Last Updated on April 7, 2018 by Christine Kaaloa
Review: Naked in a Mineral Bath (Chocksan Spa, Mt Seoraksan)
We arrived in Sochko at Chocksan Spa around 11PM. The spa had already closed, so we checked into our room. A small room, there was no traditional bed (well no, let me take that back)…there was a traditional yo (a Korean floor bed, where comforters are put down for padding), and just enough floorspace for a five-person squeeze!
Our room had a small coffee table with a hotpot, some cups and a hotel refrigerator stocked with items “for purchase”. While the latter is common to top echelon hotels like the Hyatt or Sheraton, it was the first time I was seeing it in Korea. At 80,000W/night, I couldn’t quite see the value. The room itself wasn’t nearly as luxurious, comfortable or as spacious as many of the 30,000W love motels I’ve seen; but for the night, it was clean and suited our needs.
The next morning we grabbed our bath items and went downstairs to the spa/bathhouse for some soaking, scrubbing and bathing! Brilliant. While I’ve slept on a wooden floor before Japanese style, my back apparently had forgotten on how to lay on one! It was up to the spa to work out my aching yo back.
The soothing mineral pools of Chocksan Spa
Table of Contents: Chocksan Spa: Naked in a Mineral Bath at Mt Seoraksan
Chocksan Spa was a bit smaller than I imagined.
…three mineral pools (temperatures range from warm, hot and freezing), a sauna, some bath and shower stations and the standard station for the ajumma scrubber/masseuse. However, the minerals did not disappoint. Over the main pool hung a sign listing the minerals contained in each pool; however, aside from straining to remember the science mineral conversions I learned in high school, everything was written in Korean (living in Korea, the written word is always sure to be a puzzle)!
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Mineral elixirs and healing properties of the spa pool
Curiosity had us wondering specifically about the mystery brew in the cold pool. The water in this cauldron was ice cold and no more than five minutes of having our bodies halfway submerged, many of us could’ve sworn we were literally, breathing out menthol.
As I said, the 80,000W felt a bit steep for what was offered in overnight accommodations and spa facilty. Nevertheless, it was a great way to wake up to the day and recharge, before hiking Mt. Seoraksan!
