South Korea’s Gangwon province welcomes travellers looking to recharge in soothing environs.
The pursuit of wellness has been widely identified as a travel priority in a post-lockdown world, and South Korea’s Gangwon province may well offer valuable healing experiences for pre/post-event programmes.
Therapies in nature can be found at Romy Zian Garden in Gariwangsan Peak. Paths wind through lush greenery, where scenes and garden themes change with the seasons.
The mountainside Healience Seonmaeul keeps guests disconnected from the hectic world with a host of activities such as yoga in the forest, forest bathing in Jongjasan Mountain, and treatments in a spa boasting facilities like Carbonic Acid Pool and Red Clay Bedrock Sauna.
Donghae Mureung Health Forest makes another good wellness retreat. The eco-friendly lodging offers a traditional Korean bathhouse, known as a jjimjilbang, made out of red clay, as well as a salt cave sauna. Guests can also make themselves an eco-friendly souvenir of cypress pillows and natural shampoos.
For healthful stays, consider Osaek Greenyard Hotel, Park Roche Resort & Wellness, and Yong Pyong Resort.
At Osaek Greenyard Hotel, guests can strengthen their immune system with healthy meals and detoxifying hot springs bath, and ease tension with indoor yoga and pilates classes.
Park Roche Resort & Wellness serves up healthy dishes that use low-salt traditional Korean sauces and offers physical rejuvenation through a Wellness Club and Aqua Club.
Yong Pyong Resort invites guests to explore the lush forests of Mt Balwangsan, test their courage on the Balwangsan Skywalk tempered glass bridge, and participate in healing yoga and pilates classes.
If it is meditation that one prefers, Museum San Meditation Hall, designed by famous architect Tadao Ando, has a stone garden that is ideal for emptying the mind. The floor is maintained at 22°C year-round and the humidity level is carefully controlled. Wellness programmes range from a singing bowl meditation to a resting meditation.
