What to do at Spa Land in Busan, from body scrubs to plunge pools
Shinsegae Centum City's Spa Land in the southeastern city of Busan / Korea Times file
Shinsegae Centum City in the South Korean city of Busan is the world's largest department store, with nearly 700 shops across 16 floors. But I'm not here for retail therapy. I'm here for Spa Land.
From just 17,000 won ($12), visitors to the high-end jjimjilbang - traditional South Korean bathhouse - can enjoy saunas, steam rooms, a salt room, plunge pools, baths, a restaurant and more. But what every hardcore spa-goer comes here for, are the ajummas' body scrubs, for which a South Korean auntie loofahs every single inch of a person's body with a precision equally feared and beloved.
More on that later.
South Korea's natural hot-spring-fuelled jjimjilbangs have a long history. For more than a millennium, for example, the waters in Daejeon city's Yuseong district have been celebrated for their healing properties and are purported to ease muscular pain and skin ailments.
Jjimjilbangs are an intrinsic part of Korean culture, with Spa Land exemplary of the inclusively welcoming attitude that modern Busan wishes to convey.
Its contemporary architecture and double-height central atrium anchor the space with warm sunlight. Korean and English signs make it easy for tourists to join locals in the fun.
On my way to soak in the cold plunge pool before a traditional Korean treatment, I saw a familiar face: "Irene?"
It was my former boss, butt naked. While Irene moved to Seoul years ago, her hometown is Hong Kong, where her parents, siblings and extended family live. What was she doing in Busan? She replied that she was holidaying with her boyfriend and this was her first Spa Land visit.
The complex combines a dozen plunge pools within the male and female change areas with roughly the same number of heated rooms in the mixed-gender zone. It has the grandeur of Budapest's Szechenyi Thermal Bath, minus the cherubs.
Shinsegae Centum City's Spa Land in the southeastern city of Busan / Korea Times file
For many, one of the main attractions of Spa Land is to enjoy spa time together as couples, friends or families in the mixed-gender section of the multilevel spa and bathhouse. Clad in complimentary pyjamas, visitors can wander through outdoor foot baths or dip in and out of heated rooms, resting in between bouts on the lounge beds dotted throughout the lower floor and mezzanine.
"Rooms?" Irene asked in confusion. She did not know about them. She immediately left to join her boyfriend in the mixed-gender section as it dawned on her why pyjamas were provided.
On the upper floor, further distractions include a stretching room with provided yoga mats and a game room with arcade-style machines.
Traditional treatments, such as reasonably priced facials and massages, are add-ons in a dedicated spa zone; payment is simple as the wristband provided upon check-in is both a digital wallet and locker key. Manicures and pedicures are available in a kiosk near the changing areas.
Food options include a restaurant with table service offering Korean staples such as bibimbap and bulgogi with mushrooms. Across from the restaurant is a ramen cafe where people can help themselves to instant noodles. A snack bar centrally located among the heated rooms stocks ice cream, crisps and other light refreshments.
As I arrived at the cold plunge pool, a woman was already there. We shyly made eye contact and began talking. The Los Angeles native said she was familiar with jjimjilbangs as her hometown had a large Korean population.
"Are you on holiday, or do you live here?" I asked politely.
"I'm here with my husband and sons," she replied. "We're on an excursion offered by the cruise ship Diamond Princess."
"I'm here from Diamond Princess, too, but I came here on my own - I've been before." I waited a beat, then offered, "Have you tried the rooms already?"
"Rooms?"
The same conversation was repeated. Ending with a quick nod goodbye, the lady left to join her family before we all had to make a 3pm sailing.
Shinsegae Centum City's Spa Land in the southeastern city of Busan / Korea Times file
With time ticking, I proceeded to alternate soaks with bouts in the Finnish-style sauna before an ajumma summoned me to hop onto a vinyl massage bed.
At 35,000 won ($25) for a 25-minute scrub, it was exactly what the doctor ordered: a no-nonsense treatment with every nook and cranny attended to. She sloughed off the dead skin I find impossible to remove myself, then threw buckets of water to rinse everything away. I rolled off the bed feeling like a newborn.
This old school treatment felt like a cross between Istanbul's Cemberlitas Hamami and Shanghai back scrubs. The bare-breasted Turkish aunties and their casual tossing of water are very much like the (clothed) South Korean ajummas. Yet the Koreans' finesse is more akin to slough treatments by Shanghai-trained masters; the technique is all about getting the most out of a common loofah or flannel.
After my scrub, I used the complimentary lotions: a good assortment of Korean skincare products designed to hydrate. As I checked out, I reluctantly surrendered my wristband for the final tally. Four hours were just not enough at Spa Land.
Shinsegae Centum City offers plenty of retail therapy; I completely ignored it as I rushed to catch a ride to the cruise terminal. I was already plotting my next trip, with the intention of doubling my Spa Land session to fit in a French pedicure and facial. I could not wait for an even more aggressive ajumma to rub me raw.
Read the story at SCMP.