Korean Spas

I really enjoy going to Korean spas. I've been to several as I've traveled to cities that have them. Recently I went to one outside Chicago that was a fantastic day. The wet areas are separated by gender and are completely nude. They typically have a sauna, a steam room, and pools of various temperatures from very hot to lukewarm to cold. You can spend hours in there just relaxing and destressing, it is a wonderful experience. There are open showers that line that line the walls around this big open room with the pools and sauna/steam rooms. Typically there are guys there of all ages and all races, just relaxing in the nude together. No one even tries to cover up with a towel or hide anything. I thought I would be a little intimidated by this at first, but it quickly becomes a non issue. I also enjoy getting body scrubs at these spas. They are done in the same common wet area. You are completely nude and uncovered on the table while the Korean spa attendant scrubs you down. He cleaned literally every inch of my body, being shy about nothing. If you opt for the longer session (mine was 70min) it included a wonderful deep tissue massage. It felt amazing. I have never been that clean and relaxed in my entire life.

Yes Korean saunas are gifts from heaven. Different temp hot tubs and stream rooms, common eating areas, many have outside spaces too. You are also lucky to have taken a body scrub - it's amazing how my skin feels afterwards.

All in all, the ones I've been to have been quite reasonably priced as well. Not as inexpensive as the ones in Korea, but not bad.

Are they similar to Japanese "onsen"?

Yes they are. As I understand the history, that's one of the many things that Koreans kept from Japanese occupation.

Here in the Atlanta area we have a couple of Korean spas that I've tried. I don't go there very often, but they're great when you're just in the mood to relax for a few hours.

Both of these local spas have common areas with several different types of saunas. Those are mixed-use areas, male and female together, so you have to wear the shirt and shorts that they provide. But they also have the segregated male and female "wet" areas with several pools, steam, and one or two types of dry saunas. In those areas you are required to be completely nude. Being the exhibitionist that I am, I do enjoy the all-nude areas a lot. It's fun to just "hang out" with the boys. 😃

I read somewhere that Koreans routinely circumcise boys, though not at birth unlike in the US. Is this true? Why this custom?

The trend began from influence of the Americans following the war, and perpetuated by peer pressure, it is indeed intriguing

But American circumcision is neonatal while the Koreans I think circumcise later...

Yes indeed around 12 I believe, as I say intruiging 😃

There is a nice Korean spa in Dallas that I attend from time to time. I mainly stay in the wet area because all of us are nude and at ease with it. We are required to shower first and then we can visit the steam room the sauna, or get in the pools. One is cold with water from the ceiling flowing down. Many step out of the sauna and immediately stand under the cold water. I don't enjoy that so I get in one of the hot tubs. There is always air being forced into the tubs and getting over one of the bubbling areas is very erotic as it flows over one's but or penis. There are all ages of males in that area from small boys with their dads to very old men. There is no touching or anything sexual other than the air bubbles which we all enjoy but no one mentions. If one enjoys being naked with other males, then it is a great place to go.

KOREAN SPAS ARE REALLY SPECIAL. I live in the Los Angeles area and we have the largest community of Koreans outside of Korea. There seems to be a Korean spa on every corner in the Korea Town district. Each is different but all have the same premise. It is wonderful to see people of all ages enjoying this cultural treasure. In LA there is even a guide online identifying each spa with hours of operation (some open 24 hours), price, clientele, and yes, how much cruising is going on.

I have never been to Korea. Is there a difference with Japanese spas?

@Bithesea Could you be so kind as to point us to this guide? I'm in LA once in a while and mostly frequent Wi Spa, and would love to expand my world.

In LA there is even a guide online identifying each spa with hours of operation (some open 24 hours), price, clientele, and yes, how much cruising is going on.

There are 2 spas here in the DFW metro area and I have gone to both of them. I started going there when my family would go to visit out of state relatives, because you could spend the night there, and I hate being alone in a big house. They are very relaxing places to hang out. I always start in the nude area, taking a shower and then soaking in a warm tub. Then I move up to a hot tub, then to the dry sauna. Usually everyone just sits there and sweats, but sometimes there is conversation. There are sometimes guys in there that have a towel over their laps, and they are generally the ones who are stroking themselves, let's just be real. Only very rarely does anyone say anything to these guys, and one spa is much worse than the other about this “activity”. After the sauna, one spa has a “drench” cold shower that feels awesome. I will drench and go to the cold pool to close my pores, drink a bunch of water and then relax for a bit before cycling again. The other spa only has the cold pool, so I will submerse myself there.

After a couple of cycles of hot-dry-cold, I shower and put on their “uniform” and go to the main area. There you can eat, or just relax on a couch or recliner. There are also other clothed co-ed saunas you can try with different characteristics. I have my favorites at each place. Since Covid, both now close at midnight, but before, I would always stay 24 hours. There are a number of places you can sleep, mostly on a heated floor with a mat. I think you have to be clothed in all of the sleeping areas, one of the spas has signs because there are areas off the locker room for sleeping, and it says clothes are required. Shoes are prohibited everywhere, so the floors are kept very clean, and it's nice to be able to go barefoot everywhere.

Both places also have co-ed pool areas where you wear swimsuits and I usually will go relax in the pool for a while, but this is usually the place I spend the least amount of time. I go during the weekdays almost always, so there is not usually a lot of activity, but I've heard the weekends can get out of control.