Slow Nights for Fast Days

A night shrouded Seoul rolls by on the other side of the window. The slow mugunghwa train stops at some stations and trundles through others, but the city is undeniably upon it now. The passengers are everywhere, businessmen lazing in the aisles, two American tourists sitting on their joint suitcase both barely awake, an ahjussi chatting away on his phone. 

But it hadn’t been like this for long. Those who had joined in Daegu, and Busan before it, had been treated to a gentle journey through the hills and fields and farms of southern Korea. Now, the faint pastel yellow glow of lit city streets, the smell of fuel and low buzz is returning, and I am so happy to be back.

It may seem strange to the more seasoned traveller, the self assured at least, but having taken a train trip in another country with all the buying tickets and finding platforms, I really felt like I’d achieved something. I was returning to Seoul victorious. 

“I’ll be home soon” The old man next to me texts his son. Earlier in the trip he skulked up to me, knowing that all the seats were booked, evident in the fact that he had not booked one as he had been standing for most of the journey, and had occupied two other seats prior to the one that now held my bag. I removed it quickly, bowing my head, to which he smiled a smile so nice I’ll never forget it, and I’m glad the true occupier of the reserved seat next to me never materialised. Looking through the windows as we roll into Seoul station the platforms are still bustling, and this is true of the entire building and the streets beyond. 

It’s nights like these for which Jimjillbangs were conceived. They offer slow nights to remedy fast days for the office workers of Korea, tipsy on soju and tired from work, not wanting to disturb their sleeping lovers and children by going home in the early hours of the morning. 

A Cultural Phenomenon 

Throughout Korean history, saunas segregated by sex and fired by pine have been used for both medicinal and leisure purposes. Since the 1400s in fact, and probably even earlier too. The original domed kilns, named Hanjeungmak, are still a part of many Jimjilbangs, but nowadays this is only one small facet of the things on offer at these “saunas”. 

When scouring the internet for cultural activities in South Korea, jimjilbangs often make an appearance as a fun way for foreigners to spend a day relaxing and people watching. They offer a rare opportunity to really throw yourself into a still widely accessible part of Korean history, so popular that they’ve been brought through the ages into contemporary life. I would even say there is nothing else like a jimjilbang for native Koreans and weigugins to rub shoulders in a shared experience the way they can inside a jade kiln or mugwort bath. 

It must be said that, while they certainly accept solo patrons, saunas are usually a pretty social thing, so attending as a solo traveller can be particularly daunting. If you’re planning to take full advantage of the Korean sauna trend and stay the night, like I was, then hopefully this post can serve as a guide on what to expect, and how to look like a pro. 

The particular jimjilbang I visited was Siloam Sauna, and I visited during the overnight stay. This spot was recommended by many past visitors who claimed that it’s a very popular choice with both the locals and tourists alike. So, the first benefit is that you’ll have no problem with using English and minimal Korean, and interaction with staff is really at a minimum. Past the lady on the front door, and the lady at the shoe lockers, you won’t be disturbed by staff asking you how your trip is going. In fact, the only workers you’ll see are the changing room attendants, and janitors completing the near constant cleaning rounds of the sauna, keeping the entire thing as hygienic as possible. 

Important Note:

If you’re travelling Korea, chances are that you’re already very used to the custom of wearing slides or slippers indoors, and this is true too of the jimjilbang. Don’t forget your shower shoes, but don’t worry if you do, the attendants will provide you with a pair if you’d like, or (when I attended at least) you could go completely barefoot. Other than that, you don’t have to bring anything except the things to keep you occupied during your time there. As a solo traveller a trusty book is always a good bet, but obviously phones are permitted upstairs in the sauna too. 

Part 1: Entering the Jimjilbang 

I embark on a particularly long walk from Seoul station, on which I get turned around so many times the congregation of the city’s homeless who have collected their cardboard and are settling down on the side-streets near the tracks begin to smile knowingly at me, head down at my phone, scouring Naver maps. What I should have been doing was looking to the sky, for the huge illuminated SILOAM sign that sits atop the building’s roof. 

Siloam’s door is down a few small alleys, but don’t worry if you think you’re walking into someone’s back garden. Like many of the best businesses in Seoul, the entrance is hidden. Though, despite this, it is not unassuming, and you will certainly know thanks to the miniature replica of the sign lighting up the night sky that sits atop the door. (Edit: Apparently, according to TripAdvisor reviews, this particular sauna has now shut down, so please note that everything I have detailed here is based on my experience at this particular sauna. Though, while other jimjilbang may have different processes, I think it’s safe to assume that the general experience will be much the same no matter which sauna you decide to visit.)

The foyer is small, with a lady sitting behind the desk, a queue of three of four people suited and booted, and the seated and slumped daytime patrons putting their shoes on to head back out into the world after a day of relaxation.

There’s no need to ask for a certain time slot or tourist package; depending on what time of day you go, whoever is on reception will know whether you are a day or a night customer. All you need to do is hold your finger up to signify you are indeed a solo customer. 

This first staff member will take your money, and in return you will get your key for your shoe locker. The jimjilbang offer excellent prices, and incredible value for money. A daytime visit is usually around 10,000 won, and a nighttime visit will be slightly more, around 15,000 won. To get as much time as possible in the jimjilbang, opt to go as soon as the ‘changing’ of the times takes effect – at Siloam the daytime customers have from 8am to 8pm, and the nighttime customers from 8pm to 8am. Switch into your slides here, and carry your shoes with you into the changing room. 

Part 2: The Changing Rooms

There are two doors that the receptionist will direct you towards, one for the male changing rooms, and one for female, so pick whichever one you feel more comfortable in, but do take note of Korea’s social rigidity when it comes to gender, and the expectations of the locals that stem from this. Keep yourself safe. 

Upon entering the spacious changing rooms, decked out as you’d expect with lockers and countless people stripping off, you’ll meet another lady behind the desk. This next staff member will take the key you were given only moments ago by the receptionist, and store your shoes for you. You’ll then be given some branded clothing for your particular sauna, in my case a bright orange t-shirt and shorts (don’t panic if you’re plus size like me, they’ll intuitively give you the size they believe you are, and the clothing does accommodate for larger bodies (I believe I was a size UK20 at this time)), and a little towel to tie around your head in the traditional Korean way.

This smiling lady asks me very sweetly, “Are you sleepy?” to which I am indeed so sleepy that I cannot comprehend the question, and my asking for a repeat offends her a little. So…sorry to this woman. 

The changing room works like any other. Simply pick a locker and shove your remaining possessions into it. While I only took a backpack that fit well into the locker, I did see a few people with hefty suitcases that were stored behind the original reception, so if you’re arriving in Seoul a night before your AirBnB or hotel is ready for you, perhaps a jimjilbang is the perfect place to stay the night, although please check beforehand. Now, of course, it’s time to strip down to your undies and get kitted out in your brand new, super comfy sauna wear.

The changing room is again packed with those who have finished up their day visits, and the school-trip of American girls next to me are in full blown conversation surrounding the offer of a Korean bathhouse tradition only available to daytime customers, given by a little old Korean lady who certainly put the rough in rough leaf massage. Though they’re sad to be leaving, the dynamism in their voices and the speed with which they put their clothes back on tells me they were certainly loosened up and rejuvenated by their experience. 

Once you’re decked out, grab your things, close your locker and tie the key around your thigh or wrist. It’s time to head up the stairs at the back of the changing room to the first floor. Or, if you’d like to get your bath-time out of the way before you head up to the saunas, the gendered baths are downstairs from the particular changing room you’ve chosen. More on that later. 

Part 3: The First Floor

As soon as I leave the changing rooms it becomes immediately clear that this place is HUGE. Somewhat overwhelmed even by this particularly small foyer, the toilets and beauty salons to the left, and buzzing restaurant to the right, I make a beeline straight ahead to the televisions and jade foot baths. Ankle deep in the smooth stones and comfortingly warmed by the heated seats and insulated bronzed wood interior, the poster next to me catches my attention. 

On this poster are listed the countless attractions and entertainments the sauna offers, in both English and Korean, most of which I have already familiarised myself with in the research I did before I came here. Finally, when I have collected myself, I decide to brave the next floor. When I come back down later in the night this floor is all but deserted, and the resturant closed, so if you do get a chance to try it out, please let me know how it is! The menu outside was filled with everything from small snacks like hard boiled eggs to traditional Korean meals.  

My advice would be not to read the description of each floor, and determine your definite route through the Jimjilbang. Instead embrace the excitement and anticipation to go up a floor again and again and see what you will find.

