Sunday, August 17, 2008

Idea #12: Visit a Korean spa.

There are dozens of top-notch Korean spas throughout the United States, and visiting one feels almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Men and women go into separate bathing areas, where they luxuriate in baths heated to various temperatures, from 56 degrees to a cool down to 107 degrees for serious heat. As in Korea, you are expected to wash yourself first before getting into the water. The main pool has dozens of different jets for massages. Women stand by ready to offer a body scrub to those willing to submit to 40 minutes of serious exfoliation. (And yes, most people are nude, although the modest may wear suits.)

When you tire of the water, you can put on the pajamas they give you when you enter and go into the unisex area, where you can dine on tasty Korean food while lounging in front of 60-inch television screens. Various saunas offer more health benefits: The amethyst and red clay rooms rid the body of toxins while the igloo room tightens pores. To visit is to give yourself an other-worldly kind of day.

No comments: