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This is part 2 of my solo ‘jjimjilbang’ (찜질방) experience in Hongdae, Seoul.

If you haven’t read part 1 yet, click through the link for the deets:

I paid 11.14 SGD for a solo ‘jjimjilbang’ (찜질방) experience in Seoul, South Korea. Here’s my honest review (part I)

So, as we ended the post previously at the end of the stairway to the main hall, here’s what greeted me when I entered.

It was pretty dark and many people were sound asleep.

I wasn’t sleepy, so I wasted no time and headed straight for the food store.

Here’s the price list for the food menu:

As I’ve pointed out, there’s minimal English around the signs, so it’s not tourist-friendly, especially if you can’t read Korean.

Anyway, the Korean sauna-style eggs are 4 for 3,000 KRW (approx. 2.77 SGD) and the ‘sikhye’ (rice punch drink) is 4,000 KRW (approx. 3.70 SGD) for a medium cup; while a cup of ramen is 4,000 KRW (approx. 3.70 SGD).

I don’t think it’s very wallet-friendly, tbh.

Since the bathroom was in sight, right beside the food store, I went in to relieve myself.

It was pretty clean, but there was a weird musty smell.

All in all, very dated.

There’s only one cold sauna room, and they call it the ‘Frozen’ ice room.

All the other 3 are hot saunas and vary in temperature.

This ‘Finnish Sauna’ was the most bearable in heat, in my opinion.

I was able to enter the room and close the door behind me without feeling too overwhelmed.

There were two people in there when I entered, so I couldn’t take a clear picture with flash, but here’s what it looks like:

The second hot sauna room, named ‘Red Clay Sauna’, was empty when I entered.

It’s empty and quite understandably so because it was much warmer than the ‘Finnish Sauna’, almost up by 50%.

Here’s what it looks like on the inside:

Much more spacious.

The last hot sauna room is the ‘Charcoal Sauna’, and this one is no joke, yeah.

When I opened the door, there was an intense, I repeat, INTENSE heat wave that swept over my face.

I had to close the door immediately and then reopen it to take a picture of the interior.

At least, I tried to show what’s inside.

This will be really comfortable during winter, but during summer, it can burn you.

There was also a ‘no mobile phone’ warning at the entrance.

Here’s the main hall view again, with lights on now.

The staff on duty turned it on and then explained that it was his routine cleaning time.

Good for me since I can take clearer pictures for y’all. Heh.

Tons of sleeping mats and pillow blocks, so use as you wish.

There were also massage chairs that you can use at an extra charge.

I like how there are separate men’s and women’s sleeping “rooms” at two opposite ends.

This is the women’s sleeping “room” but the sign is in Korean -.-”’

Here’s what it looks like after you take the staircase up:

Pretty roomy!

I also stumbled across this unmanned DIY ramen corner.

The variety is pretty impressive, with about 4 to 5 vending machines selling ramen, snacks, and drinks.

The ramen packets are all priced at 5,000 KRW (approx. 4.63 SGD) each.

Make your purchase, and you can cook them right here:

Thank God there are simple instructions in English on how to operate these machines.

Anyway, there are no staff on duty at this corner, so you can just buy what you want and pay via credit card.

For those not craving noodles, you can go for these rice options.

Again, I don’t think there’s an English menu, so you might have to play with luck or use a translator to help you navigate through these options.

FYI, a plain instant rice bowl is 2,000 KRW (approx. 1.85 SGD), and the other rice bowls are 5,000 KRW (approx. 4.63 SGD).

There’s also this self-bar/corner where you can sort your food waste and do some light cleaning/washing.

There are tables and chairs so you can dine comfortably alone or with your travel buddies.

And of course, how can we live without an internet connection?

The Wi-Fi ID and password are printed out in signs and pasted in various areas inside the ‘jjimjilbang’, so just walk around and you will spot them on the walls.

I could do some light surfing while inside the ‘Frozen’ ice room, but the signal was weak.

I gave up on the warm sauna rooms and went for the ‘Frozen’ room to end my tour of the place.

It was surprisingly empty, so I had the whole place to myself.

It was cool, not ice cold, when I entered.

Even the ice was melting and water was slowly dripping…

But after sitting inside for about 15 minutes, I felt the chill creeping in.

Eyeing that bench right outside to recover my body temperature.

Getting ready to leave the place, but wanting to just linger around for a little longer in these cool temperatures, knowing that the heat is about to greet me outside. Boohoo.

Time to go!

I changed into my own clothes and threw the used ‘jjimjilbang’ clothes and towels into the designated laundry carts.

And that sums up my solo trip to the ‘jjimjilbang’.

I would rate the place a 5.5/10.

5 points for existing, and an extra 0.5 points for the cleaner ahjussi who turned on the lights and also spoke to me in English, asking me if I’d checked out the women’s sleeping corner.

This is not my first ‘jjimjilbang’ experience, and in all honesty, I’ve been to much better (and cleaner) ones that are of similar prices or just a little more pricey.

The staff on-site generally couldn’t speak a word of English and didn’t even make an effort to try communicating (except the ahjussi).

They were also not smiley at all, and I don’t think that’s the right attitude for service staff.

It’s a very old-fashioned place, so if you like all things vintage and local, you can give this place a try.

For me, there probably won’t be a second time unless they have renovations or remodeling to refresh the entire place.

All image credits to Celeste Elle and should not be reproduced without permission.

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If you’re into Korean culture, K-dramas, or variety shows, it’s hard not to know what ‘jjimjilbang’ is.

It’s loosely translated as a Korean sauna, but thanks to AI, we’ve got an accurate (?) translation:

In Korean, a “jimjilbang” is written as 찜질방. The word is a combination of “jjimjil” (찜질), meaning heating or poultice, and “bang” (방), meaning room. So, it literally translates to “heated room” or “poultice room”.

So I randomly decided to drop by a ‘jjimjilbang’ that’s not too touristy; one that cannot be found on Klook or Kkday.

Nothing against the two big Ks, haha, just that I wanted to experience something that locals would normally go to?

I wanted to visit one in the Hongdae area, so I searched on Naver maps, and this place came up:

“홍대24시불가마사우나” in Korean and “Hongdae 24-Hour Bulgama Sauna” in English.

It’s easy to get to, just 200 m or less than a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Hongik University Station.

Here’s a quick map reference:

I read blog reviews on food prices on-site, and I didn’t want to spend that money (I’m a miser, ha!), so I dropped by GS25 (a chain convenience store) inside Hongik University Station and got a Kinder Bueno bar to quickly fill my tummy before I checked in at the ‘jjimjilbang’.

And off I go!

As mentioned earlier, it’s a short walk from Exit 4, so look for the signs.

Once you exit the underground, you will likely see this pole with “Exit 4” written on it.

You’re at the right spot!

But which way?

See AK Plaza?

Step outside, and do you see Starbucks on the left?

Walk towards the Starbucks direction and keep walking.

It’s directly opposite a huge LG Electronics Store, so you won’t miss it.

Take the zebra crossing to get over to the other side.

And here’s the right entrance, so go through the doors and walk straight to the elevators.

It’s located in B2 (basement 2), so take the elevator down.

And here’s the entrance once you reach B2.

SHOES OFF, but I didn’t heed the advice, oops.

Was busy taking pictures for y’all :p

It was very quiet, and I thought there was no one at the front desk, but there was an ahjumma seated behind the desk.

Her eyes were glued to the screen, and she didn’t even greet me.

I walked forward and said “one adult” in English.

She didn’t say a word and just clicked away at her desktop to process payment.

It was a weekday, and during the day, it was 10,000 KRW for entry.

They charge separately for ‘jjimjilbang’ clothes, at an extra 2,000 KRW, so all in all, I was charged 12,000 KRW.

I asked her if I could pay using Apple Pay, but she just pointed at the price list, not understanding what I was asking and not even attempting to understand.

Bad service right from the start. Hoho.

Anyway, no Apple Pay apparently, so I took out my physical YouTrip card to make payment.

I was charged 11.14 SGD based on the day’s exchange rate!

Not a bad price, huh?

Lucky number for the day is 45.

I mean, locker number.

She handed me my ‘jjimjilbang’ clothes, alongside two towels, and a receipt with the locker number on it, and signalled me to go left.

The men’s one is on the right.

Just remove your shoes (and socks) and put them into your designated shoe cabinet locker.

Then just enter and find your clothes locker.

It was pretty crowded inside, with a bunch of Korean ladies taking their own sweet time to change out of their clothes and getting ready to leave.

I barely managed to change out of my own clothes and into the ‘jjimjilbang’ ones, plus store all my belongings in the locker.

And honestly, the clothes they gave me reeked of years of built-up sweat, like clothes too old or clothes that had never seen the sunlight in like forever.

I’m a clean freak, so it instantly put me in a bad mood.

There’s a restroom right where the lockers are at but there’s only one cubicle, so I would advise you to head up to the main hall to use the restrooms there.

I brought my own water bottle, but they had plenty of such water dispensers at every corner with paper sachets (instant cups), so you can quench your thirst easily.

This is the price list for sauna services they provide: scrub, massage, shampoo, etc.

As you can see, it’s all in Korean, so it’s not very tourist-friendly.

There’s a powder room (station) with combs, lotion, cotton buds, etc.

But they looked filthy to me.

And you have to pay 200 KRW (approx. 0.18 SGD) for a 2-minute use of the hair dryer…

There’s also a little corner where they provide ad hoc services.

Nothing written in English, btw.

I couldn’t find the way to enter the ‘jjimjilbang’, so I asked one of the locals in the changing room, and she pointed me in the right direction.

You will have to take the carpeted staircases to get to the main hall, so if you’re traveling with someone with bad knees, just take note, yeah.

There’s a massage room (unisex) on the left once you exit the staircase, so if you’re interested, you could go for it.

It’s “no, thank you” for me, so I was headed towards the main hall straight away…

And that’s all for part 1 of this very lengthy post.

If you want to know what greets me at the main hall, the actual sauna rooms, food court/ramen station, and more, stick around.

See you next in part 2. Tap/click on the link right here:

I paid 11.14 SGD for a solo ‘jjimjilbang’ (찜질방) experience in Seoul, South Korea. Here’s my honest review (part II)

All image credits to Celeste Elle and should not be reproduced without permission.

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