Part 4: The Saunas 

The second floor houses the saunas, the bread and butter of the Jimjilbang. The main area is a large room fashioned from the same wood as the rest of the sauna, the centre of which comprises a huge straw mat. Pairs of Ahjummas and Ahjussis grab the small cushions on offer at the edge of the seating area, and sit, lie, and kneel for hours in conversation, or engrossed in one of the many televisions that line the wall. The foreigners flock to the juice bar that sits in the corner of this room, partaking in various combinations of ingredients fashioned especially for nutrition and health.

After sitting in the jade downstairs, I once again take a seat on the mat, and return the polite smiles of the other patrons with little bows. I spend longer than I would’ve expected here, laying on my phone as people come and go, listening to the musings of those other weigugins who had tried the saunas and were now sufficiently sweaty and glad to be back out in the relatively brisk air of the main room.

Along the far wall there are various traditional doors, each with temperature gauges (all in degrees celsius) above them indicating the type of sauna inside. The traditional hanjeungmak ‘hut’ is separate from them, and its domed exterior sits proudly next to the relaxation area. Outside there is a warning sign, detailing that this is the hottest sauna in the whole place, be very careful if you have any kind of medical issue that could be riled up by sitting in an 80 degree room. You can choose whichever saunas or sleeping saunas you like, in whatever order you like, although there probably is a way to go about raising and lowering your body temperature that’s a lot more beneficial than the wonton nature with which I sampled them. I don’t brave the hanjeungmak, and instead opt for jade once again, the stone sauna sitting at a slightly-more-manageable 60 degrees. 

The floor of this first sauna is fashioned entirely from the same pebbles I had had my feet in downstairs, except here the few people inside are perched atop the chalky stones. The very, very hot stones, as I soon find out. The room is certainly warm, but the spacious interior, high ceiling, and novelty of it all are so pleasant that I manage to sit in there for a lot longer than I was expecting to be able to. The most fun part of it all is that the stones absorb the heat incredibly well, so sitting in one spot for too long requires some well honed self-control. I, however, possessing nothing of the sort, danced around the room like a lizard on scalding sand, unable to sit in one spot for more than a few minutes. 

Emerging, having fully realised my role as the sweaty weguigin, from my first ever sauna experience, I go straight into the ‘frost room’ where the temperature is a positively balmy -14 degrees. I cannot stay in here for very long at all, even though I am incredibly hot from the previous sauna. The frost room causes my body to suck my sweat straight back into my pores along with any pride I felt for managing the hotter temperatures for 15 minutes. I mentioned above that there is likely a beneficial order to take these saunas in, but having gone straight from 60 degrees to well below freezing, I emerged from the frost room with more energy than I had had in my entire trip so far. My god, the feeling was incredible and I had to do a few laps of the room before I even felt like I could try the sleeping saunas. 

Possibly as a result of this magical Jimjilbang energy that I have been gifted, I cannot drop off in the colder sleep sauna, named the ‘oxygen room’, the beds of which are out in the open and filled with already snoring patrons. Instead, the far warmer, mugwort sleeping room sends me out like a light, in one of its small personal rooms, each with its own arched door like those of the saunas. Remember to bring in one of the little cushions from outside for the comfiest sleep. There’s no time limit to how long you can stay in these saunas, and as an overnight customer theoretically you could certainly sleep in the sleeping saunas until the morning. I, however, am ready to take the plunge. 

Part 5: The Basement 

It’s time to brave the naked baths. I saunter back down to the locker rooms, already well rested from my surprisingly long doze in the saunas. Being as it’s almost 2am now, I am comforted by the fact that the baths should be almost empty, if not completely closed. I arrive at the locker room to find that the baths are still in use, they’re particularly busy, and every member of staff is situated at reception in perfect view of the changing rooms. Especially self conscious thanks to my fat girl paranoia that I am larger than any and all Koreans, I wrap my hair dye stained towel around me (to make matters more embarrassing it doesn’t even close the whole way) and dash past the quizzical looks of the staff members down the stairs. 

Think of the basement baths as any set of showers at a western swimming pool, but accommodating for those of us who would rather slump in a bath to get clean, and jumped up with a few extra jacuzzis. In the centre of the room are three shower banks, and in the interests of hygiene it’s always worth going for a little splash under these in preparation. Remember, you can also wash your hair and do a proper body wash down here before sleeping if you like. It’s worth mentioning also that if you are a darker skinned foreigner like me, you should be prepared to clear the baths out, or at least for a few dirty looks from the older Korean women. 

