In a happy daze after our maiden Hanbok photoshoot, we left BEXCO grinning like two silly fools. We then made our way on foot towards the nearby Shinsegae Centum City, which holds the Guinness Book of Records for being the largest shopping centre in the world!!!!
Everything you want, you can probably get here. We were pretty much beat by the end of the day so we didn’t explore all of the floors.
We did check out the rooftop garden on the ninth floor where there was a fabulous dinosaur-themed playground called Zooraji. The place is a hit not only with the kids but adults like us too! You can pretend that you are in Jurassic World where you hang out with the many life-sized dinosaurs or unleash your inner Jack Sparrow on the pirate ship. There is also a bunch of outdoor tree structures that look very similar to the SuperTrees at our Gardens by the Bay. Coincidence or copy cat? You decide!
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| skating rink |
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| small selection of Rilakkuma stuff at the stationery section |
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| art exhibition |
After enjoying the sunset at the playground, we headed in search for food. There are loads of restaurants on the 10th floor next to the playground, but we didn't want to splash out on another expensive meal. So we went to the Food Hall at the basement instead, where things were more affordable.
The main reason why we came to Centum City was SpaLand, the most luxurious jjimjilbang in all of Korea! It was our first time going to a traditional Korean spa and we were very excited to try it out. The experience is rather similar to the Japanese onsen and if you have no qualms getting nekkid in an onsen, then jjimjilbang should be no problem for you.
The entrance to SpaLand is on the first floor of the department store, near the MAC cosmetic counter. As we went after 8pm, we were eligible for the night-time admission fee which was only 10,000KRW per person! What luck! Most of the people who visited the SpaLand that night seemed to be locals, and there were only a handful of tourists there. Perhaps it was also late at night, which explains the lack of crowds.
The way SpaLand operates is quite different from most other jjimjilbangs. There is a limit to how long you can stay inside: the basic entry fee allows you to stay for a maximum of four hours. If you want to stay longer, you will have to pay more. Unlike other jjimjilbangs that stay open for 24 hours, SpaLand closes at midnight, so you can forget about crashing here overnight in lieu of a proper hotel room. Children under the age of 12 are also not permitted to enter, and you know what this means: no screaming kiddos to disturb the peace!
Everyone who enters the jjimjilbang will be given a plasticky bracelet with an electronic tag. This bracelet is the key to your lockers and also acts as a virtual wallet to keep track of what you have spent (either for the treatment services or food that you consume at the jjimjilbang).
We were provided with 2 soft fluffy towels as well as a set of PJs from the reception desk and we placed our shoes inside the shoe locker before proceeding to the locker room. Note that absolutely no shoes are allowed inside the jjimjilbang, because they don't want you to ruin their awesome wooden floors. You walk around barefoot everywhere.
The locker room can be a bit of a culture shock if you haven't been to an onsen or jjimjilbang. There were nekkid ladies walking around nonchalantly everywhere. Once you realise that nobody actually gives a damn about looking at you, it is easy to take your clothes off. Haha! Please also observe the culture of not taking any photographs in the locker room. Don't be a twat.
Before you head to the hot tub, it is mandatory to take a shower first. Remember to take along the small towel that you were given when you go into the bathing area. Grab a basin and a stool and find any available shower stall. There are seated showers and standing showers, but I think the seated ones give you a more authentic experience! At each shower stall, there is shampoo, conditioner and soap provided, so there’s no excuse not to scrub yourself clean. If you like, you can also bring your own toiletries, as I observed many of the other Korean women doing so. If you have long hair, bring a scrunchie or hair clip! You’re not supposed to let your hair dip into the water!
One of the reasons why people love to visit spas and onsens is that the minerals in the water are supposedly very good for the skin. The water in SpaLand's baths and pools is pumped from two types of hot springs that lie 100 meters underground, and which are sterilized 36 times a day. We totally enjoyed soaking in the different tubs of varying temperatures and different mineral contents such as sodium bicarbonate (which is supposed to remove your dead skin cells and make your skin and hair shiny) and sodium chloride (which has a "heat-preservation effect" that is "good for blood circulation and helps to relieve pain from neuralgia and backache").
Your skin will feel totally great after you get out of the water! In the bathhouse, you can also try out the jacuzzis, outdoor bath and steam rooms too! If you have time, you can sign up for body scrubs and other treatment services (extra charges apply) where an ahjumma will scrub all your dead cells away! Haha! The service was fully booked when we went and we didn’t have time to try it out. Maybe next time!
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| lounge area |
We were told not to spend more than an hour soaking in water (otherwise you will turn into a prune), so we quickly dried off and went to explore the other parts of SpaLand. There is still much to see and do beyond the baths! There is a cooling open-air foot spa where we enjoyed the breeze while massaging our feet on the stone floors, plenty of indoor deck chairs to lounge on and 13 distinctively themed 'Jjimjilbangs' or saunas to try out such as the Roman sauna, Finnish Sauna, Turkish Sauna, Wave-Dream Room, Body Sauna Room, SEV Room, Hamam Room, Milky Bath, Steam Sauna, Open-air Spa, Pyramid Room, Balli Room, Yellow Earth Room, Hard Wood Charcoal Room, Salt Room, Dry Sauna, Ice Room, Attraction Pool etc. There is simply not enough time to try everything out! If, like me, you can’t stand the heat of the sauna, lying on the ondol floors at the TV room is super relaxing too! I can really fall asleep here.
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| restaurant |
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