang enough times, you’ll eventually have your personal schedule of how long to spend in each tub before leaving.

Wait! Don’t Forget the Sauna

Unless you are going to an incredibly small bathhouse, most bathhouses in Korea usually have a sauna somewhere inside bathtub area. It’s usually best to enter in the sauna area somewhere inside middle of your bathing cycle. After you’ve noticed you’re starting out prune, step in the sauna for a quick sweat prior to back into the jacuzzis again. After you’re finished bathing, consider taking any shower prior to changed into your jjimjilbang clothes

So, You’ve Bathed. What Now?

You might have noticed before coming to the bathtub area that there were blow dryers, lotions, and other beauty items with the mirrors. After you shower, you’ll want to check this page to wash somewhat and add that last, extra the answer to allow you to relax. You may have noticed the jjimjilbang gave you a change of clothes once you checked in. Unless you are going back into the bathing area, they’re likely to function as the clothes you wear when you walk throughout the rest of the bathhouse. Don’t feel that your Korean bathhouse experience begins and ends at the baths. There is still more to accomplish while you are here.

Lounge and Relax to Your Fullest Potential

The lounge area is often advertised by means of arrows conducive get you started with the bathing area. The lounge area is often a large room where everyone comes to relax. If you came which has a group, this is that you’d connect with everyone. The really nice jjimjilbangs have lounge areas with heated floors that are said to be best for the skin. Either in or around the lounge area you’ll see rooms for massages and possibly even an arcade. You pay because of these through tapping your bracelet in a very designated area. This bracelet will be the method that you purchase everything inside the jjimjilbang.

Hot, Cold, Maybe a Little Salty?

You should see several small doors inside the lounge area that lead into what appears to be a stone igloo. These are rooms built to throw open the pores and enable you to sweat. Each room has different levels of humidity. You’ll see the air is very thick and humid inside. You’ll become accustomed to it soon after minutes. All you may need to do is simply set down on to the floor and just close your eyes and rest. You can also use one with the small towels offered as being a kind of pillow to enable you to rest. Another room is the cold room. This room is usually indicated by fake snow and props that might make you believe it is similar for the arctic. The truth is, it just isn’t that cold, but a great destination to cool off when you’re finished one with the hot rooms. Another room some Korean bathhouses may have will be the heated salt rooms. These are to never humid, but the air is drier. The reason being each of the salt inside room that you can see coating the walls and, possibly, the floor.

Of Course, There is Food

It wouldn’t be Korea if food weren’t somehow involved and bathhouses are no different. At jjimjilbang, there are two things that are a total necessity to get. The first one being sikhye. Sikhye is a sugary rice drink that’s perfect when you get done sweating. It typically comes in a very plastic bottle. You also need to take in the jjimjilbang eggs. These are hard-boiled eggs which are the brown leafy color or charcoal black. These eggs taste much like your typical hard-boiled egg except that they undertake a somewhat smoky flavor after having been cooked from the sauna itself.

Leaving the jjimjilbang

When you are ready to leave, shower up, take one last bath, and shower again before heading to your locker. Change into your regular clothes and head towards the receptionist at the front desk. They will also take your bracelet and calculate everything else you might have bought while inside. After you’re done paying, head outside. Over the following week, you’ll notice how healthy and smooth your epidermis feels and stay planning the next visit for the jjimjilbang.