First, I opt for the waterfall bath, and spend a few minutes washing the sleep from myself under the generous, flowing water. The next bath I try is not actually a bath, but a powerful pressure shower that definitely soothes my muscles from falling asleep on the hard tiled floor upstairs. Next, the mugwort bath, just as enjoyable as its sauna shaped counterpart, and apparently three times as beneficial to the body. The hottest bath is also the biggest, perfect for lazing in for as long as you can bare it, and right next to the cold bath for a refreshing plunge pool experience. The salt bath is particularly inviting, having just been replenished with a great heaping of rock salt that has been poured into the middle of the bath and is slowly dissolving. With the whole floor to myself I dip back and forth between the mugwort and salt baths for at least an hour. 

Back upstairs and thoroughly proud of myself for baring it all and actually enjoying it, I am called over by one of the staff members, and remember I have left my shampoo at the showers downstairs. I run past the gaggle of women, this time with all my bits in the wind, and don’t think twice as I jiggle myself back up the stairs to get my clothes on. 

Part 6: Time for Bed

The penultimate and ultimate floors of the Jimjilbang are solely for sleeping. There are, again, countless to choose from: those for men, those for women, those for couples, and those for families. There are so many to choose from, that I loose track and do not inspect many of them as they are full of people who are fast asleep. Some are closed off entirely, some are in open air as small alcoves off the main corridor, and some are filled with normal bunkbeds.

I choose the mixed sleeping room for solo patrons and ladies with children, in which the beds are akin to those of capsule hotels. You must climb a ladder and crawl into the bed-sized hole, before drawing the curtain or locking the door at the end of it. It’s worth mentioning that if you’re not a fan of small spaces, many people simply left their curtains open and doors ajar, and I suppose this also means that it’s far easier for people to tell if that particular bed is occupied. 

It’s also worth mentioning that these beds are not sound proof, so bring headphones if you need some music or ASMR to help you nod off. There’s free internet in the jimjilbang, and my Korean sim still picked up 4G even in the deepest recesses of the saunas. And be warned, you will be treated to a cacophony of snores and babies crying through the night – remember what I said about sleeping in the mugwort sauna? How I dreamed of that palace while I struggled to drift off in the designated sleeping areas. 

The last thing to remember before you head off is to set your alarm for a little bit before your session runs out, so you can be up and get your shoes while you still have the time. For me, this was only a few hours away, since I’d spent so much time exploring the jimjilbang before I finally decided to use it for its designated purpose – sleeping off a busy day in preparation for the next. 

Part 7: The Morning After

With eyes still full of sleep, I crawl out of my hole and descend the stairs back down to the changing rooms amid hundreds of other bleary-eyed ladies. I jump out of my bright orange sauna wear and back into my everyday clothes, before handing over the key to the new lady at the shoe lockers.

And that’s it, you’re all done, and are free to head back out into the world.

I sat for a few minutes, lazily putting my shoes back on as the morning queue formed, full of people wanting to experience the jimjilbang in the day too. 

Emerging into the morning sun, it’s probably fair to say I look absolutely insane, catching the eyes of two construction workers who cease their conversation to watch me saunter out of the alley, hair messy and stupid smile on my face. I go back to the goshiwon and catch up on the two hours of sleep I have missed. All in all, it was delightfully refreshing, surprisingly cheap, and there was only slightly more nervousness and self-consciousness involved than when I was fully clothed, walking through the city streets. 

So, Should You Go To A Jimjilbang as a Solo Female Traveller?

Do it. Apologies for the simplistic conclusion, but that was always going to be my advice. If I did it alone, addled with anxiety and potential for social faux-pas, then you can certainly do it. Aside from the stares you always get as a foreigner, employ the usual tactics, act like you know exactly what you’re doing, and forget about them. Enjoy it. It’s worth every penny, and probably much more than that too, for the sheer amount of saunas you get to try. 

As I mentioned in the introduction, it’s also one of the most culturally ‘Korean’ things that you can do as a tourist, sleeping next to other Koreans who use jimjilbangs as part of their everyday life, with no specialised tour for foreigners or different experience based on where you’re from. A jimjilbang is a jimjilbang is a jimjilbang, and they are the perfect way for a solo female traveller to spend a night, or day, next to the natives, while also enjoying oneself.